The good thing about a good dinner is that there is always more than enough room to get creative. You can choose to go with a more traditional route, keep the meal cozy and decadent, or choose to lighten things up by experimenting with spring produce. Provided your table is covered with delicious and satisfying main dishes, sides, and appetizers, your guests will walk away full and happy. In today’s article, we will be looking at a variety of dishes that make good choices for a large family.
Main dish alternatives for Family dinner
- Roasted leg of lamb
Roasted leg of lamb is the most popular main dish you can have for dinner. It is incredibly easy to prepare because the bone-in leg makes creates a fantastic presentation at the table. It is something that not most people eat often, so you need to prepare it with a simple yet delicious recipe that will be sure to catch the crowd. You can serve it with mini Hasselback potatoes as a perfect side dish for easy serving.
- Reverse seared ribeye
Another showstopper and the best alternative to roasted lamb. It makes a lovely dinner for a large family. Reverse searing guarantees a steak that is not only juicy but also cooked to the desired doneness. Even though ribeye steaks with a golden-brown crust are delicious as they are, you can make it even better with a perfectly paired side dish such as wedge salad, onion rolls, baked sweet potatoes, or balsamic sprouts.
- Prime rib roast
There is no doubt that a prime rib roast is an impressive crowd-pleaser as long as you know how to capture the flavorful broth. Furthermore, you can make great prime rib sandwiches out of them should you end up with leftovers. When you cook such a hearty and incredibly rich rib roast for dinner, the side dish needs to be as perfect as the main dish. Consider accompanying it with great side dishes like red skin garlic mashed potatoes, roasted vegetable medley, or a perfectly balanced horseradish sauce.
- Garlic herb butter roast chicken
Consider upgrading your family celebrations with a mouth-watering garlic and herb butter roast chicken. This recipe involves some easy-to-find ingredients like rosemary, garlic, olive oil, butter, parsley, lemon, and white wine. You need to roast the chicken to perfection before broiling it to get that crispy outer layer. Such a gorgeous main dish can be accompanied by creamy mashed potatoes before letting people enjoy themselves!
Side dishes and appetizers for family dinner
- Creamy pasta salad
Pasta salad has always been a favorite for special occasions such as family dinner because it makes a sweet and tangy dressing. You only need the right number of herbs to make it perfect, a secret that differentiates this pasta salad from the rest. If possible, consider adding chunks of pepperoni or cheese.
- Soft dinner rolls
You will surely need some soft dinner rolls at your dining table regardless of what you choose for your main course. Anyone can definitely make these dinner rolls to taste better than those you find at stores. So, don’t feel intimidated as it would feel awesome serving them fresh from the oven.
- Chimichurri pasta salad
We thought of adding another amazing salad that packs a robust and herby flavor. This pasta salad uses chimichurri sauce as a dressing for pasta, with a combination of a few vegetables like chopped potatoes and other leafy greens or vegetables.
- Arugula-shaved fennel salad
This type of salad is often served with balsamic vinaigrette, blue cheese crumbles, and thin-sliced red onions. It makes a wonderful side dish for some of the main dishes we mentioned above like roasted meat and steaks. Vegetarians can also enjoy this salad on its own.
- One-pot stovetop Macaroni and cheese
A creamy one-pot stovetop macaroni and cheese is a staple side dish for most families during family time. This version of macaroni and cheese takes about 15 minutes to prepare and is done all in one pot. The final result is creamy and decadent and requires less cleanup compared to the traditional version of macaroni and cheese.
These are only a few among many food options you can prepare for family dinners. All you need is a little patience and expertise when it comes to main dishes as they form the largest part of a good Easter dinner. It is also essential to present great accompaniments that meet or exceed the expectations of your guests for a joyous and lovely get-together.