• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Dinner Party Diaries
  • Dinner Parties
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Side Dishes
    • Main Courses
    • Desserts
    • Breakfast
    • Drinks
  • Dinner Party 101
  • Inspiration
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • YouTube
Home » Dinner Parties » Mediterranean Beef Dinner Party

Mediterranean Beef Dinner Party

March 8, 2023 by Lori V Leave a Comment
Disclosure: This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. This does not change your price should you buy something.

Dinner Party Diaries – Volume 1: Issue 1

It was Wednesday and it looked like we were having a dinner party on Friday night.  So comes the question: What should we have this week?  Looking in my freezer, I saw two beef bottom round rump roasts.  Cool.  I could work with that–an easy Mediterranean Beef Dinner Party it is. To make things interesting, I decided to adapt the flavors from one of our regular chicken dishes to this application for a braised Beef Roast with Tomato, Cumin, and Feta.  I expected the result to be a tender, saucy roast served on a bed of Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice and was not disappointed. 

Mediterranean Beef Roast and Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice on plate with Feta

Many of our dinner party plans begin in much the same way–picking some random cut of meat from the freezer and figuring out what to do with it. With several low and slow (or their Instant Pot alternative) cooking methods at our disposal, pretty much any cut of meat we encounter can turn out tender and loaded with flavor. From that point on, our job becomes and exercise in figuring out what we should serve along with it.

For this week’s Mediterranean Beef Dinner Party, we’re keeping the menu on the simpler side. When you don’t decide that you’re having 8 people over on Friday after work until Wednesday evening, prep time is minimal. (Good thing the grocery store is open until 10:00 pm.) Because of that, appetizers are all things that can be opened, sliced, and set out. Sides also need to be pretty easy, so in addition to the Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice, we’ve got Green Beans with Garlic & Roasted Red Peppers on the menu. The only somewhat involved dish is the Keto Pistachio Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding for dessert. Really, I’m only classifying it as “involved” because it has a keto bread cube drying step that takes 45 minutes of mostly inactive time.

If you’re looking for an easy last minute dinner party menu, this Mediterranean Beef Dinner Party has some good menu options for your perusal.

Enjoy!

What We’re Having for our Mediterranean Beef Dinner Party

The Menu

Appetizers

  • Sliced Pepperoni & Salami
  • Assorted Cheeses
  • Hot Giardiniera

Main Course

Beef Roast with Tomato, Cumin, and Feta
A bit of a twist on braised beef, the flavor-packed tomato sauce is the star of this show. I like to make extra to have as a dip later in the week. Once you try this, it is sure to be an addition to your main course rotation!
View Recipe
Mediterranean Beef Roast and Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice on plate with Feta

Side Dishes

Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice
Full of flavor and creaminess, this delicious side comes together with fairly minimal effort. After some up front work, this cauliflower rice dish can mostly cook on its own while you focus on getting other things ready.
View Recipe
Mediterranean Cauliflower Rice
Green Beans with Garlic & Roasted Red Peppers
Relatively simple but packed with flavor, this green bean side dish is the perfect complement to a saucy main dish.
View Recipe
Green Beans with Garlic and Roasted Red Peppers in a pan

Dessert

Keto Pistachio Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding
A comfy cozy dessert, this unexpected flavor combination would pair well with a mug of hot chocolate, a side of ice cream, or a drizzle of creme anglaise. While the chocolate and pistachio is a slightly unexpected flavor combination, it adds just the right texture and flavor to the dessert.
View Recipe

Wine Pairings

  • 2020 Daou Vineyards The Pessimist
  • 2018 Peju Province Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Pre-Game Wine While Cooking: Louis M. Martini Monte Rosso Cabernet Franc

The Details

Number of People: 8 (including the 2 of us)

Serving Style: Buffet (We’re going to be a pretty full house this week, so I’m going to opt for buffet style in the interest of table space.)

Guest Arrival Time: 7:00 pm

Getting Ready for the Mediterranean Beef Dinner Party

Advanced Prep Two Days Before 

  • Cube the bread for the bread pudding and dry it out.  (If you don’t get to this until tomorrow, that’s fine.  Since you’re drying it out in the oven, it doesn’t have to be a multi-day process.  I just want it done.)  
  • Make your grocery list.
  • Go grocery shopping.  (If you can’t get to this until tomorrow, that’s fine too.)  
  • Take the beef out of the freezer to thaw.  

Day Before Prep

  • Make sure beef is thawed.  
  • Mix up your rub of salt, pepper, and cumin.  
  • Prep your beef by putting the rub on it.  Then put it back in the fridge.  If you have space to leave it uncovered, go ahead and do that for some dry aging.  If you don’t, stick it in a baggie or container.  
  • Trim green beans (if needed) and stash in a baggie.  In the bag, toss the green beans with your spices / seasonings.  Stash the bag in the fridge.  
  • Cube the bread for the bread pudding and dry it out.  (On sheet pans in the oven at 250 degrees for 20 minutes, turn / flip / shake them around, then 15 – 20 minutes more.  Check them after 15 minutes.)  
  • Get out your cans of crushed tomatoes.
  • Pre-measure your crumbled feta. 
  • Slice your red onion.  Then stash it in another baggie in the fridge.  
  • If you are mincing your garlic, go ahead and do that.  I cheat and use the pre-minced garlic from the giant container that I get at Sam’s Club. Would it be better if I minced it fresh?  Probably.  Is it a significant enough difference that absolutely anyone attending is going to notice?  Nope, not a chance.  
  • Mix up your bread pudding, put it in a greased casserole dish, cover it, and store it in the fridge.  

Day Of Timeline

Filed Under: Dinner Parties

Next Post: Shamrock Dinner Party »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Flower arrangement with yellow, white, and orange roses and other yellow, white, and orange flowers

Welcome to the Party!

I'm Lori and this space is my way of sharing my passion for solving the many challenges posed by entertaining for various dietary restrictions.

Join me on my dinner party adventures where I create menus to adapt to special dietary restrictions--my own included. Read more about me and what you can expect to find on The Dinner Party Diaries →

Cat Chaos Corner

Stylized Cat Paw Print

Click on the Paw to see periodic updates on my feline co-workers.

Need Dinner Party Planning Help?

Find Dinner Party Plans, Menus, and Checklists by theme!

Find Recipes that you can scale to handle a dinner party!

Featured Dinner Parties

Feature image for recipe round up of Easter Casseroles and Desserts

Easter Casserole and Dessert Ideas

Feature image for Short On Time Dinner Party Blog Post

Short On Time Dinner Party

Feature image for Laid Back Dinner and Slumber Party

Laid Back Dinner and Slumber Party

More Dinner Parties

Footer

Dinner Parties big or small can be a challenge. Toss in some special dietary needs and your planning needs can grow exponentially.

I'm here to help! Stick with me for some great menus, themes, and pre-done plans!

Join the Party →

Select list(s) to subscribe to


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • About
  • Get In Touch
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Cookie Policy
  • Acceptable Use Policy
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Limit the Use Of My Sensitive Personal Information
  • Personal Culinary Solutions LLC – Corporate Info

Copyright © 2025 Dinner Party Diaries on the Foodie Pro Theme