If you’re looking for an easy gourmet dinner party menu, this fall inspired menu made from some of my favorites from my private chef days is definitely going to impress.

Gathering people together during the fall harvest season is a magical time. The catch up and chatter of catching up from summer plans, the cozy almost sweater weather temperatures, and shorter days make for a very special time of the year.

This dinner party menu has all your favorite elements of fall – the roasted fall vegetables have perfectly crisp tender broccoli and tender, sweet squash. You know I love a vegetable forward menu, and this autumn salad embraces all those fall elements but also with toasty pecans and a sweet and savory maple balsamic dressing.

For the main dish, I have on the menu ribeye caps with chimichurri. These are delicious all year long, but I find this pairing to be extra special as the seasons change and we begin to embrace harvest season and the shorter days. The last element of this dinner are the crispy fried potatoes. I will always argue that the ribeye caps are the star of the show, but I have friends who swear the potatoes are their favorite dish of the night.

What’s best about this entire menu is that there isn’t much prep work needed. You don’t need to be slaving away for days to prepare this dinner, and I truly believe it’s one of the BEST dinner party menus I’ve ever made. Try it for yourself, and let me know in the comments if you do 🙂

The Menu:

Ribeye Caps with Chimichurri
Crispy Fried Potatoes
Roasted Fall Vegetables
Autumn Salad with Maple Balsamic Dressing
Bread and Butter
Ghirardelli brownies with vanilla ice cream

Private Chef Tips:

Since I started my food career as a private chef and caterer, I have done my fair share of elegant dinner parties. Here are a few things I always keep in mind when planning a dinner party menu and preparing for the event:

Create a menu with dishes that are crowd pleasers and have a variety of dishes that can be served room temperature or will hold well in the oven.
Grocery shop the day BEFORE the party so you can do prep and get any last minute things the day of the party.
Make (or follow the prep list below) so you know exactly what you need to do.
Do the prep before guest arrival so you can finish the last items fresh and also enjoy the party with your guests!

FAQ

Q: How long does the prep take for this dinner party menu?

A: The preparation activities for this menu is fairly simple, and I’d say takes about 1-2 hours. You can do all the prep items either the morning of the event, or even the day before.

Q: Can I scale this dinner party menu easily? What’s the most amount of people you’ve served this menu to?

A: This menu is easily scalable for up to 12 people. If you have more than 12 people, the menu is still totally doable, I just recommend roasting the crispy potatoes vs frying, or else you will need someone to help you fry potatoes.

Q: What can I prepare ahead of time?

A: You can prepare the maple balsamic dressing, chimichurri, prepped vegetables (cut broccoli, squash, and onions), boiled and wedged potatoes, toasted pecans, and brownies either the morning of the event, or the day before.

Q: Do I need to fry the potatoes? Can I roast them instead?

A: No, you don’t need to fry the potatoes and can absolutely roast them instead. They won’t be as crispy, but will still be delicious and this is a great option if this is your first time hosting a dinner party. There are more details on how to do this in the Crispy Fried Potatoes FAQ.

Q: What would you recommend serving as an appetizer in addition to this menu?

A: Cheese boards are some of the easiest appetizers you can setup. I love including a sharp cheddar, a soft cheese (like a brie or brillat savarin), and an aged cheese (a manchego, parmesan, etc). One of my favorite cheeses of all time is Toma from Point Reyes. What’s also great about setting up a cheese plate, is that people can continue to graze on this after dinner – very European and very fun!

If you are looking for some other easy ideas, try:

Smoked Salmon on a potato chip with a dollop of creme fraiche and chives
Thai Spicy Shrimp
Sauce Vierge on Crostini

Ingredients – what you need:

Chimichurri:

1 cup of packed cilantro
1 cup of packed parsley
1/4 small red onion, about 1/4 cup
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flake
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

Ribeye Caps:

2.5 lbs ribeye caps (3 pieces)
kosher salt

Crispy Fried Potatoes

7 russet potatoes
kosher salt
4-6 cups of neutral oil (for frying) – I use canola oil, but you can also use peanut oil or rice bran oil
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 bay leafs

Fall Roasted Vegetables

2 lbs broccoli
2 cups of cubed squash
1/2 red onion
neutral oil
kosher salt
black pepper

For the Autumn Salad with Roasted Squash, Pecans, and Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

5 cups of spring mix
1 cup of pecans, toasted
2 cups of ½” diced squash

Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/2 lemon – juiced
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup – can substitute honey or brown sugar
1 teaspoon of dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
black pepper

Bread and Butter

1 sourdough loaf
Kerrygold butter
Maldon salt

PREP List:

1. Prep the chimichurri and the maple balsamic vinaigrette. Both of these can be done the day before or the morning of the same day.

2. Prep and cube the squash. If you’re using kabocha squash, I like to steam it for 15 minutes to be able to cube and peel it more easily. You may not need to do this for other types of squash like butternut or honeynut squash.

3. Boil the potatoes for the crispy potatoes. Use the recipe for crispy potatoes. This can be done in the morning, the day before, or 1.5 hours before guests arrive.

4. Prepare the sous vide for the steak. If you don’t have a sous vide, you can also cook the ribeye caps using your favorite method for cooking steak. Use the Ribeye caps recipe for more details. Start the sous vide 1.5 hours before guests arrive.

5. Slice the bread and set on a sheet tray to toast when guests arrive.

6. Make the brownies.

7. 30 minutes before guests arrive, roast the broccoli and squash. This will allow the veggies to be warm when served, but also allow you to focus on the other dishes that are better served hot. Set aside 2 cups of the roasted squash for the salad. When the veggies are finished roasting, you can plate them and set them on the dinner table, or keep them warm in a 200F oven.

8. ~ 30 minutes before guests arrive, (after the veggies are in the oven), begin to fry the crispy potatoes. You are more than welcome to roast these potatoes, but the fried version is always such a great treat. Be sure to immediately salt the potatoes as you remove them from the oil. Once you’ve finished frying, keep the potatoes in a 200F oven to keep them warm until serving.

9. Assemble and toss the salad.

10. Finally, sear the sous vide steaks until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Slice the steak into ½” thick pieces and plate. Top with a few spoonfuls of chimichurri, a sprinkle of maldon salt, and some picked parsley and cilantro.

VIDEO TUTORIAL: Dinner Party Menu – Fall Edition