It’s the big day, so you’ve got to pull out all the stops, including a delicious, home-cooked meal. What’s say you bring the candles and gifts and we’ll take care of the dinner party? Whether you’re in the mood for cheater’s spicy sausage pizza with burrata, whole roast chipotle chicken, or Rodney Scott’s honey-butter fish, one of these 60 birthday dinner ideas is bound to be just right for the guest of honor’s celebration.
60 Home-Cooked Birthday Dinner Ideas That Will Make Anyone’s Day
Moules-frites anyone?
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Published Nov 8, 2023
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
1. Moules-Frites (Mussels and Fries)
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
- Recipe Serves: 2
Sure, it's not a round-trip ticket to Paris, but it's definitely the next best thing. Once you're done cooking, make sure to pour the remaining garlicky broth over the cooked mussels, so you can sop it up later with baguette. Don't skimp on the lemon-herb aioli…or the white wine.
2. Whole Roasted Chipotle Chicken
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, dairy free, kid-friendly
- Recipe Serves: 4
A surefire way to impress? Roast a whole bird. Ina Garten and her hubby would be so proud. Take note, though: Recipe developer Maggie Battista stresses the importance of rubbing the entire chicken with the chipotle in adobo mixture, including under the skin.
4. Rodney Scott’s Honey-Butter Fish
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, high protein
- Recipe Serves: 4 to 6
Summer babies, fire up that barbecue. This dish calls for using smoke to infuse flavor into your pick of trout, catfish, red snapper or branzino fillets. Combined with the sweet honey, it makes for a complex and unique flavor your guests will adore.
5. Chrissy Teigen’s Cheesy Chicken Milanese
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
- Recipe Serves: 4
If you’re going all out, who better to lend a hand than Chrissy Teigen and her crispy, indulgent chicken dinner? The crispy exterior comes from the fact that the recipe calls for two types of breadcrumbs. The ooey-gooey interior is courtesy of a generous amount of mozzarella.
6. Cheater’s Spicy Sausage Pizza With Burrata
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
- Recipe Serves: 6
All we want on our birthday is a creamy puddle of burrata and a fork. Between the red pepper, black pepper and sausage, this pie definitely comes with a kick, but you can adjust the amount based on your audience. (Looking at you, picky kids.)
7. Perfect Meatballs with Cherry Tomato Sauce
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
- Recipe Serves: 8 to 10
These juicy, tender meatballs are even better (and cheaper) than reservations at a fancy Italian restaurant. The recipe comes from Gaby Dalkin of What's Gaby Cooking, who says they freeze like a charm. So go ahead, make a second batch for a rainy day.
8. Fried Chicken BLT with Jalapeño Honey
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, dairy free, special occasion-worthy
- Recipe Serves: 4
This sandwich needs no introduction. The trickiest part is the fried chicken, but as long as you let it stand to drain the excess oil, it'll turn out impeccably crispy. Make it for the comfort food lover in your life and you'll be the hostess with the mostest.
9. Flank Steak Tacos with Cucumber Salsa
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, dairy free
- Recipe Serves: 4
One year older? That means you can eat one more taco than last year. When slicing the steak, make sure to cut "against the grain" (aka across the parallel-running muscle fibers) to ensure peak tenderness. Don't forget to crown them with homemade guac.
10. Cheater’s Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
- Time Commitment: 8 hours and 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, slow cooker recipe
- Recipe Serves: 6
Trust us, no one will know it only took you ten minutes of prep. Once you chop and combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker, you'll have the rest of the day to celebrate. Happy birthday to you, chef.
11. Sticky Asian Meatballs with Udon Noodles
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, dairy free, kid friendly
- Recipe Serves: 4
Nothing against standard spaghetti and meatballs, but you can eat that on any old Tuesday. For a special occasion, take the sticky road less traveled. Bonus? Udon noodles take less time to cook than most Italian dry pastas.
12. Lobster Risotto
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, special occasion-worthy
- Recipe Serves: 2
A birthday is just the excuse you were looking for to make this fancy risotto dish, wasn’t it? Even though many think of risotto as a difficult dish to execute, it's really quite simple. All you'll need to do is stir to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
13. The Ultimate Chicken Potpie
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
- Recipe Serves: 6
Love is assembling and baking a chicken potpie from scratch (and telling absolutely no one you used store-bought puff pastry). Bake it in a cast iron skillet not only for a rustic presentation, but also for the convenience of throwing it in the oven once it's prepared.
