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45 recipes that are perfect to bring to a party

A go-to list of beautiful and delicious make-ahead dishes for the communal table.

A go-to list of beautiful and delicious make-ahead dishes for the communal table

CBC Life · Posted: Nov 09, 2022 5:20 PM EST | Last Updated: November 9, 2022

a triptych of a cheesecake with cherry topping; a hand holding an empanada that has just been stuffed with bowls of cheese, boiled eggs and olives in the background; a baking dish with Eggplant Parmesan — (Photo, left and right: Allison Day; middle: Jenny Huang)

If you don't have a go-to dish to bring to dinner parties, or are in search of something new to add to your repertoire, we've assembled this list of recipes perfect to contribute to a big meal. You might not be great in the kitchen, or you might be a culinary showoff looking to perform your next great feat — either way you'll find the perfect make-ahead dish here.

If you're the host, you can share this link with your guests and mix and match everything we've included. They're all either easy to reheat or can be served at room temperature.

Appetizers and sides

Baked Lobster Dip

Baked lobster dip in a blue serving dish with slices of baguette next to the dip.

Baked Broccoli Stem Dip

An overhead shot of a spread of dishes on a white table, featuring a dish of baked broccoli dip, crackers, breads and vegetables. — (Photography by Leila Ashtari)

Borani-yeh Kadoo | Summer Squash Yogurt Dip

closeup on a yogurt dip topped with sauteed zucchini, tomatoes and fried onions. the dip is on a dark blue plate, with flatbread sitting next to it. — (Photography by Eric Wolfinger)

Marvelous treats made with the pastry scraps you almost threw out

Overhead shot of 3 treats made from leftover pie dough: black sesame pinwheels, crackers and bacon pie sticks. — (CBC Life)

Chicken Liver Mousse

closeup on chicken liver mousse on a slice of baguette on a wooden cutting board. a silver knife is leaning on the slice, cherry tomatoes and a jar of the mousse are in the background. — (Photography by Peter Chou)

Yogurt dip garnished with pistachios, mint leaves and dried rose petals, in a blue bowl. The bowl is on a white platter on a pink napkin, on a white tabletop. Torn pieces of pita and a bowl of chips sit beside the dip.

Closeup on a plate of perogies with a spoon with sour cream resting on the side. — (Source: Klorofil Publishing)

Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls with Maple Butter

A bread basket with a red napkin in it sitting on a table. The basket is filled with dinner rolls. — (CBC Life)

Pomegranate and Parsley Tabbouleh

A grey plate with a Pomegranate and Parsley Tabbouleh on it. — (Credit: Danny Rohrer)

A Really Good Kale Salad

(Photo credit: Jackson Roy)

Broccoli Walnut Slaw with Ginger Lemon Tahini Dressing

Overhead shot of a blue bowl of broccoli walnut slaw on a table with blue and white decor. — (Photography by Debi Traub)

Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes

Overhead shot of a slow cooker filled with scalloped potatoes. — (Credit: Christian Lacroix)

Make-Ahead Roasted Sweet Potatoes

An overhead shot of a dish with roasted sweet potatoes topped with fresh herbs. — (CBC Life)

Judy's Empanadas

a hand holding an empanada that has just been stuffed. bowls of cheese, boiled eggs and olives sit in the background. — (Photography by Jenny Huang)

Ye Misir Sambusa (Ethiopian Lentil Samosa)

a wooden bowl of lentil samosas on a grey table. — (Photography by DL Acken)

Garlic Parmesan Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Pancetta

A baking sheet with roasted Brussels sprouts and pancetta on it. A wooden cutting board with grainy mustard, a block of parmesan cheese and pancetta sit next to the baking sheet. — (Photography by Florence Grunfelder; food styling by Sabrina Falone)

Polenta Torta with Gorgonzola and Savoy Cabbage

Hands holding a wooden cutting board with a polenta torta on it. — (Photography: Steve Giralt)

Brioche and Sausage Stuffing Bake

A red casserole pan filled with Brioche and Sausage Stuffing Bake sitting on a table.

