Wondering how to host an alternative Valentine's Day party? Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be a traditional meal for two – you can honour the season of love by sharing delicious food with as many guests as your table can manage.
What is the meaning of Galentine's Day?
Galentine's Day is a celebration of female friendship on the 13 February. Invite friends, family and loved ones to a sophisticated dinner party. These handpicked recipes are achievable yet impressive, with just the right amount of pizzazz for the occasion.
Discover our starter, main and dessert ideas. If you have a larger crowd to cater for and need more buffet-style recipes, try one of our sharing recipes, too.
Starters
To start, serve guests a few canapés and co*cktails before they sit down to eat. Once they’re ready for their meal, a bowl of mussels with leeks & saffron makes for a luxurious appetiser. These shellfish are in season from October to March and are more affordable than oysters, but still feel special – especially with saffron. Alternatively, smoked salmon soufflés are easy to prepare and can be made well ahead of time.For more ideas, visit our dinner party starter recipe collection.
Main courses
These lamb chops with chilli & Ligurian broad bean pesto have a real presence on the plate. Other dishes that are sure-fire hits for a dinner party main include seasonal slow-roast pork belly with celeriac & pear mash and our top-rated sea bass with sizzled ginger, chilli & spring onions.You might also want to consider our pastry-laden spinach & ricotta slice as a vegetarian option, or visit our vegetarian dinner party recipe collection for more meat-free inspiration.
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Desserts
Finish your evening in style with the perfect dinner party dessert. We think, given it’s Galentine’s Day, a self-saucing chocolate pudding or this striking squidgy chocolate & pomegranate torte is in order! For a fruitier option, it’s easy to scale up our recipe for champagne & raspberry possets to make enough for your guests, or perhaps individual bakewell trifles will hit the spot.
Sharing recipes to feed a crowd
Why not serve a stunning sharing platter this Galentine's Day? It's easy to assemble with all of your favourite cheeses, charcuterie and crackers and requires minimal effort so you can kick back and relax with friends. For your veggie and gluten-free friends, this one-pan nachos with black beans is a great solution and can be easily made vegan if needed with vegan cheese and sour cream. Air-fryer buffalo cauliflower wings always go down a storm at any party and to round off the meal you could treat your friends to a cookie dough pizza or a no-bake salted caramel cheesecake.
Looking for Valentine’s Day recipes? Try our ideas
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What recipes would you choose for a Valentine’s Day dinner party? Leave a comment below…
