For grand celebrations, date night or intimate dinners with friends, fancy meals are non-negotiable. Brimming with flavor, texture and just enough premium ingredients to feel luxe, they’re an upgrade from the everyday that always make for a memorable occasion.
Wondering what makes a meal feel fancy? From the presentation to the ingredients and the recipes themselves, many factors affect how rustic or high-end a meal feels — without demanding a lot of extra effort! Whether you begin with seafood or a heap of vegetables, grilled meat, pasta or rice, there are tricks you can lean on to up the elegance of any type of dish.
When planning a fancy meal, start with affordable staples, such as Success® Rice, and then add in one or two premium touches. Not every ingredient has to cost top dollar! Also, keep in mind that individual plates generally feel more sophisticated than a casserole or family-style meal. Think of how you will plate your dish before dinner is ready to serve. Precision and technique can take a meal from solid to stunning, so brushing up on culinary skills is never a bad idea! Finally, try to add a fancy final flourish to every plate — a velvety sauce, gourmet garnish, sprig of herbs or edible flowers — to bring everything together.
What’s the best way to approach cooking a fancy meal? With a well-stocked pantry. Start with no measure, no mess Success® Rice, and you’ll be well on your way to a stunning dish your guests will devour.
Fancy Meals to Make at Home
When it comes to easy fancy dinner recipes, Success® Rice has you covered! With a wealth of meal ideas, each made with an affordable staple, they’ll get you halfway toward your end-goal of elegance, every night of the week!
Indian Spiced Tomato and Rice Casserole with Eggs
Buttery and generously spiced, this one-pot rice dish is one of our favorite fancy dinner recipes and an impressive addition to any table. A simple combination of light, aromatic Success® boil-in-bag basmati rice, seasoned tomato sauce, and soft-baked eggs, this richly flavored dish will perfume your kitchen as your guests eagerly wait for dinner to be served.
Baked Pumpkin Sage Risotto
A crowd-pleaser that’s the epitome of rustic elegance, risotto tends to elicit floods of oohs and aahs from diners. Keep things simple with this baked version, made with Success® boil-in-bag white rice. Flavored with sage, Parmesan cheese and tender cubes of roasted pumpkin, this autumnal riff on the classic will free you from standing at the stove all evening long.
Cheese Fondue Casserole
Served alongside grilled chicken, beef or fish, this luxurious rice dish makes any meal feel special. Combined with a trio of ooey, gooey cheeses, plus silky smooth, seasoned bechamel sauce, white rice becomes the type of scene-stealing side that never fails to impress.
Paella de Mariscos
This dish doesn’t just have a sophisticated name! With its light base of Success® boil-in-bag jasmine rice, its wealth of fresh seafood and savory blend of aromatics and spices, this dish is as deluxe as they come. Serve a restaurant-style meal — in just 30 minutes — with this simplified take on Spain’s sumptuous national dish.
Seared Scallops and Pearl Couscous
If it’s fancy recipes you want, this snappy little scallop and couscous number is guaranteed to impress! Ready in an easygoing 20 minutes, it combines golden seared scallops, fluffy pearl couscous and garlic-licked lemon butter sauce into a sophisticated dish that looks like it jumped off the pages of a magazine.
Baked Stuffed Snapper
Wow a crowd with this snappy snapper supper! A dish that gives serious restaurant vibes but comes together with just a few quick tricks, this one turns fresh fish and well-seasoned Success® boil-in-bag white rice into a complete meal that your guests will rave about for weeks to come.
Honey Lemon Pearl Couscous & Grilled Chicken
Success® boil-in-bag pearl couscous nuzzles up to tender grilled chicken and charred asparagus in this elegant upgrade to your usual chicken dinner. What really takes things over the top? A simple honey, lemon and Dijon vinaigrette you’ll want to slurp up (away from prying eyes, of course!) with a spoon.
Roasted Golden Beet Carpaccio with Beets and Quinoa
Light and bright, this vegetarian main is a gorgeous addition to any table. Hearty enough to be a main dish, thanks to a medley of colorful beets and seasoned, protein-packed Success® boil-in-bag tri-color quinoa, this dish also excels alongside any grilled meat, fish or plant-based alternative.
Creamy Parmesan Chicken and Rice
A few choice additions — zippy sundried tomatoes, plush whipping cream, Parmesan cheese and mushrooms — upgrade simple sautéed chicken in this 20-minute recipe. Add a leafy green garnish to up the stylish feel of this charmer.
Cumin Rubbed Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Orange Cinnamon Rice Pilaf
Smoky and spiced, grilled pork tenderloin arrives at the table atop citrusy seasoned pilaf in this deceptively easy dish. A must-try for your next al fresco dinner party, this dish can also be made in the oven, when temps drop.
