21 Ina Garten Dinner Recipes That Will Impress Everyone at Your Table (2024)

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Kristine Cannon, Justina Huddleston

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There’s nothing we love more than entertaining, and when we’re in need of a mouthwatering and showstopping dinner menu, we almost always find ourselves turning to chef Ina Garten for main course recipes. Why? They’re not only delicious and impressive to guests, but they also don’t require the culinary chops of a James Beard Award-winning chef to make.

Related story14 Martha Stewart Recipes That Are Perfect for Spring

“What I’m always looking for is a remembered flavor,” Garten told The Kitchn in 2015 when asked for her best dinner party advice. And as it turns out, many if not all of Garten’s recipes have just that: familiar yet phenomenal flavor. For instance, Garten’s English rib roast may look complicated, but it’s actually an incredibly simple two-step process that leaves you with a juicy, perfectly seasoned piece of meat you can pair with a virtually endless list of side dishes.

So, let us save you all that time flipping through the Barefoot Contessa host’s many, many cookbooks or endlessly scrolling through her website for the perfect main course for your next dinner party. We did the work for you. Ahead, take a look at our favorite Garten recipes that are sure to impress your dinner guests.

  • Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash

    21 Ina Garten Dinner Recipes That Will Impress Everyone at Your Table (3)

    What are two things that will never fail to impress a dinner guest? Saffron and risotto. Pair them in this savory-sweet dish that’s made with butternut squash and plenty of Parm.

    Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.

  • Heirloom Tomato and Blue Cheese Salad

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    Sometimes the perfect accompaniment to a rich dinner party meal is a striking salad. Garten’s relies on ripe heirloom tomatoes, so it’s best to keep this recipe on rotation in the summer months.

    Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.

  • Baked Cod with Garlic & Herb Ritz Crumbs

    21 Ina Garten Dinner Recipes That Will Impress Everyone at Your Table (5)

    You never know what your guests do and don’t like, so if you want to serve seafood, opting for a mild, flaky white fish like cod is the move. Pair with Garten’s buttery Ritz and panko crumb topping, and dinner is likely to get devoured.

    Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.

  • Baked Rigatoni With Lamb Ragù

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    If you have guests who are on the pickier side, try this riff on baked ziti. It’s made with a rich lamb ragout (if they’re super picky, swap that for pork or beef), and has all of the classic Italian-America flavors so many of us crave.

    Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.

  • Lobster Pot Pie

    21 Ina Garten Dinner Recipes That Will Impress Everyone at Your Table (7)

    Summer comfort food, anyone? That’s the name of the game in Ina Garten’s rich lobster pot pie recipe.

    Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.

  • Truffled Mac & Cheese

    21 Ina Garten Dinner Recipes That Will Impress Everyone at Your Table (8)

    Mac & Cheese for dinner, for company, might sound crazy. But when Garten adds luxe ingredients like white truffle butter, cremini mushrooms, sherry, and more, it all starts to make sense.

    Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.

  • English rib roast

    21 Ina Garten Dinner Recipes That Will Impress Everyone at Your Table (9)

    For a meal that looks impressive but takes virtually zero work, Garten’s standing rib roast requires just a thick layer of salt and pepper and a couple of hours in the oven.

    Get the recipe at Taste and See.

  • Moroccan lamb tagine

    21 Ina Garten Dinner Recipes That Will Impress Everyone at Your Table (10)

    Don’t own a tagine? This Moroccan lamb tagine recipe alone is worth the purchase.

    Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.

  • Filet mignon with mustard & mushrooms

    21 Ina Garten Dinner Recipes That Will Impress Everyone at Your Table (11)

    Advanced home chefs, this flavorful, decadent filet mignon with mustard and mushroom recipe will test your culinary skills.

    Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.

  • Coq au vin

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    Coq au vin — chicken braised with wine, lardons, and mushrooms — may be one of the most famous French dishes, but it’s surprisingly not the most difficult dishes to tackle, especially if you carefully follow Garten’s instructions.

