One of my favorites is Paella, you can do it on top of stove, in oven or on the grill. You can very the seafood to what you like.

I don't host many dinner parties but I have been the sneak in the back,cook,and then sneak back out friend many times. Not anymore,though i will still do such for family. Favorites that are requested are: salmon with garlic butter,roasted new potatoes and asparagus, pork tenderloin with roasted carrots and potatoes, a big pan of chicken and spinach alfredo pasta with garlic bread and salad, classic roasted chicken with all the fixings, even pot roast goes over well. One of my moms favorite things to do is put a rump roast in the crock pot,shred it and make a thick,rich gravy with the juice,serve with mashed potatoes or rice and rolls and green beans. Everyone loves it. Not fancy, but foolproof and DELICIOUS.

As for cookbooks, I have found that Ina Garten and Nigella Lawson have been most helpful to me personally.

I LOVE to do dinner parties but I'm always trying something new -- both entree and dessert! But I'm also partial to recipes that allow me to be a guest at my own dinner party so no last minute in the kitchen cooking something. It's usually something I can fix in the oven. I will say that a favorite side that I do make over and over again is a cheesy grits recipe. Even non-grit eaters will eat and enjoy it! We like it with smoked gouda but you can use any cheese you like. Goes great with an elegant beef tenderloin and down home BBQ

SMOKED GOUDA GRITS

heat 3/4 stick butter, 3 cups of milk and a good pinch of salt in a saucepan. When it comes just to the boil add 3/4 cup quick cooking grits. Stir constantly until it thickens. Add cheese (the original recipe calls for gruyere but we like Smoked Gouda) The original recipe calls for 4 ounces, I just put in what I like . . . and a dash or two of Tabasco and 1/2 t. garlic powder. Pour into a buttered casserole.

Bake in a 350 oven for 15 to 30 minutes (until it's set) If you want a brown crust you can run it under the broiler.

NOTE: You can use whatever cheese you like.

Williams-Sonoma makes a jarred sauce called Rustic Vegetable. It is absolutely delicious on meaty fish or chicken or plain pasta. I like to use zucchini noodles topped with a piece of grilled halibut or chicken, then artistically spoon on the heated sauce. Add some garlic bread and/or a nice dessert.

My other go-to dinner party menu is a play on Greek orzo with grilled chicken. I don't have an exact recipe for the orzo, but I include olive tapenade, lemon juice, olive oil, feta, pine nuts, diced red, orange and yellow bell peppers, diced red onion, diced cucumber, diced tomato and chopped flat leaf parsley. I use a salt-free seasoning that has citrus rind and pepper on boneless chicken breasts.

Chicken shawarma is also delicious and easy. I don't ever put it in a wrap. I serve the pita on the side.

Great ideas so far; thank you. I appreciate you taking the time to share. Unfortunately a couple of our guests don't care for stews/sauces/etc. When we've served what I mentioned above, we left the sauce (like a mustard sauce or whatever) on the side.

"Unfortunately a couple of our guests don't care for stews/sauces/etc."

I guess that omits the Beef Bourguignon I was thinking of. Something really simple but always nice is a beef tenderloin. Ina Garten's Filet of Beef With Gorgonzola Sauce is one we like. It might work since the sauce is served on the side.

https://barefootcontessa.com/recipes/filet-of-beef

ETA - Just thinking of this one for pork tenderloin...also from Ina. I haven't actually tried it yet but plan to this weekend. Seems fitting for a Fall dinner.

https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-ina-gartens-cider-roasted-pork-tenderloins-with-roasted-plum-chutney-237267

I love doing Greek. I make Moussaka, either with ground lamb or beef, crispy roasted potatoes and rice with peppers, feta and shrimp. Those can both be made ahead. The moussaka actually improves if baked and then reheated the following day. Serve with a salad. For apppetizers I usually put out pita with tzatziki r hummous, or taramasalata if you can find it.

Louise, I love Greek, too! :-)

Martha, that grits recipe sounds good. I've had a lot of bad grits to the point of not really liking them... but your version sounds like it could be that creamy, cheesy smooth version I've had a couple of times enough to know good grits can be had.