A vegetarian dinner party menu for the weekend ahead

Mains

No-Fry Eggplant Parmesan

overhead shot of a white baking dish with eggplant parmesan in it. it's on a wooden table. a slice is missing from the dish and is sitting on a white plate behind the baking dish. — (Credit: Allison Day)

Yueh Tung's Chili Chicken Recipe

(Photo: Michael Jacob and Warren Lowe, submitted by Michael Liu and Mei Wang)

Raspberry Chipotle Glazed Ham

A glazed ham on a wooden cutting board with some slices cut from it. — (Photography by Florence Grunfelder; food styling by Sabrina Falone)

Closeup on a serving dish of paneer makhani. Pink and purple floral arrangements sit on the left and a plate of naan sits on the right. — (Photography by Betty Binon)

Wine-Braised Brisket with Pomegranate Seeds

Overhead shot of a rectangular serving dish with brisket and mini potatoes with pomegranate arils on top. The decor on the table is blue and white. — (Photography by Debi Traub)

Lentil Shepherd's Pie

Vegetable Biryani

Overhead shot of a serving plate of biryani on a grey surface. The rice is golden and green beans, carrots, fried onions and cilantro are visible on top. A wooden spoon sits in the rice. — (Photography by Leila Ashtari)

A white platter with lamb ribs. — (Credit: Danny Rohrer)

Beaton's Mac & Cheese

A cast iron skillet with mac and cheese in it. — (Photography by Lindsay Anderson and Dana VanVeller)

Lasagne Verde Alla Bolognese

closeup on a large piece of cheesy lasagna. multiple layers of pasta are visible and the top layer is crispy. it's on a brown plate on a beige surface. — (Photography by Eric Wolfinger)

Vegan Beef Wellington

Hands slicing a meatless roast on a wooden cutting board. — (Photo credit: Simon Smith and Peter O’Sullivan)

Dessert

Chocolate Cream Profiterole Wreath

Overhead shot of a bunch of Profiteroles arranged into the shape of a wreath on a wooden cutting board.

Applesauce Cake with Cream Cheese & Honey Frosting

Closeup on a single-layer cake sitting on a white cake stand. A hand holds the side of the stand and a spatula spreads white icing on top of the cake. — (Photography by David Loftus)

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

A carrot cake with one slice cut from it. It's sitting on a white plate on a wooden table. The slice of cake is on a blue plate in front of the full cake.

Vegan Butternut Squash Pie with Oat Crust

Overhead shot of a pie sitting on a wooden cutting board on a white surface. The pie is topped with whipped cream. A slice of it is on a white plate in the bottom right corner. — (Photography by Rachel Conners)

Hazelnut Espresso Millionaire Bars

7 Hazelnut Espresso Millionaire Bars sitting on a grey countertop. — (Photography by Michael Gozum)

Classic New York-Style Cheesecake with Cherry Topping

Overhead shot of a cheesecake sitting on a serving plate on a wooden table. The cheesecake is topped with cherry topping. — (Photography by Allison Day)

Flourless Lemon Ricotta Cake with Almonds

Overhead shot of a cake topped with almond slices and drizzled with white icing. It's sitting on a white marble cutting board on a white table. 2 slices are cut from the cake and one slice is sitting on a white plate next to it. — (Photography by Michael Gozum)

No-Bake Mini Doughnut Cake

Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie

Overhead shot of a pecan pie in a glass pie plate, sitting on a light blue kitchen towel, on a grey wooden surface. A piece of the pie sits on a white plate in the bottom left corner. — (Photography by Florence Grunfelder; food styling by Sabrina Falone)

Black Forest Friands

Mini chocolate bundt cakes topped with cherry sauce, whipped cream and a chocolate-covered cherry sitting on a white dessert platter. — Black Forest Friands (Photo by: Geoff George)

Beautiful Black Forest Gateau

3-layer black forest cake topped with Chantilly cream, cherry pie filling, chocolate and cherries, sitting on a white cake pedestal. — (Credit: David Loftus)

Big-batch punches

How to make delicious non-boozy cocktails with alcohol-free spirits

A crystal punch bowl filled with a golden orange punch. Small glasses of punch sit next to it. They're all on a marble table. — (Photo credit: Jack Hawkins)

French 77 Punch + Lemon Ice Block

overhead shot of a hand pouring a bottle of champagne into a punch bowl with lemons and lemon leaves in it. the bowl is on a table with a white tablecloth and bowls of olives and oysters are in the right side. — (Photography by Leslie Kirchhoff)

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