    Get the recipe at Feed Feed.

  • Lemon chicken

    21 Ina Garten Dinner Recipes That Will Impress Everyone at Your Table (13)

    Garten’s juicy, lemon-infused chicken dish may be a beginner recipe, but it looks and tastes so great, your dinner party guests wouldn’t dare leave you with leftovers.

    Get the recipe from The PKP Way.

  • Chicken thighs with creamy mustard sauce

    21 Ina Garten Dinner Recipes That Will Impress Everyone at Your Table (14)

    Picture it: juicy chicken thighs with crispy skin, swimming in a creamy, wine-and-Dijon mustard sauce. Now, make it.

    Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.

  • Pastit*io

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    Pastit*io is a basically Greek lasagna with layers of meat, tomato sauce, pasta, and a creamy bechamel.

    Get the recipe from Vodka & Biscuits.

  • Beef bourguignon

    21 Ina Garten Dinner Recipes That Will Impress Everyone at Your Table (16)

    This beef stew is not only easy to make, but it’s also a great comfort food dish to make on chilly nights.

    Get the recipe at The View From Great Island.

  • Brisket with onions & leeks

    21 Ina Garten Dinner Recipes That Will Impress Everyone at Your Table (17)

    Purchase six pounds of brisket, sprinkle with salt, wrap it up, refrigerate it overnight; then, roast it for about three-and-a-half hours atop a mixture of onions and leeks.

    Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.

  • Cioppino

    21 Ina Garten Dinner Recipes That Will Impress Everyone at Your Table (18)

    Cioppino is an Italian-American fish stew dish that originated in San Francisco with of cod, shrimp, mussels, and scallops.

    Get the recipe at Food Network.

  • Skillet roasted lemon chicken

    21 Ina Garten Dinner Recipes That Will Impress Everyone at Your Table (19)

    Garten sure as hell knows how to make a roast chicken, and this roasted lemon chicken recipe proves it.

    Get the recipe from The Hungry Hutch.

  • 1770 house meatloaf

    21 Ina Garten Dinner Recipes That Will Impress Everyone at Your Table (20)

    Food blogger The Food Charlatan described this Garten dish best: “It’s tender, moist, and flavorful. The delectable garlic meatloaf sauce makes it extra fancy and tasty. Pure comfort food.”

    We second that.

    Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa and The Food Charlatan.

  • Herbed pork tenderloins with apple chutney

    21 Ina Garten Dinner Recipes That Will Impress Everyone at Your Table (21)

    You can’t go wrong with pork, more pork, and homemade apple chutney.

    Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.

  • Slow roasted spiced pork

    21 Ina Garten Dinner Recipes That Will Impress Everyone at Your Table (22)

    Onions, jalapeños, cumin, chipotle Chile powder, and more make this tender, slow-roasted pork downright irresistible.

    Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.

  • Seared scallops & potato celery root purée

    21 Ina Garten Dinner Recipes That Will Impress Everyone at Your Table (23)

    Carefully follow Garten’s steps to chef’s-kiss worthy scallops, and you’ll leave your guests truly impressed.

    Get the recipe at Barefoot Contessa.

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FAQs

What is a good dinner that everyone would like? ›

30 Quick And Easy Dinners Your Whole Family Will Love
  • Slow-Cooker Chicken Tacos. tasty.co. ...
  • Easy Sheet Pan Southwestern Dinner. tasty.co. ...
  • Garlic Broccoli Shrimp Stir-Fry. ...
  • Grilled Salmon with Avocado Salsa. ...
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  • 20-Minute Beef and Broccoli Noodle Stir-Fry. ...
  • Chicken & Veggie Stir-Fry. ...
  • Baked Spaghetti.
May 6, 2024

Are Ina Garten's recipes good? ›

Whenever I grow tired of the same three or four dishes I make every week, I turn to Ina Garten. The Barefoot Contessa's simple, meticulously tested recipes have helped drag me out of every cooking rut I've ever found myself in.

