Designing The Perfect Fall Dinner Party

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Summer is over and as fall truly comes into its own we are all ready to enjoy cosy nights by the fire and a good slice of pumpkin pie. When it comes to making the most of the fall and winter, dinner parties are key and they are a great way to get together with your family and friends and enjoy some amazing food and company. 

Hosting the best dinner parties for your loved ones is a great way to show your loved ones you care and a great reason to eat lots of food and enjoy some drinks. 

Today we want to talk about some of the ways you can create your own perfect fall dinner party for your family and friends this season. 

The decor 

When decorating for your ideal fall dinner party, you should always start off with the colours and textures of fall. These ideas will help you to create the perfect warm atmosphere for your fall dinner party. 

Consider a new theme 

Firstly, consider what colours and what kind of theme you want to emanate in your dining room. Once you have chosen your colours and theme such as greens and oranges paired with woodland themed items, you can look to a website such as WallpaperBoulevard and consider creating a stunning feature wall in the dining room that will make your home look stunning for fall but also all year long as the design carries through the seasons. A feature wall colour such as orange can also be a fun choice and it will refresh the room and get it ready for hosting parties. 

Create a warm space 

Creating warmth in the dining area can be done in a few ways. First of all you can use a red or orange table runner to provide a pop of autumn colour, and you can also add candles across the table in golden holders to bring warmth and light to the space. You can also consider hanging some fairy lights around the room so that you can create a soft warm light without having to turn on the main light in the room – it will be much more atmospheric and magical. 

Use tartan seat covers 

Tartan is such a perfect print to bring into the house in autumn; and for your dinner party you can invest in comfort and design with a tartan seat cover. Seat covers will protect your seats but also provide wonderful colour to match the theme of any party you throw. 

Choose natural decorations 

Natural decorations such as acorns on the tables, a leafy Garland as a centrepiece, and some lovely woodland creatures around the space can connect the room to nature and this is truly what the autumn season is all about. Make the most of doing this and it will make a huge difference to your dinner table. 

Add golden embellishments 

Golden hues and embellishments are perfect for the fall as they bring a warm hue to match the changing colours of the leaves outside and they also provide a modern touch to your design. You could choose to bring golden candlesticks to the table, use gold cutlery, and even get some golden rimmed wine glasses for the occasion. There are lots of great ideas to use and it will be a fun way for you to experiment. 

The food 

The meals you serve at your fall themed dinner party will bring warmth and spice to your guests as well as provide that perfect hearty feeling in the stomach. Here are some of the meals you could choose to bring to your dinner party: 

Pumpkin soup 

Ingredients: 

• 1 large cooking pumpkin 
• 2 carrots 
• 1 bell pepper 
• 1 white onion 
• 1 sweet potato 
• 2 tbsp honey 
• 2 tbsp mixed herbs
• 1 tbsp tomato puree 
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
• 2 tbsp heavy cream (optional)

1. Chop your veggies into thick chunks and season them with salt, pepper, and mixed herbs. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 40-50 minutes. In the last 10 minutes of baking drizzle some honey over the veggies. 
2. Allow the veggies to cool slightly and blend the mixture. Add to a pan with tomato purée and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and taste. Season if needed, then add heavy cream if you wish. 
4. Serve with crusty buttered bread. 

Jack Daniels chicken and seasonal veggies 

Want a warming dish that will also bring a fun flavour? This Jack Daniels chicken recipe is amazing and ideal for a dinner party. 

Ingredients: 

• 4 chicken breasts 
• 200ml Jack Daniels 
• 1 tsp garlic salt 
• 1 tsp smoked paprika 
• 1 tbsp barbecue sauce 
• 3 tbsp ketchup 
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce 
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar 
• 3 tbsp dark brown sugar 
• 3 tbsp water 
• 4 potatoes 
• 2 tbsp butter 
• Salt and pepper 
• 1 spring onion 
• veggies – green beans, carrots, broccoli etc 

1. In a saucepan, add your water, sugar, and Jack Daniels and heat up until the sugar dissolves. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Taste test and adjust sweetness. 
2. Poke holes in your potatoes and microwave them for 8-10 minutes depending on size. Take out and cool for 5 minutes before scooping out and mashing. Add butter, salt, pepper, and chopped spring onion. 
3. Heat a frying pan with oil, season your chicken with salt and pepper and pan fry for 5 minutes on each side. 
4. Add the Jack Daniels glaze to the pan with your cooked chicken and allow this to warm through for 5-10 minutes. 
5. Steam or boil your veggies of choice. 
6. Plate up with veggies, a dollop of mash, and chicken with an extra drizzle of that sauce. 

Sticky toffee pudding 

Why better say to end a dinner party in the fall than with a warming desert that pairs perfectly with some cold vanilla ice cream? Sticky toffee pudding is a classic and one that will always please. 

Ingredients: 

• 225g whole medjool dates
• 175ml boiling water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 175g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 eggs
• 85g butter
• 140g demerara sugar
• 2 tbsp black treacle
• 100ml milk
• 175g light muscovado sugar
• 50g butter, cut into pieces
• 225ml double cream
• 1 tbsp black treacle

1. Destone and chop the dates into small chunks. Add the to boiling water and soak for 30 minutes until cool. Add vanilla extract.
2. Butter some small ramekins for your puddings and preheat the oven to 180C. 
3. Mix flour and bicarbonate of soda together in a bowl. 
4. In a different bowl, beat your butter and Demerara sugar until light. 
5. Beat your eggs in a separate bowl before adding to the butter and sugar. 
6. Add 2 tbsp black treacle and beat until smooth. 
7. Fold in the flour mixture slowly and ensure there are no lumps. Add the milk as you add the flour to help it mix together. 
8. Add the soaked dates to the pudding. Spoon into your moulds and bake for 20-25 minutes until firm and risen. 
9. Make the sauce – add muscovado sugar, 50g butter, and half of the double cream to a saucepan and heat. Bring to a boil, simmer and constantly stir as the sugar melts. 
10. Add the treacle and then up the heat to help it mix through. Take off the heat and add the rest of your cream. 
11. To serve – take the puddings out of their moulds and turn onto a plate, drizzle with sauce, and serve with ice cream. 

Use these ideas and recipes to vamp up your perfect fall dinner party this year.