A roasting tray filled with roast chicken, rice and orange slices

12 effortless entertaining recipes

Effortless entertaining recipes

Baked feta with roasted grapes and rosemary

With zero prep time required on the day, this simple starter of baked feta with roasted grapes and rosemary makes a fail-safe dinner party starter.

An oval platter filled with cooked cherry tomatoes and a block of feta

Hot smoked salmon, gnocchi and spinach bake

This impressive main cuts corners with ready-made gnocchi and frozen spinach – simply prep the day before then slide into the oven when you're ready to eat.

A deep dish filled with a golden topped bake with a linen napkin and glass of white wine

Spatchcock chicken traybake

Harissa-coated roast chicken meets with crispy chorizo and caramelised orange to make a winning one-tin dinner. Stir the wholegrain basmati rice and spinach through the resting chicken juices and oil from the tray, and tuck in.

Spring chicken pie

Use a few cheat’s ingredients to make this comforting chicken and leek pie – perfect if you’re after a filling meal to make ahead of time.

A golden-crusted pie with a creamy chicken filling in a pie dish, with a pink napkin and cutlery

Prawns pil pil

Plump prawns in a deliciously garlicky, spicy oil – a simple recipe that’s perfect for entertaining.

Cardamom buns

Our cheat’s version of cardamom buns uses bread mix as a genius shortcut – just add butter and spices for the ultimate swirl bun.

Steamed sea bass with soy

Entertain the easy way by serving this steamed sea bass whole, meaning less prep yet offering impressive results. Cooking en papillote means the fish delicately steams to perfection and you don’t have to stand over it fussing.

White baking paper topped with a whole steamed sea bass with red chilli and cucumber

Celeriac chimichurri salad

This herby salad cuts corners by using pre-cooked puy lentils and chucking a handful of ingredients into a processor to make a piquant chimichurri dressing.

A black bowl filled with a green chopped salad with feta and croutons

Crudités with chipotle aïoli

This crudité dish requires minimal effort, but the results are impressive – perfect for bringing out at dinner parties over the summer.

A wooden board on a grey stone background flled with vegetable crudités and a small pot of chipotle aïoli with red rippled through

Burrata and tomato salad

This salad requires minimal effort, but looks impressive – simply pair creamy burrata and sweet, ripe tomatoes with a punchy dressing of olive brine, lemon and black pepper.

A white oval platter filled with burrata, olives and tomato salad on a whitewashed wooden background

Raspberry chocolate pots

Double cream, raspberries and dark chocolate are all you need to make this silky and decadent pud – a restaurant-level dessert with minimal prep required.