14. Easy Skillet Linguine with Trumpet Mushroom ‘Scallops’
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy, <30 minutes
- Recipe Serves: 4
These “scallops” have a secret: They’re actually mushrooms, sautéed until delightfully golden and crisp. If you usually gravitate towards whole wheat pasta, opt for semolina or egg noodles instead to keep from overpowering the flavor of the mushrooms.
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
- Recipe Serves: 6
Who knew your trusty springform pan could do all this? Feel free to mix up the ingredients by trading marinara for pesto or Italian sausage for chopped meatballs. The secret to a crispy top? Briefly broil the cheese at the end.
16. Slow Cooker Korean Short Rib Tacos
- Time Commitment: 8 hours, 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: dairy-free, slow cooker recipe, kid-friendly
- Recipe Serves: 6
These drool-worthy ribs only taste like you stood by the oven all day. The secret? Your trusty slow cooker. Once the meat is finished, heat your tortillas in the skillet, round up the fixins' and prepare for some bomb tacos.
17. Cheater’s Sicilian-Style Pizza with Jalapeños and Honey
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, ready in <30 minutes, kid-friendly
- Recipe Serves: 8
We got you a gift…in the form of cheese pulls and pepperoni cups. Although it's store-bought focaccia, nobody has to know. You may be tempted to get the cheapest loaf at the store, but we suggest splurging. You'll thank us later.
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, vegetarian, kid-friendly
- Recipe Serves: 4
Our two favorite pasta dishes wrapped up in one? Aww, you shouldn’t have. (But we're so glad you did.) Freeze a little extra for a future busy evening, so you have something incredible to look forward to when you're feeling lazy.
19. Pistachio-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Apple and Escarole Salad
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, dairy free
- Recipe Serves: 4
This is not your mother’s pork tenderloin. (Sorry, Mom.) Instead of dry and bland, it’s tender, delicate and practically melts in your mouth. Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure it's properly cooked all the way through.
20. Pomegranate-Maple Glazed Lamb Chops
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, dairy free, high protein
- Recipe Serves: 4 to 6
These lamb chops have all the celebratory vibes, but are as easy to cook as chicken. (We won’t tell if you won't.) Also, if you can't find pomegranate molasses, check the international aisle at your local grocery store.
21. Pan-Roasted Chicken with Shallots and Dates
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, special occasion-worthy
- Recipe Serves: 4
If we could eat only one dish for the rest of forever, this caramelized roasted chicken skillet just might be it. The secret to those bright and refreshing flavors, though? It's all the fresh thyme and lemon zest added at the end.
22. Cheater’s White Wine Coq Au Vin
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, gluten free, high protein
- Recipe Serves: 6
Ah, Julia Child-caliber flavor without all the fuss. You can pretty much get away with any kind of dry white wine here, but we'd recommend a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris that you know you like to sip.
23. Skillet Steak with Asparagus and Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, dairy free
- Recipe Serves: 2
This dish is so impressive (and surprisingly foolproof) that we might never go back to restaurant steak again. It only has to sear for five minutes on each side to achieve that applause-worthy outer crust. Just be sure the pan is blazing hot when you drop the steak.
24. Pork Scallopini with Lemon, Capers and Radicchio
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
- Recipe Serves: 4
A recipe that only requires 20 minutes and five ingredients allows you plenty of time to make a homemade dessert. You can also substitute the radicchio with kale, Swiss chard or even spinach if you'd prefer.
25. Skillet Gnocchi with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, one pan, kid-friendly
- Recipe Serves: 6
They’ll probably ask if you spent all day making this. Just nod and say yes. In terms of herbs, dried parsley will do in a pinch, but ideally you'll want to use fresh if possible.
26. Cheater’s White Pizza with Béchamel Sauce
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, vegetarian, kid-friendly
- Recipe Serves: 4
Some nights call for salad. This is not one of those nights. And once you nail that béchamel sauce, you'll want to make it all the time for pouring atop poached eggs, pasta, and more.
27. White Risotto with Corn, Carrots and Kale
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, vegetarian
- Recipe Serves: 4
If you’re trying to give someone a hug in a bowl, look no further than this veggie-packed risotto. While any white wine is fine, try using a drier variety to complement the dish's savory elements...and wash the meal down with the leftovers.
28. Smoky Eggplant Pasta with Pounded Walnut Relish, Mozzarella and Basil
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, vegetarian, kid-friendly
- Recipe Serves: 4
Don’t be surprised if this one gets requested again next year. You can thank the rustic eggplant sauce, not to mention all that cheese. The fresh basil garnish really takes the dish over the top without asking anything of the chef.
