Food & Cooking Recipes Quick & Easy Recipes 19 Quick and Easy Recipes for Entertaining—From Appetizers to Desserts Mains, sides, desserts and more that are easy to make, and sure to impress. By Janet Taylor McCracken Updated on June 17, 2024 Close Photo: Marcus Nilsson Planning a party is fun, but it's also hard work. We're here to help you keep the joy and reduce the stress associated with hosting by sharing our favorite easy entertaining recipes. Whether you're looking for some nibbles for a cocktail party, dinners to celebrate friends and family coming to town, or sweets for a holiday get-together, our recipes for entertaining are exactly what you need for a streamlined gathering. Our collection includes quick appetizers for when the company is coming (or to make ahead!), fast entrées that are simple to put together, and speedy desserts that sweeten all kinds of occasions. Either way, these easy meals for entertaining guests are bound to impress. 22 Home Bar Ideas That Will Transform Your Space Into the Ultimate Entertaining Spot 01 of 19 Easy Chicken Thighs With Cherry Tomatoes and Pernod Marcus Nilsson With just 15 minutes of prep, and then hands-off cooking in the oven, this saucy chicken entrée is just the thing for your next dinner party. While it bakes, you can set the table, wash the salad, and change into your party frock. View Recipe 02 of 19 Blue-Cheese Spread Nico Schinco A two-ingredient wonder that comes together in 10 minutes and can be made a day ahead. This cream cheese meets blue cheese spread that's made in the food processor is both sophisticated and super easy. Serve with olive oil toast or your favorite crackers. View Recipe 03 of 19 Chocolate-Mousse Parfaits Justin Walker Pretty as a picture, these airy chocolate mousses are layered with crushed store-bought spice cookies and topped with generous dollops of whipped cream. The recipe is so forgiving, that you can easily double or triple it for when you have many guests coming over. View Recipe 04 of 19 Greek Layer Dip Pernille Loof Serve this zesty Mediterranean spin on the traditional seven-layer dip with pita chips for a delightful party starter. It takes 20 minutes to make and doesn't require any cooking—just a whiz in the food processor. View Recipe 05 of 19 Deviled Eggs With Relish Emily Laurae Deviled eggs are the life of the party, but when you infuse them with pickle relish, the results are even better—sweet, tangy, and definitely a crowd-pleaser for all kinds of occasions. View Recipe 06 of 19 Spanish Chorizo Meatballs Con Poulos As delicious at room temperature as they are hot out of the skillet, these crowd-pleasing meatballs spice things up. They're made with fresh chorizo sausage. View Recipe 07 of 19 One-Pot Seafood Orzo Risotto Marcus Nilsson Here's a quick and easy main dish that's a combo of paella and risotto, but made with orzo pasta—and even more delicious than either! This one-pan dinner looks and tastes fancy, but is easy to put together in just 45 minutes; you can customize it according to your taste or by using the best seafood available at the market. View Recipe 08 of 19 Lime Pudding Cups Johnny Fogg Take 10 minutes in the morning to make this comforting dessert, then pop it in the fridge to chill before you head out to work. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and some crushed graham crackers and dessert is served. View Recipe 09 of 19 Ham and Cheese Flatbread Gieves Anderson Using purchased flatbread makes this elegant appetizer so easy to put together. You can also serve it with a nice big green salad for a simple lunch. View Recipe 10 of 19 Broccoli Frito Misto Yuki Sugiura Who doesn't like crispy food? Here, both broccolini and broccoli get the deep-frier treatment and are served with a vinegary, slightly spicy dipping sauce. View Recipe 11 of 19 Grilled Halibut Steaks With Potatoes, Olives, and Onions Christopher Testani This recipe is proof you don't need to spend a lot of time cooking to deliver a gorgeous, delicious dinner, be it on a busy workday or in the after hours of hectic weekend shopping. This entrée will be on the table in just 20 minutes. View Recipe 12 of 19 Dark Chocolate-Walnut Date Bar Sidney Bensimon Who would ever think that such a sophisticated, celebration-worthy dessert as this would come together fast and be no-bake, vegan, and gluten-free to boot? Our rich chocolate date bar does need time to refrigerate until firm, but make it ahead and concentrate on the last-minute elements of the meal knowing a stellar ending is waiting. View Recipe 13 of 19 Mixed-Olive Tapenade William Abranowicz For this rustic take on tapenade, the ingredients are whole or very coarsely chopped, which makes for the prettiest presentation of this quick appetizer. Serve with toasted baguette pieces rubbed with garlic. View Recipe 14 of 19 Potato-Chip-and-Pimiento Mini Crab Cakes Con Poulos Potato chips bring a salty crunch to these one-bite treats. They are baked instead of fried, so there's less mess to deal with after you finish cooking. View Recipe 15 of 19 Whole Poached Salmon Serving a whole side of salmon is just plain impressive. And it's surprisingly simple to put together—this magnificent recipe can be poached, glazed, and prepared for the table in a couple of hours (and can be kept in the refrigerator overnight!). View Recipe 16 of 19 Butter Pecan Blondies Ren Fuller These treats are perfect if you are expecting a crowd. If you want to gild the lily, go à la mode and top them with ice cream and caramel sauce. View Recipe 17 of 19 Shucked Oysters With Three Sauces Thomas Loof Nothing says elegance quite like a platter of freshly shucked oysters. With three sauces to choose from, everyone will be happy. View Recipe 18 of 19 Yogurt-Marinated Lamb and Chicken Skewers Bryan Gardner The lamb and chicken in these skewers can be marinated up to one day in advance. Simply, remove from the fridge one hour before grilling or baking, and serve alongside veggie skewers, dips, and pita bread—who says entertaining has to be complicated? View Recipe 19 of 19 Shaped Icebox Cookies A ridiculously easy treat, this is truly a one-size-fits-all cookie! Take a basic make-ahead, fold some mix-ins (or infuse the dough with cocoa powder for a rich, decadent chocolatey flavor), and bake them the day of—or the day before—the party. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit