The new year is just around the corner. And it’s the year to gather with friends and families and create lifetime memories. So why not spend this new year hosting your guests for a five-course dinner meal at home?

Despite being enticing, the idea of a five-course meal is daunting. Preparing multiple mouth-watering dishes at once is indeed challenging. But you can take inspiration from our chefs from our private steakhouse dining restaurant in McAllen.

Here is how you can prepare an elegant five-course dinner without sweat.

Basics of a Five-Course Dinner

When preparing a five-course dinner for New Year’s Eve, getting the basics right is important. It’d help you plan the process and execute it to perfection.

A five-course meal is what it sounds like: a five-part meal that includes the following:

1. An appetizer
2. A soup
3. Salad
4. Entrée
5. Dessert

An appetizer is what you serve to your guest first and is aimed at their appetite. The recipes under appetizer are often tantalizing and served in short portions. Consider it as a ‘teaser’ for what’s coming next.

Next comes soup. It’s usually served as the first course of a meal. But in a five-course dinner setup, it becomes the second course rather than the first.

Post soup, there should be some gap before introducing the main dish, the entrée. This gap is filled by salad. It is light and stimulating and keeps the guests engaged.

Finally, after the salad session, it’s time for the entrée. It should be the attraction of the night. So devote more planning and preparation time to it.

Lastly, you come up with a sweet dessert. It serves as the cherry on the cake and creates a sense of completion.

Besides the above five items, a five-course meal is also accompanied by a beverage. If alcohol is allowed, it’s usually wine. Otherwise, it’s plain water or soft drinks. Ultimately, it’s your choice.

Now that you know what an elegant five-course meal should include, let’s look at a few options.

A Five-Course Meal with Filet Mignon

Filet mignon is among the most sought-after tender and milder cuts. It is obtained from the narrower section of tenderloin, which is part of the loin primal cut. It is easy to cook at home, and the tenderness adds extra dimension to the steak.

So why not prepare a five-course meal with filet mignon? Here is our recommended meal:

1.    Appetizer: Balsamic Glazed Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

Kick things off with the sweetness of tomatoes, freshness of basil, and tanginess of balsamic glaze topped on crunchy Bruschetta. The tomatoes are diced and marinated in a delightful blend of olive oil, garlic, and fresh basil, creating a vibrant and refreshing topping for the perfectly toasted bread. The balsamic glaze ties everything together, adding a rich and slightly sweet finish to each bite.

2.    Soup: Creamy Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

A hot cup of creamy tomato soup will spruce things up for the upcoming filet mignon. Preparing it is easy and shouldn’t take much time. Each spoonful is a journey through layers of flavor, setting the stage for the star of the evening – the steak!

3.    Salad: Greek Salad

The recommended third item to serve your guests as part of the five-course meal is Greek salad. It’s simple and refreshing and lifts the mood and cravings that make the steak enjoyable.

Prepare the Greek salad with cucumber, romaine lettuce, chopped tomatoes, pitted black olives, bell peppers, onions, and feta cheese, sprinkled with olive oil and garnished with parsley.

The crunchiness and nutrition content should delight your guests. Not to mention, it takes less than 15 minutes to prepare. So, we have three items out of the way.

4.    Entrée: Grilled Filet Mignon with Red Wine Reduction Sauce

Now it’s time to present the entrée to your guests for a melt-in-your-mouth experience. A perfectly grilled filet mignon, seasoned to perfection, grilled to the preferred level of doneness, and then adorned with a rich and velvety red wine reduction sauce. Things can’t get any better.

The sauce, made from a reduction of red wine, shallots, and beef broth, adds a depth of flavor that elevates the steak to new heights. The exterior is beautifully seared, locking in the juices and creating an irresistible crust, while the interior remains tender and juicy.

No steak dinner is complete without a side that complements the star of the show. You can also serve a side dish like garlic mashed potatoes with parmesan cheese.

Instead of a side dish, you can opt for red wine. Red meats like steak pair well with red wine. It’s up to your (and your guests’) preference.

5.    Dessert: Dark Chocolate Lava Cake with Raspberry Coulis

To finish the culinary journey on a sweet note, what’s better than dark chocolate? And when it’s presented as a lava cake poured over raspberry coulis, it creates a luscious and irresistible experience.

While you can do away with the coulis to save time, it balances the intensity of dark chocolate. The combination of warm, gooey chocolate and vibrant raspberry creates a dessert that is visually stunning and a perfect conclusion to a five-star meal.

Other Five Meal Course Options

Not everyone is a fan of steak. No worries. There are ample options available to make New Year’s Eve more inclusive.

1.    Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Breast with Asparagus

For the entrée, you can have chicken breast. Grilled chicken breast coated with lemon herb and accompanied by asparagus will keep the chicken lovers happy. The bright, citrusy notes from the lemon elevate the dish, creating a harmonious balance of flavors.

You may have to adjust other items in the five-course meal. For the appetizer, consider spinach and artichoke stuffed mushrooms and creamy roasted garlic and chicken soup. Plump mushroom caps are filled with a creamy mixture of sautéed spinach, artichoke hearts, cream cheese, and Parmesan, creating an unmatched blend of flavors and aroma. And the soup adds the much-needed spiciness to the mix.

2.    Classic Beef and Sausage Lasagna

There may be some lasagna lovers in your group. So why not prepare a classic beef and sausage lasagna as the centerpiece? Layers of perfectly cooked lasagna noodles are stacked with a rich and flavorful filling of ground beef, Italian sausage, marinara sauce, ricotta cheese, and mozzarella and then baked to perfection. This is served with a sprinkle of fresh basil for a final touch of authenticity.

The appetizer that goes best with lasagna is Caprese Skewers with Balsamic Glaze. Caprese skewers feature alternating cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil leaves, all drizzled with a balsamic glaze. The burst of sweetness from the tomatoes, the creaminess of the mozzarella, and the aromatic basil create a delightful prelude to the beef lasagna.

Wrap the five-course meal with Italian-inspired Tiramisu Cheesecake. This dessert combines the creamy richness of a classic cheesecake with the bold flavors of Tiramisu. Easy to prepare and pleasing to the eye, your guests will surely ask for the recipe after they get that first bite.

Have the Best Five-Course Dinner at PRIME!

As you can see, it is just the name that scares folks. Other than that, a five-course meal is relatively easy to prepare. If you want to enjoy the meals mentioned above at a restaurant, walk into our McAllen restaurant with a private room for the ultimate experience. Reserve your table now.