How to Host a Casual Dinner at Home
Hosting can feel overwhelming because we often do not feel that our home is ready to welcome guest. However, most friends and guest are just glad that they are invited and don't have to cook an entire meal by themselves. Hosting a dinner party is doable, even in a small space! Even if you have never hosted dinner parties before, and this is your first dinner party, you can do it. You will find that most dinner parties, even formal dinner parties, take the same type of planning with just a few tweaks depending on the special occasion.
Considerations to Think about as you plan.
1. What time of year is it?
Do you want an outdoor setting when the weather is nice? Or do you need to have it inside because it is freezing out.
2. What day of the week are you planning for?
Is this a weeknight event that means you will go to work the next day and will not have a lot of time to prepare and clean up? Or is this a weekend dinner that gives you more time to prepare and clean up afterwards? Honestly, whenever it is convenient for you the host is great time to host a dinner in your home.
3. What do you have space for?
Knowing how many you can comfortable fit in your home is going to be a key factor when creating your guest list. Whether or not you have a group of old friends or new friends you want to make sure you can fit everyone around a table or at least in the same space. The number of guests you have will help you determine your dinner party menu.
Planning the Menu
I always tend to plan a menu with a few things in mind. The core elements of a menu are the same no matter what the different themes I decide on.
1. Main Course
2. Two side dishes
3. Salad
4. Bread
5. Dessert
6. Beverage
Let's look at a few of these more closely.
Main Course
The main course is usually a meat or vegetarian dish that serves as the anchor for the meal. For example, you can serve enchiladas as your main course because it will be the largest portion to be served during the dinner party. When you pick your main course first it is easier to plan your side dishes that will pair well.
The main course of a causal dinner party at your home does not have to be something you get from a professional caterer, it can be a dish you have been making for years. And those are typically the best, since you are comfortable making it and are familiar with how it looks at tastes.
**TIP: make a list of your favorite recipes and keep them in a place to reference so that you can pull one of them together for a casual dinner party. This could be on Pinterest, in the notes on your phone, or make a folder you can place your printed recipes. This will make it easy to create a grocery list for your menu.
There is no need to re-create the wheel when it comes to your recipes. Use what you love! Most of the time your close friends and family are going to enjoy the same thing too!
Side Dishes
Choose two, sometimes three side dishes. Typically this is a vegetable or a starch like rice, pasta, or potatoes. It can be whatever you like but I recommend balancing what you chose for the main dish with your side.
Is your main dish heavy on the cheese? Then try to pick something that is going to be a little lighter and another flavor other than cheese. This could mean picking two or three vegetable dishes to serve, or offering a bag of potato chips to pair with the main dish. Just go with complimentary dishes that do not have the same flavor. People like variety when they eat.
This helps balance the meal if your guest does not like the main course or the other side dishes you have chosen. They may have dietary restrictions that keep them from eating one of the offerings you have on your menu.
TIP: It's a good idea to ask your guest before hand if they have dietary restrictions or food allergies so you can plan ahead of time, but that is not always possible. Also, do not get your feelings hurt if one of your guest does not like one of the menu items. Everyone likes different things, and maybe they want more of one thing so they skip one of your sides. Just remember, a dinner party is about enjoying your time with your guests.
Salad
I recommend for most dinner party menus that you place a salad on the menu. Even a simple salad can add a sense of sensibility to the menu. If you are serving pizza add a salad. It will help many people feel like they aren't just eating something indulgent for dinner. The salad will be something they can enjoy with a offering of salad dressings that will give will make them feel like the meal is balanced.
TIP: It's also a great opportunity to try out different salads, as these are hard to mess up. Salads are typically easy to make and a new recipe won't ruin the night if the salad taste bad. So try the new recipes! It won't be a big deal if you mess it up.
Bread
The bread part of the menu isn't always something you have to include. Look at your dinner party menu and decide if it complements the other dishes.
What is helpful about adding bread to the menu is that it is filling. If you are planning casual dinners at your home for a large groups you will likely want some sort of bread, or starch, to help stretch the menu. Most of the time if guest add bread to their plate they are less likely to have a larger portion of the main dish or sides.
This means you can have a little peace of mind when serving a larger group, knowing that they will be full, even with moderate to smaller portions.
