Easy Dinner Parties Themes And Menus (2024)

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by Corinne Schmitt

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Like your friends, but hate all the work that goes into hosting a party? It’s possible to host easy dinner parties that leave your guests well-fed and you with plenty of energy to enjoy the party.

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If you aren’t a complete shut-in, you have certainly found yourself in the position of being required to host a dinner party. Certain jobs and social laws dictate that we grown ups do this occasionally as proof that we possess the requisite skills required to feed and house our families. Our friends and acquaintances like this reassurance that they aren’t unwittingly hanging out with someone with a mental disorder.

Here’s the thing though. You’ve got a lot of stuff to do. The daily task of keeping your family fed is eating up (pardon the pun) quite a bit of time as it is. And if you happen to have a teenage son at home, you’re spending a pretty penny just keeping your immediate family fed without worrying how you’re going to feed a large group of people. For these reasons, I am a strong advocate for easy, affordable dinner parties.

Below are seven dinner party themes that won’t take you dozens of hours or hundreds of dollars to host. For each party theme, I will list a variety of options to help with your planning. Some of the options will have an obvious impact on price (e.g. serving steak instead of hamburgers at your backyard BBQ), but I wanted to provide some ideas that are still easy for those of you willing to throw a few more dollars around. Likewise, some of the menu items will be more time-intensive than others, an option for those of you who don’t mind spending a little more time on prep.

Taco Bar

Who doesn’t like tacos? The great thing about this theme is that you really don’t have to do much cooking. It’s also kid-friendly if you were brave enough to open up your party to younger guests.

Appetizers

Tortilla Chips
Salsa and/or Guacamole
Queso Dip

Main Dish

Taco Meat – ground beef, ground turkey, shredded chicken, shredded beef, shredded pork (choose at least one, tailor your other choices to your budget and personal preferences)
Flour (white and/or whole wheat) and/or Corn Tortillas
Taco Shells (I recommend Stand N Stuff for ease and convenience)

Toppings

Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Shredded Lettuce
Diced Tomatoes
Diced Onions
Sliced Black Olives
Pico de Gallo
Salsa (mild and hot)
Taco Sauce
Sliced Jalapenos (pickled or fresh)
Sour Cream
Guacamole or Sliced Avocado
Cilantro

Side Dishes

Italian Dinner

This is a great theme if you are going to have a large number of guests because it’s easy and relatively inexpensive to prepare pasta main dishes. This is another kid-friendly theme as well.

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Appetizers

Main Dish

Lasagna
Fettucini Alfredo
Easy Tortellini with Vodka Sauceor Ravioliwith or without Italian Sausage
Spaghetti with Meatballs
Eggplant or Chicken Parmesan

Toppings

Grated Parmesan
Crushed Red Pepper
Fresh Herbs (oregano, basic, and parsley)
Pesto

Side Dishes

Salad
Italian Bread, Breadsticks, and/or Garlic Bread

Dessert

Cannoli
Tiramisu

Beverages

Italian Wine

*Variation: Prepare a variety of pasta and prepare sauces separately so guests can mix and match.

Backyard BBQ

Kid-friendly and your house won’t get messed up. The only downside is that this theme is limited to nice weather if you really want to reap its benefits.

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Main Dish

Steaks or Babyback Ribs
Chicken Breasts
Bratwurst
Hamburgers
Hot Dogs
Rolls and Buns

Toppings

Souper Supper

In contrast to the summer BBQ, is the winter Soup Supper. Even if you make one or two more expensive soups (e.g. lobster bisque), the costs associated with this theme will be reasonable.

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Main Dish

Toppings

Crumbled Bacon
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Chopped Green Onions
Sour Cream
Crackers or Croutons
Crushed Red Pepper

Sides

Italian Bread
Pumpernickel Bread
Salad

Dessert

Brownies
Cookies

Beverages

Wine

Fondue Party

Fondue has made a comeback and for good reasons. It’s yummy AND fun. The one drawback is that this theme doesn’t work well for large parties unless you have a closet full of fondue pots. Also, even for a small group, you will need at least 3 fondue pots or small crockpots.

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Appetizers

Cheese Fondue
Green Apple Slices
Italian and/or Pumpernickel Bread Cubes
Fresh Vegetables in Bite-Size Pieces (cauliflower, celery, carrots)

Main Dish

Chicken
Steak
Shrimp
Cooking Broth
Dipping Sauces

Side Dishes

Roasted Red Potatoes
Roasted Vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, zucchini, and/or squash)

Dessert

Chocolate Fondue
Strawberries
Pineapple Chunks
Pound Cake Cubes
Large Marshmallows
Rice Krispy Treats

Clam Bake

Okay, this one can get pricey but it wins hands-down for simplicity. You throw everything in a large pot and boil it. This is ideally an outdoor party, but I am also providing a link to a site that tells you how to do an indoor version.

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Appetizers

Clam Chowder
Shrimp co*cktail

Main Dish

Lobster or Crab
Clams
Mussels
Corn
New Potatoes or Red Bliss Potatoes

Side Dishes

Hush Puppies or Cornbread
Coleslaw
Watermelon

Dessert

Beverages

Beer
Lemonade
Soda

All Appetizers

Perhaps it’s because I don’t have appetizers every day that I think they are so wonderful. I personally love parties that serve only appetizers because I can get a much wider variety of flavors and textures than from an entrée and because finger food is somehow just more fun. Admittedly, an all appetizer party is more work than the other party themes I’ve outlined, but you can cheat with a couple of store-bought options and a couple of dips (easier to put together than several dozen stuffed mushrooms).