20 Recipes For Your First Dinner Party That Everyone Will RAVE About

Cajun chicken Alfredo is one of our top pasta dishes in the Delish Test Kitchen, but we might have to make space on our favorites list for these creamy Cajun stuffed shells. Taking inspiration from our best stuffed shells, this version features a savory Cajun cream sauce and shells filled with andouille sausage and Cajun-seasoned chicken.

Get the Creamy Cajun Stuffed Shells recipe.

Whipped ricotta is beyond easy to make, even though it sounds so delicate and fancy. That’s what makes this a perfect appetizer to serve for an intimate dinner party. Just about anything is good dipped into this, but we love warm crusty bread the most.

Get the Whipped Ricotta With Olives & Roasted Red Peppers recipe.

Thought vegetables couldn’t be the star of the show? This French onion cabbage gratin is here to blow your mind. Crisp browned cabbage wedges are smothered in a rich Gruyère sauce packed with jammy caramelized onions and topped with buttery breadcrumbs for a side that’s so indulgent and irresistible, it might just become the main event.

Get the French Onion Cabbage Gratin recipe.

This recipe takes inspiration from a classic pasta al limone by using heavy cream as the base for the luscious and decadent sauce. And, just like a dirty martini, we supplement the dish with olives and brine (and booze, of course). The best part? It comes together in under 30 minutes.

Get the Dirty Martini Pasta recipe.

We love potatoes in any form, but these crispy Parmesan potatoes are extra-special. Crusted with crunchy golden brown cheese and served with a tangy sour cream and chive dip, they’re hard to resist. This recipe may “serve 4 to 6,” but beware—you might just find yourself eating half the pan.

Get the Crispy Parmesan Potatoes recipe.

The kalimotxo took the interweb by storm earlier this year, giving “sophisticated sangria” vibes as a composed cocktail, and with this recipe, we aim to make this your go-to serve for a big-batch libation with complex yet familiar flavors that are sure to please a crowd.

Get the Kalimotxo Cola Punch recipe.

If you love the timeless and irresistible combo of sour cream and onion, welcome to your new favorite deviled egg recipe. Creamy, tangy, and topped with a crunch, these deviled eggs are the perfect way to level up your party snack game.

Get the Sour Cream & Onion Deviled Eggs recipe.

A knockout of a meal (when done properly, of course), chicken piccata is a couldn’t-be-easier dish—it comes together in one pan, and you don’t need a quintillion ingredients to make it. But we're here to convince you to make salmon piccata. It’s just as easy as its brethren, and we argue that this method for it is even easier.

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Our original Marry Me chicken might be an Internet sensation, but these Marry Me chickpeas are coming for the crown. Chickpeas are tossed in creamy garlic and sun-dried tomato sauce for a simple vegetarian spin on Delish’s favorite dinner.

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Everyone should know how to make a perfect dirty martini, and they batch beautifully for a crowd. As every bartender worth their salt will tell you, the ratio for the perfect dirty martini is 5:1:1—chilled gin: dry vermouth: olive brine. That gets poured over a few ice cubes (like 3 to 5) and stirred until a little of the ice dilutes to tame this stiff drink.

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Warning: Once you take a bite of these crispy gnocchi, you may never stop! These crunchy, little pillowy bites are absolute perfection and an excellent bite-sized appetizer to serve at any gathering.

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Punchy flavor and interesting texture are like the Thelma & Louise of excellent food—you just need both, and this crispy rice and miso mushroom skillet delivers. The crispy rice is topped with ginger and garlic-studded crispy mushrooms, drizzled with spicy miso mayo, then topped with sesame seeds and scallions for a meal that will WOW your guests.

Get the Miso Mushroom Crispy Rice recipe.

In this winner chicken dinner, paprika-dusted chicken is roasted on a bed of herby, sliced red onions and whole garlic cloves until the onions are jammy sweet with a little char and the chicken is cooked through and juicy. We could have easily stopped there, but the real magic is in the savory-sweet, spoonable sauce that the onions transform into.

Get the Sheet-Pan Roasted Red Onion Chicken recipe.

Pleating dumplings is a full-on art, but if you’re all fingers and thumbs with a wrapper, smash dumplings are the way to go. Layered with an aromatic pork and cabbage filling, this effortless take on gyoza is simple enough to make for any party, big or small.

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What do you get when you take mac & cheese on a shopping spree to the fanciest cheese shop you know and shower it with gold leaf? Million-dollar mac. Showcasing a trifecta of bougie (and delicious) cheeses and a crispy crunchy panko topping, this irresistible comfort food in a casserole will take center stage on any table it hits.

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This Spanish dish is a guaranteed crowd-pleasing centerpiece for special occasions and parties, but honestly, this dish is enough reason to celebrate all on its own. With its beautiful and impactful presentation, we wouldn’t be surprised if a few tears are shed when you serve it.

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This sheet-pan dinner checks all of the boxes: It's easy, only requires a few dishes, and most importantly—packs an insane amount of flavor into one sheet pan. This chicken shawarma sheet-pan dinner is the perfect meal when you want to impress your guests with very little work on your end.

Get the Chicken Shawarma Sheet-Pan Dinner recipe.

Roasted Brussels sprouts are great as is, but we also love playing up a roasted veggie to make them even more lovable. A quick roast on the sprouts gets the bottom crisp, and a healthy dusting of pecorino and Parmesan, as soon as they come out of the oven, will gently melt into them, reminding us of one of our favorite pastas, cacio e pepe.

Get the Cacio E Pepe Brussels Sprouts recipe.

Far too often, we've tried vegan sauces that just don’t quite get the creaminess down right, so we decided to solve this problem outright with this instant classic: creamy Tuscan vegan pasta. This recipe takes a note from our classic creamy Tuscan chicken, but made vegan-friendly while still maintaining the creaminess you know and love.

Get the Creamy Tuscan Vegan Pasta recipe.

If you're a fan of garlic knots, this recipe is basically the bite-sized app version. Covered in gooey cheese, garlic butter, and fresh herbs, these bites are the best way to serve a crowd. The best part? They only take a little over half an hour to come together!

Get the Parmesan Bread Bites recipe.