Throwing your very first dinner party can be intimidating – particularly if any invitees are talented cooks – but a meal in three courses is an excellent and manageable place to begin. (You can graduate to five later.)
Course 1: Cranberry and bleu cheese spinach salad
Get a big salad bowl and salad tongs. Buy two bags of fresh spinach leaves and toss with roasted honey walnuts, crumbled bleu cheese and dried cranberries. You can buy the walnuts pre-roasted or roast them yourself by tossing honey and sugar-coated raw nuts onto a foiled cookie sheet covered in cooking spray and roasting in the oven at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.
For the dressing, pour a store-bought balsamic vinaigrette into a fancy salad dressing bottle server. They’re inexpensive and if you mash up a few fresh strawberries and combine into the vessel, you’ll have a delicious and pretty strawberry balsamic vinaigrette.
Course 2: Roasted balsamic vegetable and fennel sausage pizza with fig
Yes, pizza – but it’s a fancy grown up pizza.
You’ll need a pre-made pizza crust; a pound of ground sweet Italian sausage (the kind with lots of fennel); a red onion; head of garlic; a bag of frozen broccoli florets; olive oil; grated parmesan; and a bottle of fig-flavored balsamic vinegar. (You can get this at a specialty shop or online; it’s not very pricey and is so worth it).
Line a large baking dish with foil. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Dump in the whole bag of broccoli. Cut up and add the red onion (thin, crescent-moon shapes are ideal for this pizza). Mince and add two garlic cloves. Crumble in half-inch rounds of sausage and then drizzle everything generously with both the fig balsamic and the olive oil. Give it a toss with a slotted spoon and roast uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until the sausage is browned through and the tips of the onion and broccoli start to brown. You can make this a full day ahead – it keeps beautifully.
When you’re ready to top the pizza, drizzle a bit of olive oil directly onto the crust, top generously with the roasted mixture (it can be hot or cold) and sprinkle on a few tablespoons of grated parmesan. Follow the baking instructions for the pizza crust and you’re done! Be sure to purchase a pizza cutter too. It’s easier and looks fancier than a plain old knife.
Did you notice how we’ve used the balsamic flavoring again? That’s another great way to make a dinner party seem well thought-out. Turn one or two flavor profiles into a theme.
Course 3: Angel food cake with balsamic strawberries and whipped cream
Now that you’ve stuffed your guests, dessert should be light but still a little indulgent.
The night before your dinner party, dump a large bag of frozen strawberries into a bowl. Add roughly a cup of balsamic vinegar and a half-cup of granulated sugar. Let this thaw and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Right before the party, spray an entire can of whipped cream into a serving dish and add a spoon. Slice up a store-bought angel food cake into individual portions and set out on a platter with a serving fork.
When it’s time for dessert, transfer the elements directly to the dinner table and assemble each person’s portion right in front of them. Place a piece of cake in a bowl, top with strawberries and cream, and ladle a little extra strawberry “syrup” on top. Top with a sprig of fresh mint if for extra flair.
Beverages
For this meal, I’d recommend a chilled bottle of dry white wine (like a Sauvignon Blanc) with frozen strawberries as ice cubes. Serve in your prettiest stemware.
Final Tip
Enjoy yourself! Your guests are coming to spend time with you, not merely to eat a meal. By making many of the meal components ahead of time and keeping the courses manageable, you’ll be able to mingle and accept compliments on your beautiful and delicious spread.
Photo sources:
Spinach, walnut, goat cheese and cranberry salad by Elizabeth Thomsen
Garden manicotti pizza by Colleen and Sat Garcia
Angel food cake with strawberries by Alvin Trusty
