8 Tips for an Easy Dinner Party

One goal I wanted to have in the new year was to host more dinner parties with friends. Whether you are hosting people for an event or just for fun, there are a few ways to make the process of hosting much easier.

1. Prep in advance

This may seem obvious but it might be the easiest way to make your dinner party go smoothly. Even though your guest know you will be cooking, it’s nice to have a decent amount of things prepped and measured. This way you can still enjoy the company while you put things together. A few things to prep in advance are any dressing or sauces you will need. If you can make something that you just need to throw in the oven when your guest arrives, that works great. Prep your salad and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to eat.

2. Ask guests to bring something

Even if you are hosting, asking guests to bring something is a fun way to get everyone involved and it makes it so much easier on you. If you are making the main meal ask your guest to bring a dessert, a side, or drinks.

3. Pick out your plates and serveware

Have your plates, bowls, or serving trays set out. That way when you are ready to serve dinner you aren’t looking everywhere for these items. It also makes it easier if someone is helping you out. They don’t need to search through all your cabinets to find what you need.

4. Clean out your fridge

Often guest bring drinks or side dishes with them. If they have something that needs to be chilled make sure there is room in the fridge. Just clean out a small section of your fridge so this isn’t something you need to do when the guest arrive.

5. Empty your dishwasher

Having an empty dishwasher will make clean up so much faster. Whether you clean up yourself or your company helps. If the dishwasher is empty you can just throw everything in when you are done.

6. Have a playlist ready

If you want to have background noise or music, have a playlist ready so you don’t have to figure out what to put on while people are there.

7. Make is casual

It doesn’t always need to be a fancy event or a perfectly planned meal to have a dinner party. You can even order food in if that makes it easier. It’s all about spending time with others.

8. Get guests involved

Depending on the type of dinner party it can be fun to get your guests involved. That can be helping roll out fresh pasta shapes, mixing their own cocktails, or topping up their own pizzas. This can be a fun way for everyone to get what they want and have something to do while you are cooking as well.

There are so many fun ways to throw dinner parties. The main thing to remember is have something prepped, ask for help, and enjoy time with your friends and family.

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