Looking for an elegant French fall dinner party menu that won't leave you cooking while your guests are at the table? This complete autumn menu includes Champagne and gougères, creamy butternut squash soup, French roast chicken with crispy potatoes and apple cinnamon crêpes for dessert. Most of the dishes can be prepared in advance, so you can welcome your guests, pour a glass of wine and enjoy the evening too.
Inspired by the warm, convivial feeling of a neighborhood bistro in France, this menu serves approximately six guests and brings together seasonal flavors of squash, sage, apples and roast chicken.
After living in France for nearly eight years and hosting countless dinners with my French chef husband, Sébastien, I have learned that a memorable French dinner party does not need to be complicated. The key is choosing dishes that can be prepared ahead and served simply.
Below you'll find the complete menu, wine pairings and a simple preparation timeline.
If you are looking for Fall recipe inspiration please also check out 30 French Fall Recipes
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TL;DR
- What is it? More than a single recipe, this is a complete French dinner party menu inspired by the flavors of autumn. The menu showcases seasonal ingredients like squash, apples, mushrooms, and fresh herbs, with each course chosen to create a balanced and memorable dining experience from apéritif to dessert.
- How you'll make it? Most of this menu can be made in advance which means a more enjoyable evening for you as the host.
- Why you will love it? Simple recipes for a novice cook that will be impressive on the table.
- Difficulty: Easy to Intermediate (designed for relaxed entertaining with many make-ahead components)
An Easy French Fall Dinner Party Menu
- Apéritif: Champagne and gougères
- Starter: Creamy butternut squash soup with crispy sage
- Bread: Homemade French baguette
- Main course: French roast chicken with crispy potatoes
- Dessert: Apple cinnamon crêpes with whipped cream, a spin on my classic French Crêpes recipe
- Wine pairing: Champagne, Provençal rosé or Pinot Noir
The temperature dips, leaves start to fall and my dining tastes switch from outdoor BBQs and salads to warm, comforting meals served on nice tableware. The flicker of candlelight, the smell of something delicious coming from the kitchen and soft music in the air. I long for the cozy feel of a neighborhood French Bistro but as I won't be traveling to France soon, I paired up with my friend, Cheryl Norris of Bakes by Brown Sugar to create a French Fall Dinner Party Menu that you can make at home.
Cheryl lives in Portland, Oregon and we have become blogger friends. She is an engineer by day, home baker by night. What I love about her blog is that she writes to beginner bakers and her recipes are truly fail-proof. I make her no-fail shortbread cookie recipe every holiday and her sour cream banana bread is a classic recipe in our house!
Tips for a Successful French Fall Menu Dinner Party:
Prepare in advance
Choose recipes that you can make well before your guests arrive. The last thing you want to be doing is fussing over the kitchen stove while your friends are at the table. This menu is full of dishes that you can prepare in advance so that you are cool and collected throughout your Bistro Soirée.
Set the Stage
A good restaurant ambiance is all about theatrics. A half hour before the guests are set to arrive, prepare the "stage". Dim the lights. Ask Alexa or Siri to play French Bistro music (yes, she can!). No need for room spray or any other scents - the waft from the oven is appetizing enough! Finish setting the table so that it looks inviting. I love to add a branch of rosemary or lavender to my place settings. It is a little French touch that guests appreciate.
Serve an Apéritif
Help your guests transition from the world outside into the comfort of your home. The French tradition of L'apéro is a great way to start off a dinner party. Guests chat and linger, working up an appetite. Cheryl's Gougères recipe is light yet fragrant and delicious and will have guests excited about the meal to come! Serve with a crisp dry sparkling wine (Champagne, for example!) to start the evening with a twinkle.
Don't wait too long to serve the first course
In France, a practice is to serve the first course an hour to an hour and a half after your guests arrive. In North America where we tend to eat much earlier, I would aim for about 30-45 minutes after the start time.
This creamy butternut squash soup with crispy sage is a great appetizer for a Fall dinner menu. It is super simple to make and can be prepared a day in advance and reheated to serve. The crispy sage garnish is made in the microwave (the best Chef's tip ever!) and can be prepared before guests arrive so that you are not scrambling in the kitchen to serve the first course.
Serve with a freshly baked French Baguette (this recipe can be made in two hours for complete beginner bakers) and guests will be mopping up the bottom of their bowls to get every last bite.