29. Salmon and Fennel Dinner Salad
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, dairy free
- Recipe Serves: 4
Don’t be fooled by the name: This roasted salmon dish is hearty, filling and downright sophisticated. The strawberries may seem out of place at first, but it turns out they add a sweet-yet-tangy quality to the meal. (Oh, and color.)
30. Ina Garten’s Baked Pasta with Tomatoes and Eggplant
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, <30 minutes, kid-friendly
- Recipe Serves: 3
A cozy, cheese-laden baked pasta from the Contessa herself? Don’t even bother with a separate present. Even though you can bake it all in one larger dish, Ina prefers individual ramekins because they look more polished.
31. Whole-Wheat Feta Tart with Caramelized Onions and Herbs
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
- Recipe Serves: 6
If you can’t eat a pie made of two different types of cheese on your birthday, when can you? Press-in crust makes the process a breeze, since it's made with olive oil for maximum malleability.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, dairy free
- Recipe Serves: 6
You make the paella, we’ll bring the wine and everyone else is on gift duty. This one-pan recipe has been simplified so it only requires an hour to come together. Chalk it up to limiting the seafood to shrimp and clams.
33. Cacio e Pepe
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, vegetarian, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes
- Recipe Serves: 4
Simple can also mean show-stopping, and this five-ingredient dish is proof. If you don't have Pecorino on hand, feel free to substitute Parmesan—just be sure to grate it yourself.
34. Foolproof Cheater’s Confit
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, special occasion-worthy
- Recipe Serves: 4
Tonight’s the night to go out of your way to find juicy, impressive duck legs. Frozen duck legs are fine, but the recipe recommends thawing them completely first.We promise it’s worth the wait.
35. Ultimate Cheese Plate with Roasted Grapes
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, vegetarian, one pan
- Recipe Serves: 4
It's their party and they can eat charcuterie for dinner if they want to. If you're new to cheese, the board calls for "something creamy, something firm and something pungent" for solid variety. But you can really go with whatever types you like.
36. Grilled Flank Steak with Lemon-Herb Sauce
- Time Commitment: 2 hours
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, dairy free
- Recipe Serves: 6
The marinating time is a solid excuse for a pre-dinner cocktail...just sayin'. And if you can make extra lemon-herb sauce, we'd strongly suggest doing so—it tastes heavenly on just about anything.
37. Crispy Baked Fish Tacos with Cabbage Slaw
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
- Recipe Serves: 4
You could order tacos from your fave local cantina—or you can pull 'em off yourself, no messy frying required. The trick to achieving peak crispiness is misting the fish with cooking spray to help it brown, plus flipping it halfway through baking.
38. 30-Minute Cheater’s Beef Stroganoff
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, high protein, kid-friendly
- Recipe Serves: 6
Feeding six people in just a half-hour? It's easier than you think. Our recipe creators recommend pairing it with red wine and a generous dollop of sour cream, and we completely agree.
40. Ravioli Lasagna
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, one pan, kid-friendly
- Recipe Serves: 8
Casseroles are our BFFs when it comes to feeding the fam. And this cheesy pick is sure to become one of your kids' favorites after just one bite. You can use whatever kind of ravioli you want—we'd recommend either meat, cheese or mushroom. This is a great casserole to bring to holiday gatherings or family get-togethers.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, vegetarian, gluten-free
- Recipe Serves: 6
Picky party guests? Tortilla chips smothered in Monterey Jack cheese sauce will save the day. That final sprinkle of cayenne pepper and fresh lime adds much-welcome tang and spice.
42. 30-Minute One-Pot Cheater’s Bouillabaisse
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, dairy free, one pot
- Recipe Serves: 6
One slurp and voilà, you're in Provence. If you have a local bakery in your area, finding fresh bread is imperative. (And what's equally awesome is what little clean-up you'll have to do after cooking the big birthday dinner.)
43. Baked Quinoa Chicken Nuggets
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, dairy free, kid-friendly
- Recipe Serves: 6
Go ahead, give the kids what they really want, only make it a little healthier. While regular chicken nuggets are often fried, baking cuts a significant amount of fat.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
- Recipe Serves: 6
Don't fuss over how it looks: A random arrangement is the best way to convey that "relaxed afternoon in a vineyard" vibe. And since you'll only need to cook the onions and bread, it's super low effort.
45. Salmon Burgers
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
- Recipe Serves: 4
Our philosophy? Light and tangy coleslaw tastes good on everything. Whip up some sweet potato fries and you have your self a complete meal.
