A Winter Dinner Party Menu for Six That Everyone Will Remember, from Drinks to Dessert

Produce
1 to 2 ruby red grapefruits
2 to 3 lemons
6 mandarin oranges
1 crisp-tart apple (such as Honeycrisp)
1 garlic clove
2 scallions
1 pound Brussels sprouts
1 medium fennel bulb
1½ pounds baby potatoes
1 pound trimmed slim carrots (preferably multicolored)
1 bunch fresh rosemary
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 bunch fresh basil
1 bunch fresh parsley

Meat
3 ounces prosciutto (or another thinly sliced, cured meat)
One 3- to 4-pound whole chicken

Dairy
Two 4-ounce balls burrata cheese
¼ cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
12 ounces buttermilk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces goat cheese from a log

Grains
2 pieces flatbread or naan
1 sheet frozen puff pastry

Canned and Packaged Goods
16 ounces red vermouth
Angostura bitters
Seltzer
Ice
Marcona almonds
¾ cup sliced almonds
3 cups blood orange juice (freshly squeezed or bottled)

Pantry Ingredients: honey, extra-virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, balsamic vinegar, flaky sea salt, granulated sugar

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 8

You’re playing host, not bartender, so set yourself up for success with a low-effort beverage that’s as refreshing as it is easy to make. This one is a wintry twist on the Aperol spritz, and all you have to do is pour seltzer on top of red vermouth—no shaker required.

"I love Martini & Rossi's [red vermouth]...for its Italian Nebbiolo wine base and balanced, spicy-herbal finish," former PureWow food editor Health Goldman notes. Roll the rosemary garnishes in sugar for a snow-inspired finishing touch.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: no cook, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 6

A gorgeous charcuterie board is a dinner party no-brainer, but former PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen likes to switch things up. Serve these individual flatbreads and wow your guests when they get a a bit of salty, savory, creamy, crunchy and sweet in every bite.

Bonus? This app is no-cook and can be customized to your tastes. "The ingredients here are merely suggestions, [so] if you prefer another meat (like soppressata or speck), cheese (mozzarella would be nice) or garnish (a balsamic drizzle?), by all means, switch it up," Gillen writes.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: no cook, make ahead, gluten free, <30 minutes
• Serves: 6

"I love this salad for two reasons," recipe developer and cookbook author Lisa Bryan writes. "First, shaved Brussels sprouts are a great way to bulk up a salad with healthy greens that won't wilt. And second, both Brussels sprouts and mandarin oranges are seasonal winter ingredients."

In my humble opinion, winter salads don’t get nearly enough love, and this is a stellar way to show off the season's best produce. The salad and dressing can both be made up to three (!) days in advance—just dress it right before you're ready to serve to keep it crisp.

• Time Commitment: 5 hours and 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, gluten free, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 4 to 6

For the pièce de résistance, make a main that looks impressive but is foolproof for all skill levels. Most of the work for this lacquered bird is completely hands-off: You’ll marinate it in buttermilk the night before for juicy, tender meat and a gorgeous, golden crust, then plop it in a skillet and let the oven work its magic. The potatoes are optional, but they make a nice starchy addition to the menu (and the way they soak up those chicken juices is *chef’s kiss*).

Pro tip: Take advantage of your oven's hot spots. "Since the back corners of the oven tend to run hotter than the center, position the chicken with the legs in the corner. That way, the breast meat—which has a tendency to dry—will come out perfectly cooked at the same time as the thighs and drumsticks," Gillen advises.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, vegetarian, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 6

Just because you’re pulling out all the stops with your entree doesn’t mean you have to neglect the sides. This savory tart is a lesson in stunning your guests with zero stress on your part.

"If you're picturing melting sugar on the stove until it reaches an exact temperature, stop right there," recipe developer and cookbook author Deb Perelman writes. "This one is as easy as sautéing carrots in all of the things that make sau­téed carrots delicious...Cover­ing them with a little goat cheese and a round of prepared puff pastry and popping this into the oven to cook the pastry, and then flipping it back over, is such a flex."

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes (plus freezing time)
• Why I Love It: make ahead, <10 ingredients, gluten free, dairy free, vegan
• Serves: 6

Cap off your extravagant, effortless winter dinner party menu with the most refreshing, elegant dessert this side of a polar vortex. It’s entirely make-ahead, comes together with three ingredients (including water) and will satisfy everyone at the table, since it’s vegan and gluten free.

"You can just mix it together and freeze it solid, then use a fork to scrape it into tiny crystals," recipe developer Erin McDowell explains, "or you can stir it periodically while it's freezing to make larger crystals as pictured. Either way, it's delicious and easy."

To kick it up a notch further, add scoops of vanilla ice cream or top each glass with a glug of Champagne.