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12 easy and elegant dinner ideas, perfect for holiday entertaining. Make them ahead of time and enjoy your guests!
The holidays are a wonderful time to invite friends and family over for a home cooked meal! These are some of our favoite recipes that are easy enough for entertaining but elegant enough for your fanciest holiday meal.
They can be made ahead of time, allowing you to enjoy your guests. There's everything from cozy pastas and stews, gumbo, twists on classic French dishes and much more. Enjoy!
French Mustard Chicken Breasts (Poulet à la Moutarde Française)
In addition to tender chunks of beef and carrots and a deeply flavored sauce, this Slow Braised Italian Beef Stew also features fire-roasted tomatoes, briny olives, pearl onions and lots of fresh rosemary for a delicious taste of Italy!
Make-Ahead Chicken Andouille Gumbo
Dinner party-worthy and super flavorful, this Chicken Andouille Gumbo can be made ahead for easy, relaxed (and delicious) entertaining!
Beef Bourguinon Meatballs (Boulettes de BĹ“uf Bourguignon)
Want to feel a little fancy without breaking the bank or spending hours in the kitchen? These make-ahead Beef Bourguinon Meatballs are outrageously delicious, work well for entertaining and will make an ordinary day quite special!
Make-Ahead Homemade Manicotti
This make-ahead, Homemade Manicotti is beyond delicious with an Italian sausage marinara and tender melt-in-your-mouth pasta.
No-Fuss Butternut Squash Risotto with Italian Roasted Shrimp
A delicious fall comfort dish, this Butternut Squash Risotto with Italian Roasted Shrimp can be prepped ahead and uses the magic of the oven for perfectly cooked risotto and shrimp without all the fuss! A fabulous meal for entertaining or to enjoy near a cozy fire!
Easy Pan-Seared Chicken Bruschetta
If you're in the mood for something healthy, satiating and fabulous, this super easy Pan-Seared Chicken Bruschetta is calling your name! Serve it with some crusty bread to sop up the delicious juices and you'll be hearing rave reviews from family, friends and guests!
Make-Ahead Italian Sausage Puttanesca
This Italian Sausage Puttanesca is a delicious entree for a dinner party, but it's also great for a weeknight meal. It can be made ahead, freezes well and its a big hit with young and old alike!
Weeknight, Dinner Party Chicken Marsala
This fabulous Chicken Marsala with super tender, pan-seared chicken, caramelized mushrooms and a succulent, silky sauce is a delicious way to make a weeknight special and elegant enough to serve for a fancy dinner party!
Braised Pork Shoulder Pozole (Pozole Rojo)
A rich, brothy chili-tomato stew with tender pork shoulder, hominy corn, and roasted red peppers, this Braised Pork Shoulder Pozole, served with an assortment of garnishes, is always a huge hit!
Slow Braised Italian Beef Stew
In addition to tender chunks of beef and carrots and a deeply flavored sauce, this Slow Braised Italian Beef Stew also features fire-roasted tomatoes, briny olives, pearl onions and lots of fresh rosemary for a delicious taste of Italy!
Brown Butter Tomato Shrimp and Grits
With a creamy, brown butter-tomato-wine sauce, this Shrimp and Grits recipe is easy enough for weeknights but also VERY dinner party-worthy! This fabulous meal in a bowl also features barely cooked fresh cherry tomatoes, sweet, tender shrimp and smoky Andouille sausage served over a bed of white cheddar grits.
Easy, Make-Ahead Parisian Coq au Vin (with boneless chicken breasts)
Much easier than traditional Coq au Vin but just as delicious, the magical tenderizing trick results in amazingly tender chicken. It's a fabulous, make-ahead dish that's perfect for entertaining or an easy weeknight treat.
Thought for the day:
Therefore the Lord Himself
shall give you a sign;
Behold, a virgin shall conceive,
and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14
What we're listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoy any of these recipes, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It's so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.
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