Mediterranean Dinner Party

We usually have a family dinner every Sunday. We feed a big crowd and the meal I serve that gets the most raves is our Mediterranean night. I usually assign the hummus, salad, and rice out to the kids, while I make the main course and flatbread. Today I will give you lots of options for your own Mediterranean Dinner Party! I promise whether you are hosting a dinner party for friends, Sunday dinner with the family, or a girls lunch, this menu is a hit!
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Mediterranean Dinner Party:

I love Mediterranean food: Greek, Italian, Lebanese, or Spanish, you name it, I love it! And honestly, when it comes to entertaining, a Mediterranean Dinner Party is it for me. Everyone leaves happy…and full, but all the food is healthy! So win/win/win.

Tips for Success: 

Dinner parties can be overwhelming, I mean there’s a lot to do! So I will give you two options, a “do it all yourself” option which would include a more simple menu with certain items that you can make ahead, or a “make assignments” menu that that puts your guests to work and goes all out, making your evening less stressful. Which you choose is up to you. Look for my notes in each description so you can make an informed choice!

 

Appetizers:

Every dinner party needs some solid appetizers. Here are a few of my favorites that work really well with the Mediterranean theme:

Hummus is my favorite option for an appetizer for this dinner party because you can make it ahead of time, keep in the fridge and pull it out at party time and start dipping! I have Five Hummus Recipes to choose from. So whether make it yourself or assign it out, it’s always a great choice. 

 

These Goat Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates are sweet, savory and salty. If you are hosting and making one of the more simple main courses, like the Greek Chicken Thighs, and have the oven space, you can totally manage these as an appetizer. If you are picking a main course with more moving parts, like the Greek Meatballs and Rice, I would assign a guest to bring these.

 

This Parmesan Artichoke Dipping Oil is fantastic. No cooking required, so the host/hostess can make it or have a guest bring it. Whatever floats your boat!

 

Salads: 

Salads are an integral part of any dinner party. They add flavor, color, and texture to the meal. Here are my top choices for a Mediterranean menu:

 Apple and Farro Salad: tender lettuce, apples, dates, Manchego cheese and Marcona almonds, all dressed in a white balsamic vinaigrette. Your guests will rave. If you are hosting, you can make this yourself, just make the dressing and farro ahead of time. If you are assigning it to a guest, have them wait until serving time to slice the apples.

 

If you are more about a Traditional Greek Salad, well this one is the best! We make this one on the regular and always love it. It’s crisp and fresh. Again, if you’re making this yourself, cook the farro and make the dressing in advance for less stress. 

 

Last but not at all least, The House Salad! Why do I think this is a great choice? Because it’s so simple and tastes great with everything. This one is so easy and the caramelized nuts and dressing can be made ahead, so the hostess can make it with no stress or designate a guest to bring it!

 

Side Dishes: 

This Easy Homemade Flatbread is the best! It’s warm and soft, perfect for dipping in hummus! Now here’s the thing, this recipe takes ten minutes to make four flatbreads, which is not big deal, but if you need to make 12, then it’s a little time consuming. Flatbread needs to be served warm, so assigning it to a guest doesn’t really work. So, if you’re hosting and want to make this flatbread, I am going to suggest you stick with an easy main course, like the Greek Chicken Thighs or Cinnamon Chicken, and make the flatbread while the main course is in the oven. Of course you can always use store bought flatbread.

I love these Maple Glazed Carrots with Feta! They are beautiful, taste great and are easy to make. This is a dish the hostess really needs to make because the carrots need to be fresh out of the oven. If you have a double oven, you are set, if you don’t, you may wish to skip this one.

 

I am in love with this amazing Mediterranean Rice with Baby Spinach and Feta. It’s perfection if I do say so myself. Why I love it: it’s part rice, part salad, so you can make this and skip the salad. As a hostess I would make this one as a side to Greek Chicken Thighs.

Main Courses:

Finally we come to the star of the show! The main course. Each of these are baked in the oven, the upside of that is that once they are in the oven you are free to do other things, no tending is required. 

 

First up: Greek Meatball and Tzatziki Rice Bowls. I LOVE this meal because it’s got everything: protein, healthy fats, vegetables, and a ton of flavor. It’s easy to make too. If you choose to make this meal, assign out the salad and appetizers. Your dinner will be delicious. A single recipe feeds four, so double or triple the recipe for a party. You can even make the tzatziki and meatballs earlier in the day and keep in the fridge until it’s go time! 

 

These Greek Chicken Thighs are a great option, easy prep that can be done earlier in the day, and while they bake you can get your make up on! Also, these could actually be assigned out as long as whoever you assign them too can keep them warm on the way over to your house! If I make the meatballs above, I would ask a guest to bring these as well, that way your guests have a choice between chicken and beef.

 

 

When it comes to feeding a crowd this Lebanese recipe is it! Whether you are feeding the family, or family and friends at a celebration, you cannot beat this Cinnamon Chicken with Rice. And because this main course option also includes a veggie and rice, you can assign out all the rest or make the apps and salad yourself while this dish bakes in the oven. 

 

 

Mediterranean Dinner Party: How I Would Pair Things Up…

These combinations would be my recommendations:

1.If you are hosting and want to provide the entire meal without asking guests to cook, I suggest you make hummus in advance, use store bought flatbread, and serve the Greek Meatball and Tzatziki Rice Bowls. This menu would be the least stressful while still being a really satisfying, delicious, and impressive meal.

2.If you want to ask guests to contribute, a great option is the host making Greek Meatball and Tzatziki Rice Bowls while asking guests to bring an app and a salad. If you have a double oven, you can also make Maple Glazed Carrots with Feta.

3. These Greek Chicken Thighs , are so simple you can easily use any of the apps, sides and salads with them. I will still make suggestions though:  hosts make the Greek Thighs, Maple Glazed Carrots with Feta , and  Easy Homemade Flatbread then assign guests to bring your choice of hummus  and your choice of salad. Or if you wish, you may replace the salad with Mediterranean Rice with Baby Spinach and Feta.

4.Cinnamon Chicken with Rice made by the hosts, assign Parmesan Artichoke Dipping Oil,  salad and bacon wrapped dates to guests.

I hope you love these suggestions, and remember they are just suggestions,  you can choose any combination that makes sense to you. I want you to have fun while entertaining and I think a Mediterranean Dinner Party is the way to do that without feeling overwhelmed. Enjoy! 

MAY I PLEASE ASK A FAVOR?