Party
408 recipes found
Ham and Cheese Slab Quiche
Thinner and creamier than most, this quiche embraces the best parts of the ideal croque-monsieur, the perfect mingling of cheese, ham and Dijon between slices of bread. The Gruyère melds with the custard into a pseudo Mornay sauce, while the buttery, crisp puff pastry replaces toast to rich effect. The zippy acidity of the Dijon is essential to balancing the richness of this quiche; it cannot be skipped. The ham is equally non-negotiable, providing a meaty heft that grounds all the creamy, cheesy goodness. Assembled on a baking sheet, this dish is built for entertaining, but you don’t need to wait for a group to enjoy this. After it cools, slice it into slabs and store it in the fridge, if you’d like to savor it for one. It is delicious cold for a quick afternoon snack, but be forewarned: You might end up indulging in multiple slabs and ruining your dinner.
Peach Crumble Bars
Peach crumble bars are such a great way to enjoy fresh peaches while they're in season, and the bars are perfect for back to school!
Eggplant Lasagna
Roasted eggplant takes the place of pasta in this veggie-heavy riff on traditional lasagna. All the other lasagna elements are here, including a spinach, herb and ricotta filling; marinara sauce; and plenty of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. The result is a completely gluten-free dish that tastes every bit as hearty and comforting as a true lasagna, with a welcome brightness from the addition of lemon zest. This is by no means a difficult recipe, but there are several steps. To save time, you can roast the eggplant slices in advance and store them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before assembling the lasagna.
Spice Cake With Tamarind
Chef Isaiah Screetch was inspired by jam cakes from his native Kentucky when conceptualizing this recipe for spice cake that evokes warm West African flavors. The cake marries tart tamarind with the complexity and earthiness of calabash nutmeg (a nuttier, more fragrant nutmeg native to West Africa), ground cayenne and ginger. “The spice cake is primarily used for special occasions like birthdays and weddings,” he said. While it typically includes dairy to “create richness and keep the cake moist,” Mr. Screetch makes his cake using soy milk to keep it vegan-friendly. To save time, he recommends baking the cake the night before you plan to enjoy it and wrapping with plastic wrap to maintain moisture so it doesn't dry out.
Smoky Jollof Rice
It’s hard to think of a more iconic West African dish than jollof rice, the red-tinged rice dish with depth, thanks to aromatics and spices that meld into a comforting tomato base. “Jollof is really a one-pot meal that is very adaptable,” says chef Isaiah Screetch, who adapted this recipe that plays with, but honors the Nigerian version of the dish, with plenty of heat from habanero and serrano chiles. Fit to feed a crowd, it makes a perfect base for skewers of grilled suya or a braised entree like Jamaican oxtail stew, partnered with a side of fried plantains.
Upside Down Plum & Cardamom Cake
Here is a recipe for a simple upside-down plum cake studded with freshly ground whole cardamom seeds. Serve with either whipped cream or ice cream!
Saladu Nebbe (Black-Eyed Pea Salad With Tomatoes and Cucumbers)
Black-eyed peas are a common sight in West African cooking, stewed long until tender or turned into fritters like àkàrà. They’re also a staple ingredient in the American South, where they’re commonly eaten on New Year’s Day as a symbol of good luck for the year to come. The chef Isaiah Screetch’s saladu nebbe, based on the Senegalese dish of the same name, highlights the nuttiness of the beans in a fresh salad that has a bit of spice thanks to serrano chiles. Studded with juicy tomatoes, cucumbers and red bell pepper, the recipe calls for letting the salad meld its flavors together in a lime dressing for two hours, but it can also sit overnight, making it the perfect side dish for a barbecue or cookout.
Basil and Olive Pasta Salad With Tomato Dressing
Ripe summer tomatoes are transformed into a fragrant, fruity dressing for this pasta salad. Giving the tomatoes a quick salt bath encourages them to release their tangy juices and further intensifies their flavor before they are blended with basil and garlic. While this dish is best with summer tomatoes, this salting technique makes it possible to use out-of-season ones, too. This dressing is thicker than most, so use a robust short pasta with lots of crevices, curves and swirls to hug and carry the sauce. Eat this pasta salad as is, or dress it with a creamy fresh cheese such as mozzarella, burrata or ricotta, or stir through some leafy baby spinach or arugula for freshness.
Gambas al Ajillo (Spanish Garlic Shrimp)
All over Spain, gambas al ajillo and its various versions (made with camarones, or shrimp, or mushrooms for a vegetarian twist) are beloved. And what’s not to love? Sweet, briny prawns (or larger shrimp in the United States) are sautéed with lots of garlic and olive oil, finished with a touch of hot pepper, and ready in less than half an hour. Don’t leave behind the flavorful extra-virgin olive oil, which is perfect for sopping up. Quick! Someone get a crusty loaf for just that purpose.