46. Lemon and Herb Roast Chicken
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
- Recipe Serves: 4
Many a memorable meal has begun with a whole roast bird. Wow the whole table with this five-ingredient recipe that screams celebration. Use the leftovers in salads, soups and pastas for the rest of the week.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, vegetarian, kid-friendly
- Recipe Serves: 4
Don't sweat it if the guest of honor is a vegetarian. These tacos, filled with baked cauli florets, homemade queso and scallions, just might convert the rest of you anyway. The key to browning the cauliflower evenly is tossing it occasionally during cooking.
48. Pan-Seared Scallops with Citrusy Corn Succotash
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, special occasion-worthy
- Recipe Serves: 4
Scallops might feel intimidating, but they're actually a cinch to prepare. This recipe only calls for a two-minute sear per side, so you'll spend minimal time in the kitchen on the big day. And that corn salad? So colorful.
49. Mini Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, dairy free, special occasion-worthy
- Recipe Serves: 4
The only dish more classically comforting than meatloaf? A personal mini meatloaf wrapped in bacon, duh. If you have mini loaf pans on hand, use them to form the loaves instead of doing it by hand. Don't forget the mashed potatoes.
50. Mac and Cheese with Crispy Parmesan-Phyllo Crust
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
- Recipe Serves: 10
Personally, we'd rather receive a bouquet of Parmesan-kissed phyllo rosettes than real flowers...but on our birthday, we'll take both. If you'd rather not fuss with the rosettes, simply layer the sheets of phyllo on top and bake until golden brown.
51. Antoni Porowski’s Strip Steak with Harissa Butter and Parsley Salad
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, <30 minutes
- Recipe Serves: 4
This elegant, satisfying steak dinner comes together in a flash, and you won't believe how flavorful it is. Antoni Porowski, who created the recipe, takes parsley out of garnish territory and makes it the star of the side salad.
52. Sheet Pan Buttermilk Chicken Thighs with Plums, Shallots and Honey
- Time Commitment: 8 hours and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: one pan, gluten free, special occasion-worthy
- Recipe Serves: 6 to 8
Sure, you could roast a whole chicken...but these impossibly tender thighs are just as luxurious and half as fussy. The marinade calls for plums and shallots, but they're interchangeable with other fruits and alliums such as apples, grapes, leeks and thinly sliced red onion.
53. Seared Scallops with Citrus-Shallot Salad
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, gluten free, dairy free
- Recipe Serves: 4
The key to an impeccable outer crust is thoroughly drying the scallops before they hit the pan. Then serve on four individual plates, topping the salad with the scallops, fresh chopped chives and cilantro.
54. Tandoori-Inspired Roast Cauliflower Bowls with Tahini
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, gluten free, dairy free
- Recipe Serves: 4
This plant-based spin on tandoori chicken will make any veggie-loving guest of honor feel the love. And if you want to go low carb, cauliflower rice is a fine substitute for basmati.
55. Camarones al Mojo de Ajo (Shrimp in Garlic Sauce)
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
- Recipe Serves: 5
Gather round the table for this simple-yet-fancy family-style meal. Serve the shrimp with plenty of dinner rolls to soak up the lemon-kissed garlic butter, and make sure you're using shrimp with the shell on, which infuses extra flavor into every bite.
56. Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Time Commitment: 7 hours and 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: slow cooker recipe, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
- Recipe Serves: 8
It's chicken pot pie minus the fuss of puff pastry. This slow-cooker soup is just as comforting as the original, and it's definitely perfect for celebrating a cold weather birthday dinner inside.
57. Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala Meatballs
- Time Commitment: 6 hours and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: slow cooker recipe, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
- Recipe Serves: 4
This slow cooker recipe puts an exciting spin on classic chicken meatballs. Don't skimp on either the cilantro or whole-milk Greek yogurt garnishes, which both offer flavor and texture.
58. White Bean Stew with Marinated Radicchio
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly, crowd pleaser
- Recipe Serves: 4 to 6
This recipe comes from Shelley Westerhausen Worcel’s new cookbook, Every Season Is Soup Season. The bitter radicchio turns tender and toothsome after a massage. You can also sub in Lacinato kale, if you’d prefer.
59. Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, pescatarian, high protein
- Recipe Serves: 4 to 6
This tropical number sends us right to the beach. Find a Scotch bonnet-based hot sauce for the marinade if you want the shrimp to have serious heat. Fresh guac will provide much-needed cooling.
60. Gluten-Free Crystal Dumplings
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, gluten free, make ahead
- Recipe Serves: 24 dumplings
Even though dumpling-making may seem like a challenge, the gluten-free wrappers are beyond easy to work with. And they're freezer friendly, so you can reheat them if you don't finish the first batch in one go.
