A Fall Dinner Party Menu
Make planning your next autumn gathering easier with this fall dinner party menu that includes smoked chicken, creamed corn, lemon rosemary roast potatoes, and for dessert a fig tart!
Sometimes selecting the menu for a dinner party can be the most challenging aspect of planning a get-together. I always enjoy searching through my cookbooks and perusing Pinterest (that links to my recipe board) for ideas, but then you have to narrow it down and consider which foods go best together and what your guests are most likely to enjoy. The hassle level is starting to build!
If this is one of the challenges you face that keeps you from entertaining, well have no fear I’ve put together a delicious and hearty fall dinner party menu that is simple to fix and oh so tasty!
S. and I put this meal together this past weekend and invited my parents over for a lovely Sunday supper. I set a gorgeous red, white, and blue autumn themed table with luxury linens from Sara Flint (c/o), who just launched her collection of table linens inspired by antique French textiles. I used placemats, napkins, and the runner from her burgundy floral suite, and just love how the delicate florals pair with Johnson Bros Old Castle transferware.
For the centerpiece, I arranged lime carnations, orange and red tulips, white roses, and ivy in a large ceramic planter then trailed ivy vines, white pumpkins, and red apples down the center. The fall touches are subtle and elegant.
A Fall Dinner Party Menu
Click on the dish title to head to the recipe!
Apple Cheddar Arugula Salad
This salad combines some deliciously sweet and sharp flavors from the juicy apples to the creamy tang of the cheddar and the peppery bite of the arugula. It is a salad we make again and again in the autumn months.
Smoked Whole Chicken
Chicken is a classic Southern Sunday supper staple, so mix it up by smoking the whole bird for a rich smokey flavor that will stun your guests. S. just got a Traeger wood pellet grill, and we are literally smoking and grilling everything right now! We brined the bird overnight using this recipe, but I caution you to use a little less salt.
Roasted Rosemary Lemon Potatoes
I’m a huge fan of citrus flavors, so anything with lemon is a win for me. The rosemary adds a hint of herby earthy notes that just goes so well with the crisp of the potatoes. Be sure to use lemon slices while roasting – it makes a difference.
Creamed Corn
Creamed corn is one of those quintessential Southern side dishes that is sure to please everybody. I always try to make it with fresh corn off the cobb if I can get it!
Fresh Fig Tart
This was a new one for S. and I, and all the credit goes to him. Y’all know I’m not much of a baker! We’ve been harvesting figs from are neighbor’s yard and experimenting with them in all kinds of dishes. This was a really delightful pie that tasted like a very grown up version of a fig Newton! Serve it with butter pecan ice cream…you’ll thank me!
The most labor intensive part of this whole fall dinner party menu was the fig tart. Everything else was easy to prepare ahead or could be left for long periods un-attended in the oven or grill. This is such an important consideration when hosting a gathering because as the host or hostess you don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen the whole time!
Stop by next week’s Instagram flash sale on 10/7 8PM EST if you’re interested in any of this tableware as it will be available then.
Must run! I almost forgot the wine!