Wondering how to organize a family-style dinner? Looking for some easy dinner recipes for family gatherings that will pleasantly surprise everyone? Lebanese cuisine might be just the perfect answer for an unforgettable event! Here are our Top 5 family dinner ideas with which you can’t go wrong!

Any event in your family’s life can be a good pretext for organizing a festive meal, where you can go crazy on some new and surprising family dinner ideas. Even in those cases where old-time friends, whom you haven’t met for years, announce their visit in just a few hours, you can still save the evening courtesy to a couple of easy dinner recipes for the family. Maybe you will need the best frying pan and the best alkaline water pitcher, or perhaps you won’t.

With just a little organization and the following natural and delicious family dinner ideas, you will be able to put together a refreshing menu and create a pleasant atmosphere that will stay with your close ones for a long time. The most important decision remains, however, what recipes will you choose for your family dinner!

Top 5 Family Dinner Ideas for a Perfect Evening
Many chefs from all over the world consider Lebanese cuisine to be one of the healthiest in the entire Mediterranean area. It can be seen from the ingredients that are used in the dishes, and here is where our top 5 family dinner ideas come into play. They will deliver a perfect mix between Eastern also Western influence, relying mainly on fresh vegetables, herbs, spices, and light meat, all in limited quantities. You will not be using fruits just for dessert, and olive oil plays a significant part in most of the following family dinner ideas:

1. Lots of Veggies and Fruits
Lebanese cuisine is well-known for using mainly fresh ingredients. Vegetables and fruits are consumed in much higher quantities than meat. For your family dinner, make sure you have tomatoes, carrots, peas, and greens at your discretion. Then you will need some fruit! Oranges and apples are always a great choice, but if you want to deliver something truly special, consider adding pomegranates to the dinner menu. In addition, remember, you will not only serve them for dessert, but you will also include them in the cooking process of your main dishes. Moreover, you’re wondering what to make for family dinner, lamb ribs with oranges or falafel with eggplants and pomegranates are guaranteed recipes for success.

2. Herbs and Spices vs. Usual Sauces
And if you’re wondering how to organize your dinner table in a healthy, yet unconventional manner, you might want to consider getting rid of those classic ketchup bottles. Mint, parsley, garlic, cinnamon, and oregano are the ideal herbs and spices to surprise your dinner guests with, and can considerably add to the aesthetic value of the dinner table.

3. Mutton, Fish, Seafood
Unlike red meat, mutton has all the qualities suitable for a healthy dinner. It has high levels of protein, B12 vitamin, phosphorus, and zinc. Not only this, but it also contains virtually all essential fatty acids. Well-cooked mutton can make for a classy family style dinner. Still, if you the patience of going through the process, or if you don’t have the proper conditions to make it, chicken, fish, and seafood are just as great alternatives for the family dinner. Moreover, the best part, even the cheapest air fryer on the market, will do a perfect job!

4. Chickpea
It is probably the most popular ingredient in the entire Lebanese cuisine. It’s the main ingredient of some of the most delicious dishes of which you’ve probably already heard of. Hummus, for example, or falafel are fantastic dinner ideas for a family of 4. Chickpea is high in fiber, protein, calcium, magnesium, iron, and vitamin K, and, as such, it helps lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol.

5. Olive Oil
Much like in the case of most Mediterranean area cuisines, olive oil is preferred instead of sunflower. It contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which keep the sugar and cholesterol levels under control. In addition to its health benefits, olive oil also gives dishes a rich, delicious flavor, so no matter which of these family dinner ideas you will go for, its presence is necessary!