Birthday Dinner Menu Ideas: Dishes by MasterClass Instructors

A birthday dinner is a celebratory meal made for someone’s birthday; the meal is whatever you choose to make of it. Ask your friend or family member what their favorite foods and desserts are to start figuring out what you should make for this special occasion.

For example, some people prefer traditional birthday cakes, whereas others might opt for a cheesecake or puff pastry to cap off the festivities. Ultimately, a birthday dinner party can feature any host of appetizers, entrées, and desserts; however, it’s just a welcome sign of affection when you plan the entire dinner around the special person’s unique food preferences.

To start off a birthday meal, give your guests something to whet their appetites. Here are just three starter dish crowd-pleasers from MasterClass culinary instructors:

• Dominique Crenn’s cheese salad: Whip together a litany of veggies and a cream cheese spread in this cheese salad recipe from Dominique Crenn. It comes with additional instructions for a lemon vinaigrette dressing but feel free to substitute a balsamic alternative or yet another marinade or dressing.
• Ron Finley’s baked kale chips: As a tasty snack to start the festivities, try out Ron Finley’s baked kale chips recipe. If you find yourself without enough time to make these, you can always run out to the store to pick up regular potato or tortilla chips instead at the last minute.
• Wolfgang Puck’s mushroom risotto: This buttery mushroom risotto recipe from Wolfgang Puck will make your birthday dinner guests feel like they’re at an Italian restaurant. This side dish can easily shift over to being a main course if you serve it in large enough portions. Consider adding scallops and capers to the Parmesan and mushroom mix for even more flavor.

Treat your birthday dinner guests to a chance to splurge on comfort food. Try these three birthday dinner recipes from MasterClass instructors:

• Thomas Keller’s fried chicken: This crispy fried chicken recipe from Thomas Keller enables you to fry chicken breasts, thighs, legs, wings, and more all in one go. Consider serving it alongside coleslaw or mashed potatoes. Opt for an air fryer if using a deep fryer isn’t possible. Try out a roast chicken recipe if your birthday guests’ prefer their poultry unfried.
• Wolfgang Puck’s smoked salmon pizza: This homemade smoked salmon pizza recipe from Wolfgang Puck can make someone’s big day feel all the more special. Puck’s recipe replaces the usual mozzarella cheese with a fresh dill crème fraîche. Serve it alongside a pasta dish with meatballs for even more Italian flair.
• Wolfgang Puck’s pepper steak: While this recipe features strip steak as its centerpiece, you can also use flank steak, filet mignon, or a different cut of your birthday guests’ choosing. Supplement the red wine sauce included in this pepper steak recipe with a bit of garlic butter for more flavor.

Dessert serves as the cornerstone for many a birthday party. Consider these three recipes from MasterClass instructors for your next soirée:

• Dominique Ansel’s chocolate cake: This easy recipe from Dominique Ansel pairs well with a side of vanilla ice cream. Feel free to experiment with how you serve the chocolate cake recipe; while you can serve it in slices, it’s also easy to adapt this recipe to make cupcakes instead.
• Gordon Ramsay’s raspberry soufflé: While birthday cake might be the most famous dessert for this occasion, Gordon Ramsay’s raspberry soufflé is a worthy substitute. Try this delectable treat for your next birthday celebration.
• Joanne Chang’s fluffy vanilla cake: This birthday cake recipe leaves plenty of room for additional adaptation and experimentation, too. Give Joanna Chang’s fluffy vanilla cake a try for a simple but delicious dessert to cap off a celebration.

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