9 Dinner Party Staples That’ll Make Serving a Cinch

Are you hosting a dinner party but feeling overwhelmed by all the planning? We’ve been there! The good news is that having a dinner party doesn’t need to be complicated or stressful. With our list of dinner party essentials, you’re sure to host a night that will leave all your guests feeling full and happy.

In this post, we’ll go over nine ideas that can make hosting your next dinner party a breeze. We’ll discuss everything from the perfect side dishes to setting the nicest table, plus provide helpful tips on how to ensure your dinner party runs smoothly. So, let’s get started on creating an unforgettable evening!

1. Making the Menu

Before selecting the dishes for your dinner party, it pays off to have a theme in mind. This can be as general as “comfort food” or something more specific such as “Mediterranean.” Having an overarching theme will help you decide on individual dishes and make the whole menu cohesively delicious. It’s also a good idea to check with guests in case anyone has any allergies or dietary restrictions, as this can help shape your menu appropriately.

The main course should be the star of your dinner party menu and so it needs to fit the overall theme you’ve chosen. Look for recipes that will not require too much time and effort but will still impress your guests. Often, roasts or slow cooker meals are easy options for main courses that require only minimal active cooking time yet are still appetizing and filling when served.

Make sure to serve side dishes that pair well with your main course. There are plenty of scrumptious, easy-to-make options if you’re prepared to cook a feast. If you’re looking for some inspiration and to save some time, however, there’s no need to search further than your local grocery store’s prepared food or deli sections. Pick up some sides like mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, and salads that can be quickly heated up and plated right before serving.

2. Shopping Strategically

For even easier meal prep, pre-made ingredients like sauces, dressings, and marinades can make all the difference in the taste of your dinner party spread. These convenient items save you time while infusing a little extra flavor into all of your homemade dishes, simply open up a jar or package. You can also pick up pre-chopped vegetables from your grocery store to reduce your prep time even further!

Of course, while there’s nothing like homemade dishes straight from the oven, pre-made doughs and batters can also help you create delicious homemade treats for your dinner guests with less fuss. Puff pastry dough is great for all kinds of appetizers and desserts, while ready-mix biscuits or pancakes make for easy sides that everyone will love — give them an extra sprinkle of cinnamon before baking for an added kick of flavor!

3. Planning Your Cooking

Even with a slow cooker main course and pre-made sides, the actual prepping and cooking time of your dinner party dishes can be a lot to manage. You’ll want to do some planning ahead to ensure that all your food is ready to be served on time. It’s a good idea to pick up all the ingredients and beverages a day or two before your dinner party, ensuring you have plenty of time to cook and run out for any last-minute items.

On the day before your dinner party, you can plan out what dishes can be cooked and refrigerated ahead of time then decide what you’ll need to prepare in the hours before. Desserts, sides that can be heated up in the oven, and salads are examples of foods that can be cooked a day early. Sauces, the main course, and certain sides may be better prepared the day of, but you’ll need to make sure you allocate enough time to each dish — especially if the oven will be in high demand.

Other ways to make the cooking portion of the dinner party easier and quicker are to prep and chop ingredients beforehand, clean your kitchen ahead of time, and lay out all the cooking utensils and tools you’ll need so they are within reach.

4. Preparing Drinks for the Occasion

Providing drinks is an essential part of any dinner event, so stocking up on some basics like soft drinks, juices, beer, and wine is essential if you don’t want your guests feeling dehydrated throughout their meals! Don’t forget pitchers for wine or water — they can also come in handy when needing an extra pitcher full of ice cubes!

Creating signature cocktails can take a little extra effort when planning your menu and grocery shopping but they really do show your guests that you put lots of thought into their experience at your dinner party. Choose one themed cocktail (maybe one inspired by the theme or what’s on the menu?) that everyone can enjoy but doesn’t involve making individual drinks for each person. For an extra special touch, create recipe cards, too, so your guests can prepare the signature cocktail for themselves at home!

5. Investing in Serving Dishes and Utensils

It pays off to invest in larger pots and pans, especially if they match your existing kitchenware since this allows more people to savor larger portions. Think casserole dishes and large bowls alongside popular items like serving platters and salad tongs. Plus, don’t forget about those ever-useful serving spoons!

Once all the dishes are ready, you can plate them in a couple of ways based on how many people are eating. Generally, plating each item in its own large serving dish works well for buffet-style serving or when a small group is seated around one table. For large dinner parties, pre-portioned plates with starters, mains, and desserts may work well. This makes it easier to track who had what and how much of it was consumed should portions need adjusting next round. This isn’t necessary, however, unless you’re hosting extremely large groups who require individual servings distinct from others sharing similar courses!

6. Setting the Table

To create the right atmosphere at your dinner party table, select plates, cutlery, and glassware that fit with other serving dishes you plan to use as well as the overall theme of your meal. When it comes to cutlery, don’t forget to include an extra serving spoon or two which can come in handy when passing dishes around the table! Besides these practical items, adding small decorations like name cards or small plants or flowers can add to the style of your dinner party without being too tedious to prepare in advance.

Lay out each plate opposite each other in pairs so that all seats are taken care of when guests arrive — one pair for each pair of guests attending the dinner party! To add an extra flair to each place setting, layer cutlery onto each plate along with small bowls for sauces or condiments as needed. Make sure glassware is available for those who prefer drinks with their meals — either match these with existing glasses or give each guest their own personal glass for their preferred drink should they bring one along!

7. Doing Some Simple Decorating

Decorating can help set the atmosphere of your dinner party, but you don’t want to get too focused on its look compared to its taste. In order to keep it practical, opt for decorations that can also double up for other holidays, such as small pumpkins or flowers for the fall season or easter eggs at springtime events.

Candles are always a good idea when setting up any kind of lighting at a dinner party; thoughtfully placed candles can immediately transform any room into an inviting, cozy, and even romantic atmosphere. Adding candles as lighting can also help save energy on regular overhead lighting fixtures, which may also be too bright in comparison!

If you want centerpieces on your tables but don’t have much time then opt for seasonal fruits or flowers arranged into baskets or bowls — these don’t require much assembly or special skills to put together yet still add a touch of beauty and freshness to the dining area!

8. Playing Music

Choosing background music for any occasion is often overlooked yet just as important as all the other parts of the evening as it sets the tone for the night. Find something appropriate (but not overwhelming) like smooth jazz or acoustic covers depending on whatever atmosphere fits best with what’s happening in the room! Don’t forget softer volumes tend to pair better with conversation since louder music may drown out people’s words.

9. Making the Most of Leftovers

Any leftovers from a full course meal are always welcome after long days spent at work; repurposing them into smaller snacks like quesadillas or nachos would be great additions to lunchboxes for days after — just remember to refrigerate anything leftover whenever possible so spoilage isn’t an issue later on!

Conclusion

While there’s a ton of planning and prepping involved, throwing a dinner party should be a fun and memorable experience! There’s nothing like gathering around a table with your loved ones and enjoying a delicious meal together. With these handy tips and tricks, you should be ready to wow your guests by hosting a successful evening packed with scrumptious dishes.