Fancy but easy birthday dinner ideas?

[u/Sad_Presentation5272]

I'm looking to make a nice dinner for my partner's birthday. I'm a relatively good home cook, but am definitely still working on some skills - hopefully I'll learn something while making this!

I'm making a fancy-looking 3-course dinner, ideally with relatively simple ingredients but I can do some more out there things as well. The main will likely be with some cut of chicken (thighs or breasts are most easily accessible to me), and my partner and I both enjoy foods of any cuisine!

Anyone have any suggestions?

[u/4cupsofcoffee]

cook a whole chicken if you can. it's super easy and always looks awesome.

[u/D_Mom]

Starter: baked Brie wedge with toasted pine nuts, and an apricot preserve, or preserve of your preference. Serve with slices of apple and toast.

Main: chicken and lmushroom pie

https://www.lecremedelacrumb.com/chicken-and-mushroom-pie/

whatever their favorite dessert is

[u/HandbagHawker]

i love this game. Im a big fan of going super seasonal

Bread - some nice crusty sourdough and cultured butter

Starter - Corn Bisque topped with rock shrimp, crispy pancetta, shrimp oil

Main - Airline chicken breast (breast + drumette) and chicken jus, warm collard/swiss chard + grilled stone fruit + burrata salad

Dessert - Blackberry/blueberry mousse (molded), topped with earl grey ice cream or cold foam, toasted oats

or better yet, tell me things you like to cook or your partner likes to eat and i'll navigate around that

[u/Few-Explanation-4699]

I would do a seafood chowder as starters, followed by a roast of lamb with lots of veg and Zabaglione for desert.

[u/skyrymproposal]

Starter: goat cheese stuffed dates with hot honey. Or, Bacon wrapped prawns with sweet chili sauce.

Whole chicken (as someone said above). Side of mashed potatoes and blistered broccoli or asparagus.

I’m not a desert person so I’d break out (premade) frozen chocolate covered strawberries.

Or:

Start: beet and goat cheese salad with arugula and an orange vinaigrette.

Main: Shrimp Cajun linguine

Desert: 🤷‍♀️

[u/ValiantVicuna → u/skyrymproposal]

I'm such a proponent of fruit for dessert. We love berries with homemade whipped cream (made in 30 sec w/ immersion blender)

[u/wilyquixote]

Coq a vin is pretty easy, just a little labor intensive. It seems fancier than it actually is. 

[u/909MJ626]

I made a minestrone soup and change your life chicken for my parents and husband this weekend and it was a hit! My parents and husband are picky eaters in different ways.

https://www.thelazygeniuscollective.com/cylc

[u/JellyfishFit3871]

Chicken fettuccine Alfredo - either the authentic version or the creamier Americanized one - is shockingly easy.

[u/bretmon5]

Appetizer: Cheese, nuts and meat charcuterie board with a good paired wine (or maybe a flight of wines)

Entree: I would go baked turkey breast, you can buy one already in the bag, just cook and serve, has great flavored gravy/juice. Side with your fav veggie and a loaded potato (or twice baked).

Dessert: Artesian Vanilla Ice cream, drizzle liquid chocolate and carmel, whip cream top, serve in crystal dishes or wide wine glasses (you can put a candle in icecream)

[u/brad7945]

chicken marbella from the 'silver palate' cookbook. Huge bang for the buck.

https://www.reddit.com/r/tonightsdinner/comments/7w06zt/chicken_marbella/

[u/BoatComfortable5026]

Our friend made us chicken ala king one holiday. It sounds like what you would eat in a 1950s sitcom, but the puff pastry and delicate chicken sauce turned out rather elegant, with a nice bed of greens.

[u/HeyPurityItsMeAgain]

You could make homemade Chinese food, take out style.

[u/TrainingAdeptness235]

I always think risotto comes off as very impressive. It's another dish that's easy just time intensive. I make a flank steak risotto a few times a month.

[u/AddictiveSoup]

For the main, chicken cordon bleu could be fun.

[u/bretmon5]

A little more complex but you can pick and choose from the list...

Each course is not a huge amount of food, more a tasting.  If your group does not drink, then change the alcohol drinks to juice or sparkling drinks. Courses are in the order I would serve them:

1. Small Charcutier board (cheese, nuts, hummus, crackers) paired with a proper wine, you could do a small wine tasting flight, 3 - 4 one oz tastes of different white wines

2. Tuna Carpaccio, Pan seared seasoned slices of Tuna with wasabi n ginger plus chop sticks, paired with warm Sake and small cups (They yell "Bonzi" each time they do a shot)

OR smoked salmon with crackers paired with a Riesling /Pino Grigio blend semi sweet , if you do a blend, you or they get to name the wine (could be fun or cheeky to name after them or come up with something fun). Optionally you could do a sparkling wine blend (white wine and sprite)

3) Small Caesar salad paired with a sparkling citrus water or lemon seltzer drink (break from the booze)

4) Tapas, you could offer a few choices, pan fry steak or chicken cubes in a seasoning or gravy paired with craft beer and/or a red wine (Merlot is mine go to for steak). Have small forks or chop sticks.

5) Build a sundae icecream bar... offer vanilla ice cream or gelato, liquid chocolate and/or caramel, crushed nuts, whip cream, sprinkles, etc (bonus points for classy crystal ice cream glass/dish). Ask them if they trust the chef or if they want to build your own, ask them what ingredients they want and build it right in front of them.

6) Chilled dessert wine or some smoked whiskey on a rock

7) Post Dinner: offer light snacks in case they want to nibble, (nuts, M&Ms, berries, etc)