Anywho. If your guests are into seafood... Some nice large seared scallops? Or perhaps getting very large shrimp or prawns and kebabs of bacon wrapped shrimp dipped in cajiun spices and then grilled or broiled off. Others have already suggested some great fish too. A soup course of a she-crab soup or lobster bisque?

Or perhaps make Roulades? A bit of a fancy and fussy roll up that can be done with fish, chicken, or thinner cuts of pork or even beef.

If you have the time and patience, a teriene can be delightful.

Depending on the size of your party, you could go with a series of small plates or tapas.

You didn't say the size of the group. What you've done in the past makes me think under ten. For that number, just about any recipe can be scaled up. For something different, I can suggest the braised duck legs from Molly Stevens, All About braising. It calls for dried sour cherries, which I found at my regular store, but which can also be ordered online. There's a bit of fuss in the beginning, but at the end, if I remember right, it's just reducing the sauce. If you want the recipe, I can post it later.

For large crowds, I do roasts or giant casseroles, like lasagna. Low fuss, prep ahead, easy to serve.

Bees -- it is! Which is why I think non grit eaters not only eat it but often get seconds! It IS good!

I used to do lots of dinner parties....both formal sit down at a table set with china, silver, cloth napkins and stemmed waters and wines.....and buffet grab a plate, fill it up and find a place to sit....as well as grab it off the grill types of parties.
For grab a plate and find a place to sit, I often do a ham spiral sliced and or a turkey, I slice it up...pair those with something easy like oven roasted potatoes ( peel and chunk up baking potatoes, put into a glass baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and dot on some butter....sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper and herbs of your choice....I often use Italian seasoning, or sometimes rosemary and lemon peel Bake at 375 for 45 minutes and lower temp to2 50 or so if you need to hold them for a while)
As has been said, a whole beef filet sliced.....a large piece of pork loin roasted with salt and pepper and covered with sliced onions ( to keep moist and to flavor)....slice and serve with halved baked confetti or carnival squash. Chicken pieces sprinkled with dry BBQ seasoning or rub and baked in the oven at 375 for 40 minutes,
I also make a meatloaf and flatten and spread with chopped spinach squeezed dry and lots of parm cheese and garlic and rolled up and baked for 79 minutes at 375 then sliced....very pretty....can serve with a tomato sauce.
And then there is that casserole that was so over done about 30 years ago....but maybe it's new again....it was hamburger, celery a can or mushroom soup and one of cream of celery soup, a package of Wild rice mix.....and some s;livered almonds....if you don't have it, shout and I'll find it for you.
I also have poached a whole salmon....wrapped in a dish towel and gently poached in a roasting pan in lemon water.....served with a caper sauce.
Also lasagna....spaghetti and meatballs, chicken picatta....but not for more than 6.....and there is always steaks on the grill!!

Can those grits be done up with an egg topside? Or even baked off into cups?

An interesting dinner party would be breakfast for dinner. Poached/baked off eggs over cheesy grits.

Petite grilled ham steaks, rashers of bacon. Maybe mushroom caps stuffed with spinach. Baked beans... perhaps a hash brown or roasted red potatoes.

Sliced tomato and mozzarella plates along with breads of waffle or french toast fingers, small rolls and danish.

Quite often during the holidays, folks do dinners or later lunch/heavier stuff. Sometimes it's refreshing to get or do something entirely else.

You can do up alcoholic or not mimosas and fruity drinks, coffees and chocolates suitable for breakfast or dinner drinks.

I rely on moussaka too. Mine doesn't have potatoes. It's Craig Claiborne's delicious recipe from the New York Times Cook Book. I make half the recipe and it fills an 11x11 Corning Ware baking dish. Making the meat sauce ahead of time is a big help. The sauce can be frozen.

MOUSSAKA A LA GRECQUE

• 3 medium-sized eggplants

• 1 cup butter

• 3 large onions, finely chopped

• 2 lbs ground lamb

• 3 Tbsp tomato paste

• 1/2 cup red wine

• 1/2 cup chopped parsley

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• 6 Tbsp flour

• 1 quart milk

• 4 eggs, beaten until frothy

• 2 cups ricotta cheese

• 1 cup fine bread crumbs

• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

• dash of nutmeg (ideally freshly grated) • salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

PREPARATION

Peel eggplants and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Salt slices and drain on towels for a few minutes (press to remove more liquid). Brown quickly in a large skillet in 4 Tbsp butter and set aside.

