Main Course Meat Dishes For Entertaining: 3 Complete Menus (Vegetarian Option Included)

Welcome to our Epicurean Evenings culinary series, where we inspire you with do-it-yourself menus for your home celebrations. In this article, we’ve rounded up three main course meat dishes and complete meal plans, perfect for your next dinner party or special occasion. Whether you’re planning beef dinner ideas for a backyard BBQ, a fine dining experience, or accommodating guests with protein-rich vegetarian meals, our curated menus and show stopping main dishes won’t disappoint.

Quick Menu Overview

Menu #1: BBQ Rib Steak

Planning a meat lovers’ BBQ bash? Our first menu showcases massive 48oz bone-in rib steaks, featuring recipes with potatoes and a golden beet salad. 

Ideal for large gatherings with the grill as the centerpiece, embodying the carnivore lifestyle.

Menu #2: European Duck

Our second menu features flavors from France, Germany, and the Mediterranean. Each course highlights Europe’s rich culinary heritage, making it a conversation starter for any occasion.

This hearty European dish is perfect for fine dining settings.

Menu #3: Plant-Forward Burgers (Vegetarian Option)

Our third option caters to the growing enthusiasm for plant-forward cooking, offering a flavor-filled vegetarian option that even meat lovers will love. With innovative and healthful ingredients, this menu proves that plant-based dishes can be as satisfying as their carnivorous counterparts. 

Grilled Steak BBQ Menu for Serious Meat Lovers

Looking for impressive beef dinner ideas to feed a crowd? Not anymore!

Our first complete meal plan features a bold main course meat dish that embodies traditional American BBQ with a European flair, perfect for satisfying dedicated meat lovers.

What You’ll Get with This BBQ Menu:

• Main Course: 48oz bone-in rib steaks with garlic seasoning
• Side Dish: Rosemary duck fat potatoes (recipes with potatoes included)
• Salad: Golden beet salad with grainy mustard
• Dessert: Grilled cinnamon pineapple

The Menu Explained

The centerpiece of these main course meat dishes is grilled 48oz bone-in rib steaks, seasoned with roasted garlic, sea salt, and black pepper to highlight the meat’s natural flavors. This simple yet robust seasoning embodies the no-frills approach of American grilling culture.

Paired with the steak are potatoes slow roasted in rosemary, garlic, and duck fat. This dish combines the rustic comfort of American-style roasted potatoes with the rich, indulgent touch of French herbs, creating a luxurious BBQ experience.

TIP:

If your BBQ is overcrowded, consider using an air fryer to achieve perfect crispness (a trick you can apply to any recipes with potatoes).

Complementing the steak and potatoes is a golden beet salad with grainy mustard and parsley. The tangy mustard dressing and fresh parsley add brightness, balancing the richness of the main dishes. Golden beets offer a subtle sweetness that perfectly pairs with the hearty main course meal.

For dessert, cinnamon-covered pineapple silver dollars bring a tropical twist to the BBQ fare, the perfect antidote to the meaty mains. Plus, the sweetness of the pineapple, enhanced by sugared cinnamon that caramelizes on the grill, is reminiscent of Southern American cuisine.

Complete BBQ Menu Takeaways?

Create a dining experience that’s both familiar and elevated with this fusion of American BBQ and European culinary touches. The rosemary-garlic potatoes and golden beet salad introduce European flavors to the American BBQ staples of steak and grilled pineapple, making your main course rich, satisfying, and a conversation starter.

European Duck & Cherry Menu: A Main Course Meat Dish to Impress

Our second menu includes sophisticated main course meat dishes that reflect Europe’s rich culinary traditions. It’s the perfect elegant dinner party idea, fusing French techniques with traditional German accompaniments.

This menu was introduced to us by our dear friend and collaborative cooking companion, celebrity chef Chris Maryan!

What You’ll Get with This European Menu:

• Main Course: Seared duck breast with cherry reduction
• Side Dish: Traditional German spaetzle with nutmeg
• Salad: Fennel and blood orange salad
• Dessert: Port-infused sabayon with strawberries

The Menu Explained

The star of this main course meat dish is perfectly seared duck breast topped with a cherry reduction, showcasing the classic French technique of pairing succulent meat with sweet fruit-based sauces. The duck’s gamey richness, complemented by sweet cherries, exemplifies the luxurious main course meals found in French gastronomy.

