~ 104 unique themes ~
Hosting your own Cooking Club, or throwing a dinner party? Planning the menu can be the most fun part – but challenging too! Here are some theme ideas to get you started… Do you have a great theme to contribute? Leave a comment!
Alphabetical:
All About the Vessel (Amy P.)
American Regional
Appetizers (Amy P.)
Apples (Amy P.)
Are you Chicken?? (Page D.)
Assigned Ingredients (Teha K.)
Back to Basics: Cooking Techniques
Big Phat Greek Menu (Teha K.)
“Black Thai” Oscar Night (Teha K.)
Brunch (Emily L.)
Cajun/Louisiana (Josie M.)
Casual Summer Dishes (Jenny S.)
Catalonia (Melissa D.)
Charleston/Low Country Cooking (Jenny S.)
Cinco de Mayo (Jenny S.)
Citrus (Sarah C.)
Clean Eats (Page D.)
Comfort Foods (Josie M.)
Cookies and Appetizers (Lana P.)
Cooking Club Meets 20th Century American Literature (Lana P.)
Cuatro du Octobre (Jenny S.)
Decade Dishes
Desserts from Marthastewart.com (Sarah C.)
Dim Sum (Emily L.)
Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Beautiful (Teha K.)
Easter Lunch (Josie M.)
Eat Your Veggies (and Other Healthier Stuff) (Amy P.)
Fall (Jenny S.)
Fall Appetizers (Jenny S.)
Fall: Apples, Sweet Potatoes, and Pumpkins (Josie M. & Amy P.)
Farmer’s Market: Rainbow
Featured Ingredients (Page D.)
February Snow Day: What’s in YOUR Freezer?
Finger Foods (Jenny S.)
Food on a Stick (Josie M.)
Geek Out with Greek Yogurt (Allison D.)
German (Page D.)
Ginger (Sarah C.)
Glamping (Amy P.)
Going Green (Amy P.)
Greek (Emily L., Josie M.)
Green Eggs and Ham (Crazy, Trendy, Healthy Ingredients) (Amy P.)
Grilling (Josie M.; Amy P.)
Hanukkah
Happy Halloween! (Sarah C.)
Hawaiian Luau
Healthier Comfort Foods
High Tea (Sarah C., Emily L.)
Holiday, New Year, and New Beginnings (Emily L.)
Holiday Sweets to be Passed Down (Anna S.)
Holiday Treat (Cookie) Exchange (Sarah C.)
Holiday Wine & Cheese Pairings
Honey (Josie M.)
Impromptu Dinner (Melissa D.)
Indian & Pakistani (Melissa D.)
Italian (Jenny S.)
It Freezes Beautifully (Sarah C.)
It’s Alive! Fermentation and Fermented Foods (Anna S.)
Japanese (Sarah C.)
Korean (Page D.)
Light Spring Dishes (Sarah C.)
Love Edibly (Lana P.)
Mediterranean Tapas (Teha K.)
Meet the Instant Pot (Allison D.)
Mexican (Teha K.)
Mexican Fiesta (Jenny S.)
MexiFALL (Jenny S.)
Mood Foods (Amy P.)
Natural Disasters (Emily L.)
New Year’s Foods (Melissa D.)
Night at the Spa (Page D.)
Nostalgia: A Fresh Take on our Very First Menu (Sarah C.)
October’s Farmer Market Delights (Emily L.)
Pies (Sarah C.)
Pizza (Sarah C.)
Pumpkin (Teha K.)
Recipes from Bev (Page D.)
Recipes by Pati Jinich (Emily L.)
Silk Road Party Buffet (Melissa D.)
Soup & Appetizers (Josie M.)
Soup’s On
Southern (Josie M.)
Southwestern (Teha K.)
Spanish Tapas
Spring Awakening! (Emily L.)
Springtime Street Food Festival
Summer Dishes (Sarah C.)
Summer Picnic (Emily L.)
Summer Salads
Superbowl Sunday Pre-Game Brunch (Teha K.)
Tailgating (Josie M.)
Take a Step Back in Time (Page D.)
Tastes of D.C.
Thai
Thanksgiving (Amy P.)
Thanksgiving Inspiration (Sarah C.)
Tried and True Favorites (Allison D.)
Tuscan Cooking Club (Jenny S.)
Vegetarian (Sarah C.)
Vietnamese (Lana P.)
What is your New Year’s Resolution? (Amy P.)
What to Eat When I Grow Up (More Adult Versions of Childhood Favorites) (Lana P.)
Where in the World (…is Lana’s Job Sending Her for Work)? (Lana P.)
Winter
American Cuisines:
American Regional
Cajun/Louisiana (Josie M.)
Charleston/Low Country Cooking (Jenny S.)
Hawaiian Luau
Southern (Josie M.)
Southwestern (Teha K.)
Ethnic and Regional Cuisines:
Big Phat Greek Menu (Teha K.)
“Black Thai” Oscar Night (Teha K.)
Catalonia (Melissa D.)
Cinco de Mayo (Jenny S.)
Dim Sum (Emily L.)
German (Page D.)
Greek (Emily L., Josie M.)
Indian & Pakistani (Melissa D.)
