If you want to celebrate the birthday of a family member or close friend with a dinner at home, we’ve rounded up the best birthday dinner ideas to honor your special guest. In fact, we think these birthday dinner recipes might just be an even more delicious and special way to celebrate than going out to dinner. If the guest of honor likes seafood, ask for one pasta dishor want a steak dinner, there is a birthday dinner idea on this list to make their birthday wishes to come true.
From million dollar spaghetti to seared flank steak to crab and bacon linguine and more, you can’t go wrong with any of these birthday dinner ideas. Once you’ve selected the perfect main dish, be sure to prepare a birthday cake to serve after dinner.
Caitlin Bensell; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
With a name like Million Dollar Spaghetti, you know this cheesy pasta casserole has to be good and birthday party worthy. Complete the meal with a loaf of homemade bread garlic bread.
The scallops shine on their own, so we simply season them with a little salt and pepper and then pan-fry them. The herbed rice serves as a light but flavorful base that doesn’t overshadow the beauty of the scallops.
Use our recipe as a guide to making a bone-in rib-eye that’s even better than what you can order at a restaurant. A preheated cast iron skillet is the secret to a perfect sear.
Stacy Allen; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Props Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
We use jarred sauce in this recipe to save time, but you can make the meal even more special by using your homemade recipe if you prefer. Garnish with fresh basil for an extra special touch.
Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Impress everyone at the birthday dinner by serving a whole roasted chicken with vegetables.
These impressive linguini come together in just 45 minutes, but we recommend serving them immediately. You will use 1/2 cup of white wine for the recipe and can serve the rest with the finished dish.
Alison Miksch
You won’t be disappointed letting your slow cooker handle the main course with this 7-ingredient pot roast recipe. You can work on preparing the cake and toppings while it cooks.
Becky Luigart Stayner
The trio of lemon, rosemary, and garlic gives this roasting pan dinner tons of flavor. We recommend serving with crusty bread to soak up all the extra sauce.
You don’t need to turn on the grill to serve a delicious steak. Your air fryer and a homemade herb butter will do the trick.
Stacy Allen; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Props Stylist: Hannah Greenwood
You’ll know the enchiladas are ready to come out of the oven when the cheese is bubbling. Make homemade guacamole and corn salad while the enchiladas cook to complete the birthday meal.
A birthday party is the perfect opportunity to invest in this tender cut of meat. A single net can feed 8 to 10 people.
We bet you wouldn’t guess that this impressive pasta dinner comes together in just 25 minutes. For the special occasion, be sure to use fresh shrimp rather than frozen.
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin; Props Stylist: Julia Bayless
Our best lasagna includes both ground sirloin and ground sausage on the ingredient list. And of course, lots of cheese.
Think of this elegant chicken dinner as a cheesy version of chicken marsala. Cutting the chicken in half and pounding adds a little extra time, but ensures that each piece cooks evenly.
Add a salad and a bottle of red wine to the table to complete this pork tenderloin dinner.
Don’t let the name of this dish fool you into thinking it’s too fancy to cook at home. With this recipe, you can serve the classic Louisiana dish in just over an hour.
Not only are these bone-in pork chops covered in a mushroom sauce, but our test kitchen also shares plenty of tips in this recipe to ensure they’re tender and don’t dry out while cooking.
Originally published in 1991, this chicken recipe has remained popular with our readers over the years. Of course, we can understand why. What’s not to love about chicken wrapped in puff pastry with creamy herbed cheese?
A sauce made with fresh herbs and a cast iron skillet transforms flank steak into a crowd-pleasing meal. Choose steaks of uniform thickness for best results.
If you want to make a special birthday dinner but are short on prep time, this 30-minute chicken dinner is a good choice. Serve it over noodles to complete the meal.