Accompanying the duck is traditional German spaetzle with nutmeg, a beloved comfort food. This soft egg noodle dish, with its comforting texture and hint of nutmeg, provides a hearty counterpoint to the refined duck, blending comfort with sophistication.

Adding a fresh fennel and blood orange citrus salad, with its bright and zesty flavors, draws inspiration from the Mediterranean. This salad bursts with sunny citrus notes, providing a refreshing contrast to the rich duck and spaetzle.

For dessert, Port-infused sabayon with a strawberry base takes us back to France while incorporating Italian and Portuguese influences. The light and airy sabayon, infused with Port, adds complexity and richness, while the sweet strawberry base ties the dessert back to the cherry theme of the main course.

European Menu Takeaways?

This main course meat dish offers a culinary tour through Europe, showcasing regional influences from France, Germany, the Mediterranean, Italy, and Portugal. Each course on the menu complements the others, creating a meal that is as culturally rich as it is delicious.

Protein-Rich Vegetarian Meal: Harissa Flavours & Pumpkin Pie Bliss

As our final menu, this protein-rich vegetarian meal explores the colorful and diverse world of plant-based cuisine, combining various culinary traditions for a colorful vegan delight. This menu offers a refreshing, wholesome, and flavor-packed dining experience as an alternative to animal products.

What You’ll Get with This Vegetarian Menu:

• Main Course: Chickpea harissa veggie burgers (protein for vegetarians)
• Side Dish: Beet and carrot salad with citrus dressing
• Dessert: Flash-frozen pumpkin-cashew pie with almond crust
• Plant Protein Sources: Chickpeas, cashews, almonds

The Menu Explained

The centerpiece is chickpea harissa veggie burgers, a fusion of Middle Eastern and North African flavors that showcases how protein for vegetarians can be both hearty and flavorful. Chickpeas provide a hearty base, while the spicy harissa sauce adds a North African flair. This dish, reminiscent of a classic American burger, shows how vegetarian cuisine can rival traditional main course meat dishes while being culturally diverse.

Accompanying the protein-rich vegetarian meal is a salad of earthy beets and crunchy carrots with a zesty citrus dressing, rooted in Mediterranean cuisine. The bright colors and zesty flavors offer a light, refreshing counterpoint to the spicier burger, embodying the balance and vibrancy of Mediterranean dishes.

For dessert, a flash-frozen almond crust pumpkin-cashew pie brings together elements of traditional American and modern vegan baking. The pumpkin filling nods to classic American pies, while the cashew and almond flour crust showcases innovative protein sources for vegans. Flash-freezing adds a unique textural element, transforming the traditional pie into a novel culinary experience.

Plant-Based Menu Takeaways?

This protein-rich vegetarian meal showcases how plant protein sources can create nutritionally complete and powerfully flavorful dinner party ideas. These vegetarian protein options, influenced by Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and American cuisines, create satisfying alternatives to traditional main course meat dishes.

Create Your Own Dinner Party With Showstopping Main Course Meat (or Veggie) Dishes

These three distinct approaches to main course meals demonstrate the versatility of home entertaining. As you explore menus for home celebrations, remember that the heart of a successful dinner party lies in creating a space for stories to be told. Each menu is a way to explore new tastes and a celebration of togetherness.

Picture guests marveling at impressive beef dinner ideas as they share grilling techniques around your backyard BBQ. Guide conversations about culinary traditions with sophisticated main course meat dishes that spark discussions about European heritage. Watch as guests discover the depth of plant protein sources, delighting both vegetarians and meat enthusiasts alike.

Food is a universal language that transcends mere sustenance, turning simple gatherings into symphonies of shared experience and joy. Let your dinner table be a place where stories are told, bonds are strengthened, and memories are made.

In the end, it’s the shared experiences around the table that linger long after the last bite is savored.

Bon appétit!