Italian (Jenny S.)
Japanese (Sarah C.)
Korean (Page D.)
Mediterranean Tapas (Teha K.)
Mexican (Teha K.)
Mexican Fiesta (Jenny S.)
MexiFALL (Jenny S.)
Recipes by Pati Jinich (Emily L.)
Silk road Party Buffet (Melissa D.)
Spanish Tapas
Springtime Street Food Festival
Tastes of D.C.
Thai
Tuscan Cooking Club (Jenny S.)
Vietnamese (Lana P.)
Where in the World (…is Lana’s Job Sending Her for Work)? (Lana P.)
Holidays:
Cinco de Mayo (Jenny S.)
Easter Lunch (Josie M.)
Hanukkah
Happy Halloween! (Sarah C.)
Holiday, New Year, and New Beginnings (Emily L.)
Holiday Sweets to be Passed Down (Anna)
Holiday Treat (Cookie) Exchange (Sarah C.)
Holiday Wine & Cheese Pairings
New Year’s Foods (Melissa D.)
Superbowl Sunday Pre-Game Brunch (Teha K.)
Thanksgiving (Amy P.)
Thanksgiving Inspiration (Sarah C.)
What is your New Year’s Resolution? (Amy P.)
Ingredient-Based:
Apples (Amy P.)
Are You Chicken?? (Page D.)
Assigned Ingredients (Teha K.)
Citrus (Sarah C.)
Eat Your Veggies (and Other Healthier Stuff) (Amy P.)
Fall: Apples, Sweet Potatoes, and Pumpkins (Josie M. & Amy P.)
Featured Ingredients (Page D.)
Geek Out with Greek Yogurt (Allison D.)
Ginger (Sarah C.)
Green Eggs and Ham (Crazy, Trendy, Healthy Ingredients) (Amy P.)
Honey (Josie M.)
It’s Alive! Fermentation and Fermented Foods (Anna S.)
Pumpkin (Teha K.)
Vegetarian (Sarah C.)
Seasonal:
Casual Summer Dishes (Jenny S.)
Fall (Jenny S.)
Fall Appetizers (Jenny S.)
Fall: Apples, Sweet Potatoes, and Pumpkins (Josie M.)
Farmer’s Market: Rainbow
February Snow Day: What’s in YOUR Freezer?
Light Spring Dishes (Sarah C.)
MexiFALL (Jenny S.)
October’s Farmer Market Delights (Emily L.)
Spring Awakening! (Emily L.)
Summer Dishes (Sarah C.)
Summer Picnic (Emily L.)
Summer Salads
Winter
Misc:
All About the Vessel (Amy P.)
Appetizers (Amy P.)
Back to Basics: Cooking Techniques
Brunch (Emily L.)
Clean Eats (Page D.)
Comfort Foods (Josie M.)
Cooking Club Meets 20th Century American Literature (Lana P.)
Cookies and Appetizers (Lana P.)
Cuatro du Octobre (Jenny S.)
Decade Dishes
Desserts from Marthastewart.com (Sarah C.)
Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Beautiful (Teha K.)
Farmer’s Market: Rainbow
Finger Foods (Jenny S.)
Food on a Stick (Josie M.)
Glamping (Amy P.)
Going Green (Amy P.)
Grilling (Josie M.; Amy P.)
Healthier Comfort Foods
High Tea (Sarah C., Emily L.)
Impromptu Dinner (Melissa D.)
It Freezes Beautifully (Sarah C.)
Love Edibly (Lana P.)
Meet the Instant Pot (Allison D.)
Mood Foods (Amy P.)
Natural Disasters (Emily L.)
Night at the Spa (Page D.)
Nostalgia: A Fresh Take on our Very First Menu (Sarah C.)
Pies (Sarah C.)
Pizza (Sarah C.)
Recipes from Bev (Page D.)
Soup & Appetizers (Josie M.)
Soup’s On
Tailgating (Josie M.)
Take a Step Back in Time (Page D.)
Tried and True Favorites (Allison D.)
What to Eat When I Grow Up (More Adult Versions of Childhood Favorites) (Lana P.)
Themes are attributed to the hostess who created them. Themes with no attributed names are my own.
I host a monthly dinner club it is always a taste of (that months theme) and everyone brings a dish in the theme. we have done a taste of – gluten free, vegetarian, pescatarian, comfort foods, asian,Latino,carribbean, luau, African, Europe, moms cooking, where folks had to bring a Dish their mom made for them as a child, Texas, patriotic tastes where everyone dish had to have red, white and blue in it, Mardi Gras, 5 ingredients, a taste of your name where everyone brought a recipe that started with the initial of their first name, holiday tastes where we provided the turkey and ham and everyone brings the sides and desserts, easter where everyone brought a dish that was traditionally made only at easter from Anywhere in the world. It is very popular. Will probably steal some of your themes off this thanks for sharing.
I recently hosted a cooking party with the theme, “Peaceful Foods.” Members had to bring something from one of Forbes’ top 10 most peaceful countries. It was opposite another theme of “Dangerous Foods,” from the world’s most dangerous countries. Both parties were amazing!
Mind. Blown. How creative and fun, Niki! Thanks for sharing.