Cozy Fall Dinner Ideas When You Have Company

Inviting friends over for dinner this fall? It’s one of the tastiest times of the year as all kinds of fruit and vegetables come into season. Readily available fresh at farmer’s markets, stands on the side of the road, or the local grocery store, there are riches of local corn, squashes, apples, cauliflower, greens, root vegetables, and more in season in Canada. It’s a fantastic time to invite your friends over to stretch your culinary muscles. What’s on your dining table this season?

#1 Fall Stews

Don’t let their everyday reputation turn you off. Stews can be inventive and succulent, plus they allow you to take a hands-off approach once everything is simmering, so you can spend time with your guests instead of stuck in the kitchen. Check out these fall stew ideas to really test your culinary mettle. Classics like beef stew in red wine sauce will match the cooler days with its heartiness, while you can travel further afield with stews like Moroccan lamb tagine, short rib stew with caramelized kimchi, or Mexican-style pork and tomatillo stew.

#2 Meat and Cheese Boards

If you’re not intent on a big dinner, but more interested in a casual affair with plenty to drink and something to munch on, try putting together a meat and cheese board that will go well with red wine or popular fall beers. There’s an art to making a meat and cheese board, but here are some of the essentials.

• Start by choosing two or three types of cheese from the four main cheese categories (aged, soft, blue, or firm).
• Choose your crackers and/or bread, as well as fruit. Pomegranate is a unique and tasty choice.
• Choose your charcuterie. Talk to a local butcher about high-quality, thin-cut meats that will go well with your cheese choices.
• Olives are always a reliable addition to meat and cheese boards, but in the fall, adding nuts, honey, and a special treat like apple butter will bring out the flavours of the season.

#3 Pork Loin & Potatoes

If you’re only having a few close friends over, you may want a traditional, tasty meal. Herb roasted pork loin and potatoes is an easy classic that goes well with all the fresh root vegetables easily available at this time of year. You can do it all in the oven and it’s another one that will be easy to prepare while you entertain. 

Setting and decorating your dining table is another way to create a comfortable atmosphere for your guests. A harvest-themed centerpiece is a sure hit. Wheat sheaves, harvest wreathes, pumpkins, and autumnal flowers like crocuses and begonias will transport your guests to a rustic harvest setting. Now may also be a good time to consider looking at new dining tables for hosting dinner parties, especially if you’ve just moved into a new home. Now that you have the space, it’s time to make the most of it. Enjoy your fall dinner parties with these autumn-inspired recipes that are sure to hit the spot.