How do you cook for a lot of people? ›

Buffet style is more efficient, and everyone gets to eat exactly what they want. . Seek scalable recipes: You will most likely be doubling or tripling recipes. Make sure to pick items that can scale up. Avoid anything that needs to be individually made, like dumplings, samosas or biscuits.

What is a food that everyone likes? ›

Here is the top 10:
  • Pizza.
  • Burger.
  • Ramen.
  • Paella.
  • Pierogi.
  • Moussaka.
  • Boeuf Bourgignon.
  • Eisbein.
May 24, 2023

What meal makes you happy? ›

Eggs. Choline found in eggs can help regulate mood and muscle movements and is associated with verbal and visual memory. Other foods that have choline include broccoli, cauliflower, chicken breast, dairy milk, green beans, mackerel, navy beans, pork chops, salmon, shrimp, and tuna.

How to make a romantic dinner at home? ›

You could dim the lights, put on your favorite songs, and add a few candles of varying heights to create the perfect romantic atmosphere. To make sure you're giving your loved one all the attention they deserve, consider removing any distractions — such as cell phones and tablets — by placing them in another room.

How can you make a meal more attractive? ›

  1. Create height on the plate. Chef Daniel England likes to create height as he plates food. ...
  2. Cut meat horizontally. ...
  3. Play with textures. ...
  4. Use contrasting colours. ...
  5. Match food presentation to your restaurant theme. ...
  6. Choose the right plates. ...
  7. Serve smaller portion sizes. ...
  8. Use edible garnishes and decorations.

What is the simplest dish in the world to cook according to Ina Garten? ›

After testing recipes for various projects all day, Ina Garten prefers to make something simple, quick, and ready straight out of the oven. Her favored dish is roast chicken.

What is the hardest chef dish to make? ›

1. Consommé Devilish dish: A clear soup made from meat, tomato, egg whites and stock, slowly simmered to bring impurities to the surface for skimming. Techn-eeek: Even some of the most experienced chefs cannot master the complex clarification process required to make consommé.

What baking dishes does Ina Garten use? ›

Ina loves her All-Clad stainless steel cookware and has had some of her All-Clad pans for over 40 years. She loves that it cooks food evenly, keeps the heat and is easy to clean.

What is a good meal to serve 20 people? ›

Easy Meat Dishes that are Great to Feed to a Crowd
  • Simple Barbecue Beef Roast.
  • Simple Overnight Saucy Crock Pot Chicken.
  • Simple Overnight Melt-in-Your-Mouth Beef Roast.
  • Simple Oven Fried Chicken.
  • Simple Honey Mustard Chicken Legs.
  • Simple Roasted Rotiserie Chicken.
  • Simple Hawaiian Beef Roast.
  • Simple Garlic Parmesan Chicken Legs.
Jul 24, 2011

What are 10 good dinner foods? ›

Our 20 most popular dinners of 2024
  • Air-fryer salmon.
  • Sweet potato & peanut curry.
  • Beef stroganoff.
  • Easy sausage casserole.
  • Chicken & chorizo jambalaya.
  • Lasagne.
  • Easy chicken curry.
  • No-fuss shepherd's pie.
Mar 14, 2024

What is the most common favorite meal? ›

Pizza has rightfully earned its place as the world's most beloved food. This Italian creation has become a staple in numerous countries, with endless variations to suit every taste bud. Whether you prefer thin crust or deep dish, classic Margherita, or loaded pepperoni, pizza has something for everyone.

What would be nice for dinner tonight? ›

Easy dinner recipes
  • Sweet potato & peanut curry. ...
  • Tomato & mascarpone risotto. ...
  • Chicken pasta bake. ...
  • App onlyGolden spiced pilaf with crispy shallots. ...
  • Sausages with lemon & rosemary roast potatoes. ...
  • Summer roast chicken traybake. ...
  • Chicken & ginger fried rice. ...
  • Piri-piri chicken with smashed sweet potatoes & broccoli.

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