When it comes to hosting dinners at your home, this can be both a stressful and an exciting time. You’ve chosen to have all of your good friends or family members over for a fun night, but you might be worried that you’re not doing everything possible to make it unforgettable. Be sure to keep the below tips in mind when you are wanting to make sure that the night is one that’s going to stick with them forever!
1. Pick A Good Group of People
The first thing that you need to think about is who you’re going to be inviting to the dinner. You don’t want things to get awkward, so be sure to stick with your close friends who all know each other. That way, things can be super fun right away and you don’t have to do any awkward introductions. Plus, you can think about throwing in a wild card who can spice up the party!
2. Ask About Allergies
Be sure to ask everyone about any allergies that they have. When you’re preparing or buying food for the dinner, it’s important that you don’t have any foods that are going to set off an allergic reaction. That definitely wouldn’t be great for a dinner!
3. Just Go with What You Know
If you are going to be doing all of the cooking for the party, then just go with what you know in terms of dishes. Try to focus on making party-sized dishes of the recipes that you’ve made before. That way, you can be assured that they are going to be great and you don’t have to hope for the best when your guests start eating.
4. Cook Smart
If you don’t want to go crazy when cooking for a big dinner, don’t go with dishes that require constant attention or stirring or are just overly complicated. Try to go with recipes that have the least work necessary and are pretty easy to cook.
5. Be Sure to Check Your Inventory
Before the party starts, make sure that have everything on-hand that you need to make the dinner amazing! You definitely don’t want to head out in the middle of the dinner because you didn’t have enough plates for everyone.
6. Don’t Forget to Be Flexible
Of course, you never know what’s going to happen during a dinner party with your close friends. So, don’t be so uptight about everything and be flexible in case any major changes need to be made. This is the fun part about dinners with your friends!
7. Plan Out Menu Items with A Strategy in Mind
Be sure to think about what menu items you’re going to have for dinner with a strategy in mind. If a dish requires a super long time to cook or you have to go across town to get it, like caviar, but your party starts in an hour, then maybe it’s not a good idea to go with that menu item.
8. Do All the Hard Work First
If you are going to have an intensive recipe, then try to get all of the prep work done first. For example, you can cut up all of the fruits and veggies the night before so you’re ready for whatever recipe needs them that you’re going to make right before the party.
9. Clean Up as You Go
And of course, you don’t want a big mess to be making you frustrated while you’re prepping for the dinner. Make sure to clean up as you go about prepping and you’ll be a whole lot calmer. Well, as calm as you can be under this pressure!
10. Be Sure to Delegate
Of course, you shouldn’t have to do all of this alone! If you have friends or family members who want to help out with all of this prep, then don’t be afraid to delegate! They are there to help and would be happy to lend you a helping hand if you need one.
And there you have it! Each of these points are going to be a life-saver when it comes to making sure that your dinner party is an unforgettable.