Creamy Peach Sorbet With Raspberries
This light, easy dessert blends a fresh peach purée and yogurt. No ice cream machines are necessary, just a touch of gelatin for structure, and a stint in your freezer. For that matter, it tastes wonderful even without freezing. Leave skins on the fruit for a peachy color.
Escalivada (Catalan Roasted Vegetables)
In Catalonia, escalivada is traditionally prepared in the fireplace, with raw vegetables nestled in the coals and ashes, cooked slowly until soft — typically eggplant, sweet bell peppers and onions, sometimes tomato. When cool, the charred skins are removed, and the vegetables are sliced or torn into strips, then dressed with olive oil, garlic and sherry vinegar. These days, the method has changed slightly, with modern cooks roasting the vegetables on a sheet pan in the oven or over indirect heat in a covered grill. The ingredients mingle, resulting in something much like a vegetable stew. Once assembled, it will keep a week and can be served cold or at room temperature. It tastes best when aged at least a day, so make it ahead for a party or picnic.
Pasta and Pickles Salad
This recipe is your invitation to the pasta and pickle party. Dill pickles work double time here: The brine is added to the creamy dressing to bring acidity, while a generous amount of pickles are used in the salad, bringing crunch and saltiness. The sourness of the pickles and the punch of the quick-pickled shallots really cut through the heaviness that is often found in creamy, mayonnaise-laden pasta salads. (This one skips mayo for lighter crème fraîche or sour cream.) An emphatic handful of dill reinforces the grassy notes of the pickle; if you have parsley or scallions lying around, you could throw those in too. Experiment by adding other pickles — sauerkraut, beets, radish, daikon would all work — or bulk this pasta salad up with some chopped romaine, chickpeas or hard-boiled eggs.
Pakora
Crunchy, savory and well-seasoned with cumin, turmeric and chiles, fried vegetable pakora are a popular South Asian street food and snack. Pakoras are a perfect opportunity to use up just about any vegetables you have on hand. This version uses thinly sliced onion, potatoes and carrots, which get extracrispy when fried. Broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato, peppers or cabbage also work well; and you can also grate or chop the vegetables rather than slicing them, if preferred. The thick, sticky batter is prepared with nutty gram or chickpea flour, but rice flour can also be used, just be sure to add the water judiciously. Pakora are best served right away, but they can also be stored in a closed container in the fridge and reheated in a hot oven for a couple of minutes. Serve pakora with mint chutney for dipping, and chai to drink alongside.
Harissa-Grilled Steak With Juicy Tomatoes
What makes this steak so great is that it’s just as delicious warm for dinner as it is cold and eaten for lunch. When choosing harissa for the marinade, look for it in a tube or can, which will have a thick, paste-like consistency (we want that explosive, concentrated red chile flavor), rather than jarred harissa, which tends to be saucier and has less potent flavor. Yogurt is the actual secret ingredient here, because the sugars will caramelize and help the meat develop a beautiful brown crust. If you have time, let the steak marinate in the yogurt mixture for a few hours or overnight to let it tenderize the meat, but if you only have 15 minutes while the grill heats up (see Tip), it’ll still be delicious.
Salt and Pepper Zucchini
In this vegetarian rendition of classic salt and pepper shrimp, zucchini is pan fried with a coating of panko, giving it a golden brown exterior and tender interior. Zucchini’s mild nature makes a perfect backdrop for big salt and pepper flavor, the spiciness of jalapeño, and the sweetness of sautéed onion. Though the seasoning is packed with salt and pepper, granulated sugar is what brings balance to the dish. This recipe does ask for a bit of time and effort, as frying is labor intensive by nature. However, it makes an impressive vegetarian main dish or appetizer at a summer cookout and can upgrade your “Meatless Monday.” If desired, prepare the zucchini a day ahead by freezing it after breading. Place the pieces in a single layer on a parchment lined sheet tray, freeze until completely solid (about three hours), and then fry them — without thawing — when ready. Fried zucchini is best when eaten hot, so prepare any sides you may be serving ahead of time. This dish pairs well with cooked rice (sushi rice would be particularly nice) or a big, leafy salad.
Honey Mustard Salmon Rillettes
Salmon rillettes are the perfect party food for several reasons: They come together quickly and are easily made ahead, best served chilled and happy to be tinkered with. While classic French rillettes are prepared by cooking pork, duck or goose in its own fat for hours and hours until the meat is so soft that it’s spreadable, these rillettes wink at tradition. They’re adapted from the version in “Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook” (Harvest, 2018) and include a mix of fresh and smoked salmon that are mashed with mayo and a bit of butter, then brightened with mustard and capers. The fact that they sound fancy only makes them more fun to serve super casually with bread and bagel or potato chips.