Heat an additional 4 Tbsp butter in the same skillet; cook onions until brown. Add ground lamb and cook 10 minutes, stirring. In a bowl, combine tomato paste, wine, parsley, cinnamon, salt, & pepper. Stir this mixture into the meat; simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, until liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 375. Make white sauce: melt 8 Tbsp butter and whisk in the flour. Bring the milk to a boil and dump it all into the butter/flour mixture, whisking furiously until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat, cool slightly. Stir in beaten eggs, nutmeg, and ricotta.

Grease an 11 by 16 pan or other large casserole dish and sprinkle the bottom with bread crumbs. Add alternating layers of eggplant and then meat sauce, sprinkling each layer with Parmesan and bread crumbs. Pour the ricotta sauce over the top. Bake one hour, or until top is golden. Cool 20-30 minutes; cut into squares and serve with rice.

I often do vegetarian things like spanikopita or thai food with phad thai, fresh spring rolls, etc. But it sounds like your group are meat eaters....what about Beef Wellington? It's impressive and pretty easy. I saw this recipe for individual Wellingtons, which would be fun! https://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipe/individual-beef-wellingtons

Another thing I make is a boneless leg of lamb, marinated in garlic and herbs and grilled. It's delicious and doesn't take long to grill at all. Even lamb skeptics seem to enjoy it. This is similar to what I do, marinating it overnight:
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/grilled-boneless-leg-of-lamb-386700

I also like the idea of roulade...I make mostly turkey and generally just do it without a recipe, but this looks like a great recipe that I'd definitely try:
https://www.purewow.com/recipes/turkey-roulade-cherry-sausage-stuffing

My favorite main course for a dinner party is grilled fish - salmon if it is in season, and the season might be over. I tend to cook salmon outdoors in the Big Green Egg over whatever wood/charcoal Kevin happens to have. I mostly prefer mesquite.

For other, less fatty fish, I often grill them indoors, as fatty fish absorb the smoke flavor and lean fish, like swordfish, do not. I also like to grill shrimp for parties, and I do this inside or out, but preferably out.

Any kind of seafood would be my choice for a dinner party.

Another vote for spanakopita. I often make a pie of that to service with my moussaka, or individual ones as an appetizer.

Not a main, but my husband just reminded me that I used to make a unique appetizer that we had tried in an Irish pub. Mini Yorkshire puddings stuffed with thinly shave roast beef topped/fillied with a Guinness gravy or a horseradish Creme. You make them in a muffin tin not to the top.

Olychick, I copied the lamb marinade you linked...thanks! Grilled lamb is a huge favorite at our house. One of my favorite marinades for butterflied leg of lamb came from the Silver Palate girls. As you mentioned, "Even lamb skeptics seem to enjoy it."

1 cup dry red wine
3/4 cup soy sauce
4 large cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
2 T. fresh rosemary, or 1 T. dried
1 T. coarsely ground black pepper
1 butterflied leg of lamb (about 4 to 5 pounds)

Marinate meat for at least 6 hours, bur preferably overnight.

chloebud, that looks good, too! I've never used soy with lamb. Interesting!

I usually do something that goes in the oven and then needs minimal fussing so I can enjoy my guests. Chicken Divan goes down well, but for your non sauce lovers I’d probably go for a roast. Besides the usual suspects, (chicken roasted in various ways - maybe Lars’ Algerian chicken with couscous as a side dish) I used to do a high heat roasted whole beef fillet with a Chinese marinade. If you’re interested I could post the recipe when I get home next week. Or Beef Wellington (do individual ones) is usually popular.

This roasted salmon is delicious, too. I serve it with asparagus in the spring or roasted root vegetables in the autumn and winter. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-salmon-with-green-herbs-recipe-1925053

I love, love making Chicken Marbella for guests. But if they don't like sauces, as you mentioned, that may be out.

