The concept of getting all of your friends together for an evening at your home is one that can seem like a fantastic idea. While hosting a dinner party can be a whole lot of fun, planning a party can also be somewhat stressful if you don’t plan properly for it. However, if you take the time to plan carefully, then a dinner party can be simple with the right combination of delicious food, stimulating conversation, and lots of fun. These great dinner party ideas will have you feeling like a pro in no time.

The question is, of course, what does it take to plan a dinner party that is looks like you invested a lot of time. Do you want it to be enjoyable for your guests, but is quick and easy to prepare and host? To help you ensure that you’re able to plan the most enjoyable and free of stress gathering possible, below are a few useful tips, ideas and guidelines to take note of and consider, to help you to throw an amazing dinner party without any of the stress. 

Hosting an awesome dinner party

Think About The People You Will Invite 

When it comes to who you should invite to your dinner party, it’s important to think carefully about the group of people who you invite. You want to select people who you know get along or who will get along once they’ve met. If you’re going to invite a ‘wildcard’ invitee, make sure to select someone who is likely to be able to mingle with everyone else, and won’t make things uncomfortable or unenjoyable. For instance, if you’ve invited all couples with kids, inviting someone who is single, younger, and has no kids, probably isn’t going to be a good fit. Be mindful of who you invite, to ensure that everyone has a nice time. If you believe that one friend won’t fit in with everyone else, it might be best to leave them off the guest list. 

Additionally, the people you invite will make or break your party. If you don’t drink alcohol, having a guest that constantly is complaining because you aren’t serving drinks, will put a damper on everyone else’s fun.

Dinner Table with candles

When Planning a Dinner Party, Be Sensitive to Food Allergies

Don’t make the mistake of failing to think about food allergies. Allergies aren’t fun, and for the people living with them, they can be extremely stressful and daunting, which is why taking the time to check about food allergies beforehand is so important. Most guests with food allergies will let you know themselves, however, it’s always best to check. If someone has an allergy, aim to create dishes that are free from that allergen to help avoid any cross-contamination issues. 

If you are inviting more than 10 people, you are bound to have at least one guest with dairy intolerance and another that has to be gluten-free. Keep this in mind when planning the menu. If everything you are making is full of butter, milk, cheese, or whipped cream, take a good look at your menu.

Another thing to think about is charcuterie boards. While they are beautiful, there is so much cross-contamination between foods that it is hard for anyone with a food sensitivity to eat.

Have Your Menu Planned Out

Often, guests will offer to bring a little something along to your dinner party. Instead of just telling the guest to bring whatever they would like, ask each guest to bring something different.

If you have your menu planned out, you can designate food items for the guests to bring. I usually write out appetizers, main dishes, salads, side dishes and desserts. For one party, I had guests bring appetizers, and for another I selected desserts. This is a great way to have items you wouldn’t normally make. Plus it makes it great for the guests to highlight their favorite dish.

Another way to assign food items is to write a list of all the extras that would be helpful. Then assign one to each guest. Or, alternatively, opt to ask each guest to bring their favorite beverage.

Another option is to go down the ‘pot luck’ route. Ask each guest to bring a dish that they love. Just make sure that everyone is able to confidently cater to any allergies. 

Dinner table setting plate with white rose

Make The Menu Easy & Fun

The key to dinner party success is simple: make dining as easy as possible. The last thing that you want is to struggle in the kitchen all night while your guests sit around without you. That’s why it’s so important to opt for easy dining options.

This means thinking about serving foods that you can easily prepare beforehand and simply need to heat up to serve. Self-serve options, such as relish trays – which you can read how to create in this guide – are a great choice. They’re simple to set up and your guests are able to help themselves.

Any meals that you can cook in a slow cooker are another good option to consider. Slow cookers and instant-pots make preparing for your dinner party even easier. 

Make Your Signature Items

I personally have a few standard party items that I prepare that are quick and easy. I make a great cheesy potato casserole that my guests always love. Plus I make them gluten-free! I also make some really great salads that guests just love. However, I rarely make these items for anything but parties. I don’t get tired of making them, and my guests really look forward to them.

Whatever you do, don’t make the mistake of attempting to make a brand new dish for your dinner party. If you want to try a new recipe, make sure that you’ve made it before. You don’t want your guests to be “guinea pigs” for your experiments.

Alternatively, make sure to stick to what you know. When it comes to each course that you serve, aim to offer dishes that you’ve been making for years, and feel confident preparing and cooking. 

There you have it, everything that you should know about planning a dinner party that’s quick, easy, and free of stress. Hopefully, the guide above will help you to plan the perfect dinner party without any of the worries or stress. 

Planning a Quick and Easy Dinner Party

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