Homemade Choco Tacos
Easy choco tacos filled with vanilla fudge-swirl ice cream, dipped in a peanut chocolate magic shell. They're delicious and a great weekend project!
Chicken Adobo
Adobo, often referred to as the national dish of the Philippines, is a braise of meat, seafood or vegetables in a mouth-watering sauce of vinegar, soy sauce and other spices (and sometimes a coconut milk). It is a technique that has been used by Filipinos long before colonization, and variations abound by region, household and personal taste. This version calls for bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces, but you can also use boneless, if you prefer (see Tip). Cane vinegar, available at specialty markets and online, is used here for its mild flavor, but you may also use white, cider or rice vinegar. The signature, irresistible tang from the vinegar may be balanced with sugar to taste. Serve with rice, generously spooning the zippy sauce on top.
Greek Meatballs
These meatballs are inspired by keftedes, a traditional Greek meatball made with beef and sometimes pork or lamb and seasoned with a mix of herbs and spices. While variations of keftedes abound, many include fresh bread crumbs, grated onion and tomato, along with lots of fresh mint and parsley. The tomato lends the meatballs a hint of sweetness and acidity, and also helps make them incredibly moist and tender. While not traditional, this recipe opts for panko instead of fresh bread crumbs, for ease. Rather than being softened with milk to form a panade, the bread crumbs go into the meatball mix on their own and soak up the flavorful juices from the onion and tomato. Serve these meatballs with homemade tzatziki, a simple salad and pita on the side, or in tomato sauce for a hearty, comforting dinner.
Pimento Cheese and Tomato Sandwiches
Every summer, Southerners await the arrival of juicy, ripe tomatoes to make a classic tomato sandwich. This version of the beloved staple swaps in pimento cheese as the creamy companion instead of the typical mayonnaise. The pimento cheese is studded with sharp Cheddar and jalapeño, giving it just enough kick without completely overshadowing the tomato. Choose tomatoes that are ripe but still somewhat firm: You want them to have the structural integrity that prevents a soggy sandwich. While many Southerners prefer plain white bread, you could opt for sourdough or brioche. This recipe is great for parties and group picnics, but don’t feel pressured to only make these for a crowd — the recipe can be easily halved. You could also use the extra to spread on crackers or add to biscuit dough. You’ll end up with four cups of pimento cheese, which will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. However, the sandwiches are best eaten as soon as they’re assembled.
Agua Fresca
Sipping on an agua fresca is like doing a cannonball into a crisp, cold lake on the hottest of summer days. Cooling, thirst-quenching and uplifting, the drink is widely consumed in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. In the United States, the invigorating beverage is found on the menus of many Mexican restaurants, but it’s also sold by street vendors. Meaning fresh water in Spanish, refreshing aguas frescas are a blend of water, sugar and often lime juice with a variety of ripe fruits, dried flowers or nuts and grains. How much sugar you add depends on the sweetness of the fruit. Agave syrup may also be used as a sweetener. The mixture is typically strained to remove pulp, but you can skip straining if you prefer. The fruit suggestions below — melons, pineapple, strawberry, cucumber and mango — work great, but you can try any variety of fruit, like oranges, peaches, bananas or tamarind. Serve agua fresca on ice, or cover and chill in the refrigerator before serving.
Miso Shrimp and Corn Couscous Salad
A delightful blend of bright, sunny colors and flavors shine in this summery salad. A lemony dressing coats the tender, slightly chewy, pearled couscous, which helps to cut the richness of the miso-butter mixture that coats the shrimp and charred corn. While this salad is best with fresh corn — at its sweetest scraped straight off the cob — frozen corn makes an excellent substitute any time of year, even though it won’t char quite as visibly. Serve at room temperature or warm for a picnic or outdoor dinner, pairing it with an herby green salad or grilled broccoli.
Black Forest Sheet Cake
This beauty has all the beloved flavors of the classic Black Forest cake — cherries, chocolate and cream — re-assembled into a casual sheet cake perfect for summer picnics and birthday parties. To make the process even simpler, you can make and refrigerate the cherry jam up to 3 days in advance. Feel free to use fresh or frozen fruit (and there’s no need to thaw first, if using frozen). You can make this cake in the summertime, when fresh cherries are at their peak, or in the dead of winter, when you need something fresh and fruity to brighten your day.
Tomato and Farro Salad With Arugula
This fresh, summery salad comes together quickly and holds well, making it perfect for a picnic at the beach or a backyard barbecue. Sun-dried tomatoes add a punch of concentrated, tangy tomato flavor alongside bright and sweet cherry tomatoes. Peppery arugula serves as the base here, but you could certainly substitute any other soft green or lettuce. The grain is just as adaptable: Try quinoa, pearled barley or smoky freekeh if farro isn’t available.