Keep the Main Course Simple
By now, conversation is flowing and your guests are enjoying themselves. Nothing makes a dinner party fall flat quicker than when the host excuses themselves to spend an hour in the kitchen trying to cook, à la minute, a fancy dish with multiple components. My go-to has always been this French Roast Chicken Recipe as it can be put in the oven and hour before the guests arrive and will be ready to serve by the time you are ready for the main course. Place the potatoes directly in the roasting pan and you have a complete dish that your guests will truly enjoy with minimal effort. Plus, the smell of the chicken roasting is incredible!!
Main Course Variations and Alternatives
Duck Magret with Apples and Squash
Duck Magret with Figs and Eggplant
Pork Tenderloin with roast apples
What to Make Ahead
The day before
- Prepare the butternut squash soup.
- Make the crêpes and refrigerate them.
- Cook the apple filling.
- Bake or purchase the baguette.
- Chill the Champagne and wine.
The morning of the dinner
- Set the table.
- Arrange the serving dishes.
- Prepare the gougères, if making them from scratch.
One hour before guests arrive
- Put the chicken and potatoes in the oven.
- Reheat the soup gently.
- Dim the lights, light the candles and start the music.
Before dessert
- Warm the covered crêpes in a 175°F oven.
- Reheat the apple filling.
- Add whipped cream and powdered sugar just before serving.
I wrote a whole article on the French Dinner Party timeline which you will enjoy.
How to Serve Roast Chicken
I recommend serving family style by bringing the entire platter to the table and carving it in front of your guests. This is so interactive and fun. If you are not an expert at carving, make light of the situation - surely someone will hop up to help you! If you carve the chicken in the kitchen make sure you present the dish to your guests before you start making the plates. A whole roast chicken always gets "ooohs" and "ahhhs"! Plan on serving a whole breast or a leg to each guest (ask for their preference). Wings go to those who want them!
I like to pair roast chicken with a Provençal Rosé wine or light, fruity red such as a Pinot Noir.
Leave a lasting impression
Your guests will remember the dessert! It is the last thing that they will eat before leaving. Cheryl created a showstopper Cinnamon Apple Crêpes dessert that will have everyone asking for seconds. My tip would be to make the crêpes and the apple topping in advance. The crêpes can be reheated in the oven at 175 degrees for 10 minutes (cover with tinfoil so they don't dry out) and the apple topping can be reheated in a sauce pan just before serving. Simply top with whipped cream and powdered sugar when you are ready to serve. Voilà!
Please let me know if you make this French Fall Dinner Party Menu. Cheryl and I had so much fun working on this together!
You might also like the following menus:
Romantic French Date Night Menu
What other menus would you like to see?
FAQ
A French fall dinner party can begin with an apéritif and gougères, followed by a seasonal soup, roast chicken with potatoes and an apple dessert. Choose dishes that can be made ahead and served family-style.
A traditional French dinner may include an apéritif, starter, main course, cheese, dessert and coffee. For relaxed entertaining at home, an apéritif followed by three courses is plenty.
The butternut squash soup, crêpes and apple filling can all be prepared the day before. You can also set the table, select your serving dishes and chill the wine in advance.
French roast chicken pairs well with Provençal rosé, Pinot Noir or a lightly oaked Chardonnay. Champagne is a natural choice with the gougères served during the apéritif.
Yes. Serve a small selection of two or three cheeses after the main course and before dessert. Brie, Comté and a mild blue cheese would work well with this autumn menu. I wrote an entire article on the art of the French Cheese Platter here.
Au plaisir mes amis,
Le Chefs Wife
Le Chef's Wife
ABOUT LE CHEF'S WIFE
Bonjour! I am Anina Belle. I translate the fancy cooking of my Michelin-star trained French Chef Husband, Le Chef, into easy to make dishes that busy people with no culinary training (like me!) can make at home. We have two young kids (8 and 6) and I work full time in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that even busy people deserve to eat well at home.
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Claire Bennett says
I loved this menu! Everything looks so cozy and perfect for a fall dinner with friends. Definitely saving this one!
Meredith says
Ahhhh!!! I feel the fall, cozy, companionable setting just reading this! Can't to make the roast chicken, especially. Thank you!
Laurent says
Could you please come and cook this for us?
lechefswife says
I can't wait!
Suzanne says
Ça a vraiment l’air délicieux!