A side dish which we like is braised cabbage, onion and carrots, out from the Molly Stevens braising book that Plllog mentioned.

Bees -- I've never done them with eggs but suppose you could. And yes, definitely do them individually although I never have.

I made this last week and it was easy and delicious and a bit different.

Cook lentils in veg stock, drain and add juice of half a lemon,salt pepper and a splash of olive oil.

Brown pork filets in a pan, transfer to a baking dish. Brush with mustard and sprinkle with herbs of choice, bake 15 to 20 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. Allow to rest covered.

Make or buy a good mayo. Add clove of crushed garlic, seasoning and enough lemon juice to have a runny consistency. Serve lentils on a plate, topped with meat slices, drizzled with the sauce.

Well, my my! You are all wonderful. Great suggestions and I'm enjoying looking through each one. You've given me lots to go on and now I'll start experimenting prior to the dinner. Thank you!

Olychick, the soy sauce is tasty. I do cut back on the mint, and have even omitted it. Good either way.

Suzieque, I was thinking about a menu for an upcoming small dinner party. I'm leaning toward Parmesan Chicken that's served on top of greens tossed with a simple, tasty vinaigrette. Could be another idea for you. :-)

Sounds great, chloebud. Do you have a recipe?

This is one of my go to dinner party recipes. It's easy and delicious and It always gets good reviews from my guests. Looks great too !

I even served it to AnnT and Annie ( different times) and unless they fibbed they both enjoyed it very much.....just don't overcook the pork!

Pork With Herb Crust

2 racks of bone in pork loin (3- to 4-pound).........have the butcher french the bones and remove the chine bone

3 TBSP Olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

7 garlic cloves -- minced

1/3 cup fresh basil -- Chopped

1/3 cup fresh thyme -- Chopped

1/3 cup fresh parsley -- Chopped

2 tablespoon pepper -- Coarsely Ground

1 1/4 cup butter (or margarine) -- cut up

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 cans chicken broth

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoon fresh sage -- Chopped

1/4 teaspoon pepper

. Rub pork with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Stir together garlic and next 4 ingredients; press on to pork. Place pork on a rack in a lightly greased broiler pan; cover bone tips with aluminum foil to prevent burning.

.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 140

Transfer pork to a serving tray. Cover and let rest while making sauce (even if you dont make the sauce let the pork rest for at least 10 minutes to redistribute juices and let the internal temp climb a bit more) Pour pan drippings into a skillet. Add butter to drippings; cook over medium heat until butter melts.

Whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, until caramel colored. Gradually whisk

in broth and next 3 ingredients; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly.

NOTE: make the sauce in advance without the drippings and add the drippings just before serving. It tastes the same but eliminates the sauce at the last minute panic

Serve with 'pork. Garnish, if desired. Yield: 8 servings

This is a Jamie Oliver 30 minute Salmon/Shrimp/Asparagus tray bake and is so easy. It also suggests serving with a spinach salad and a salsa verde.

I've made this a lot and people seem to really enjoy it

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesgalpin/5440947289

Suzieque, this recipe from Ina G is pretty much what I do. You're basically just making chicken cutlets. The vinaigrette is really simple but nice with the chicken. You can use any vinaigrette you like. I've served the chicken both on or under the salad. Some good bread alongside and you're set. I often cut the breasts in half, depending on their size. Also, if it helps, you can cook them in advance and hold in a warm oven...200-225 degrees.

Parmesan Chicken (Serves 4-6)

4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
1 tablespoon water
1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
Butter
Olive oil
Salad greens of choice for 6, washed and spun dry
1 recipe Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Toss the salad greens with lemon vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. Serve with extra grated Parmesan.

Lemon Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Note: I use less oil...about 1/3 cup. I also add a little minced garlic and dab of Dijon mustard.

Salmon is a go to if you know your guest like it. I also do a lot of scallops and shrimp....but again have to be sure your guest like it and can eat it.

A simple seared scallop and asparagus supper is so nice to me...but not at all fancy.

I also love to make a stew with a grilled bread. Maybe not as formal as some like.