TIP: Offering bread helps parents with little ones that may be picky eaters. Often times a small child will start with bread and get full so that they are not having a blood sugar crash during dinner. I like recommend always having something like a bread, chip, or simple carbohydrate like rice, potatoes, or pasta to help keep the children full!
Dessert
Dessert is optional but I like to plan one for even the most casual of dinners. A dessert helps celebrate the occasion. It gives your guest the feeling that you find their visit in their home is special.
Which, ultimately, it is special! You have friends! When you have friends that will come to your home to share a meal this is a blessing for you and them.
Go ahead and put dessert on the menu. It can be something simple and store bought, or something that you know your guest will love. Dessert is a great way to finish a good meal and move into your next activity or just linger and chat for the rest of the evening.
Beverages
A casual dinner party does not have to be something that is a lot of work. So when planning your beverages, plan something that is easy to replace if you run low, and can be made before hand if need be.
Water and tea are a great option for the casual party. If you have children and want to have something a little more special, consider non-alcoholic beverages like a punch, lemonade, or soda. Kids love having a special drink that makes them feel special, so think about what you can prep for everyone that kids can take part in.
TIP: After dinner, if it is the right time, offer your guest coffee with their dessert. Coffee is a great option to provide when the meal is finished because it allows your guest to feel as though they can linger while they sip on their coffee. Keep decaf coffee on hand so you can make a quick pot while guest finish their meal. It also is a another way to provide non-alcoholic drinks that all your guest will love to have.
The Dinner Table
When you are planning your dinner and you have all the menu and food settles, the next thing to think about is your table setting. A casual dinner is just that, casual. So don't feel pressured to feel like you should be a professional event planner and make your table look like you spent hours and lots of money decorating.
Look at your available space and make a plan. Use your kitchen table. Clear off the clutter if there is anything, and add simple white plates, some grocery store flowers, and make it as clean, neat and tidy as you can.
I recommend using a simple sturdy white paper plate for casual dinners. If this were a formal dinner I would recommend something other than paper, but your guest aren't going to mind a paper plate. Keep a simple white plate on hand means you can always be ready for even the most last minute dinner guests.
Along with paper plates, use plastic cutlery if you feel the meal can handle the light weight fork and knives. There will be meals where this is ok to use, but other meals where the food items will need a real spoon, knife, or fork. Soup is one for example. I like to serve it with real spoons since plastic ones can be small and make eating soup require more effort.
Table linens are a great way to add color to your table, but they aren't necessary for a casual dinner. However, they will help with easy clean up if you have table cloth on your tables. Instead of having to wipe down a table you can simply toss the table cloth into the washer to clean up.
Because this is a causal dinner party in your home, think about serving buffet style? It keeps big dishes off the table and you can leave items in the crockpot or on the warmer for seconds. Another option is to set the table with place settings. Put the plate, napkin, and cutlery at each seat. Then serve family style passing dishes of food around the table to your guest. I like both ways, but have found the buffet line works great for large crowds and family gatherings.
Often time the table's look is going to be enhanced with small things like votive candles, simple colorful flowers, dim lighting, or possibly string lights if it's outdoors. Delicious food is going to be the star of the table, so don't over think it.
The Day of Your Dinner Party
The day of your dinner party make sure you give yourself enough time to prepare your food items, set your table, and check in on your guest restroom.
The day of your party I recommend starting with dessert and getting it prepped and set aside. This can sometimes involves baking time, so starting there and making it your first thing ensures your will have it done. This can also be done the day or to before depending on what you choose as your desert item.
Then I would recommend reviewing your recipes and planning back out from your dinner time. Planning backwards will let you know what first things you need to accomplish and then work toward the last thing that needs to be ready right as dinner is served. Write it down or put your recipes in order of first to last and work through them. You may find this all takes just an hour to prepare, or you may see that you need more time to allow something to marinate.
Be mindful of the guests time as they may have sitter and cannot stay but for a few hours and you would hate to have them waiting for something to finish cooking.
These simple steps of planning your dinner prep backwards from serving time is going to help you create the perfect dinner party for you and your guest in your home.
You do not have to clean your entire house on the bid day of your dinner party, but I recommend just tidying up clutter and looking at your guest restroom. Make sure you have a stock of toilet paper, hand soap and a clean towel. Also, make sure your toilet bowl is clean and ready for use. All of these little things are going to help you feel confident in your hosting.
Hosting a causal dinner party is a great way to get to know people better and reconnect with friends and family. It's doable and can be enjoyed.