Dinner Party Menu
Hosting a dinner party is actually one of the best and most common ways you can socialize with your friends and family in order to help you relax after a busy week at work. But you are also on a budget which complicates things. You wanted to hang out with them in some nice restaurant wherein everyone pays for his or her own food.
However, you also need to save money since you got bills to pay and maybe a family to support to. So, you ultimately decide to have a potluck dinner party at home. Keep in mind that even though each one of your invited guests will be making a contribution to the dinner party, you are still acting as the host and as such, must act like one. If you insist on being the one preparing all of the meals because it’s your birthday and would want to do something special for your guests, then go ahead. You may also see sumptuous seafood menu examples.
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Party Preparation Tips
1. Pick a good group
It may be with family, it may even be with friends. Whatever the case, it’s important that the group should mean a lot to you. After all, would you really want to sit down and break bread with your sworn and hated enemy? Of course, you would have to compromise if some of your friends will inform you that they cannot attend the dinner party. When inviting them to the said occasion, a simple phone call or text would suffice. If you want to be more sophisticated, you can always mail them. You may also like examples of lunch menu designs.
2. Ask about allergies ahead of time
Everyone has their food preference. Some might eat less than others while some prefer to eat more. Whatever the case, it is important to understand that everyone has a certain dish that they enjoy. But there are times wherein a person is bound to have some food allergies. When that happens, it is imperative that you ask about them ahead of time to avoid any commotion should the guest accidentally eat it without him or her realizing it. But relax, they would normally tell you ahead of time. You may also check out cafe menu designs.
3. Go with what you know
Yeah, that would be a problem if you do not know a thing or two about cooking. If you are like some people who only know how to prepare packed noodles or cook rice, or cook or boil an egg, then you’re heading to the right direction. But you cannot just prepare that, can you? You have to prepare something at least better than that. If you have the patience and willingness to learn, read some cookbooks or watch some video tutorials on how you can prepare that dish. If not, then just buy some pre-made meals. You might be interested in menu card samples.
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4. Cook smart
Cook smart and be practical. Remember, the ultimate goal of having a dinner party is to make sure everyone is full and satisfied. In short, no one leaves the room hungry. You don’t need to whip up something too fancy or sophisticated. They say simplicity is beauty, after all. Even in tasty food.
5. Check your inventory ahead of time
Depending on the number of guests you are planning to invite, it is important to make sure nothing is lacking when you accommodate the guests to their seats. Double check in advance. If you have noticed that the utensils or plates will not be enough for all, make sure that you take the time to buy them before they arrive. You may also see barbecue menu examples.
6. Be flexible
Things happen. Not everything really goes according to plan. Sometimes, they would inform you ahead of time. Other times, it would be a last-minute cancellation because of some emergency or whatnot. Should that be the case, try to be flexible enough to understand their situation as to why they had cancelled or cannot make it and come up with an alternative or back-up plan if you have already prepared enough food for them. You may also like pasta menu designs and examples.
7. Plan menu items strategically
Prepping for a dinner party isn’t quite the same as tossing together some pasta and veggies on any given weeknight. Plan the menu strategically — avoid a table laden with dishes that require last-minute prep, exotic ingredients (that necessitate multiple grocery store runs), recipes with long prep times, or items that need lots of time in the oven or fridge. It’s OK to have one crazy centerpiece dish, but don’t drive yourself crazy!
8. Do the hard work first
Try to get as much prep work as possible out of the way ahead of time. Look for recipes that include instructions on how to “plan ahead” and mention what can be prepared early. Two easy tricks are to chop veggies the day before the party and to make baked desserts a few days prior to the big event.
9. Clean as you go
Or CLAYGO for short. Do you really want your kitchen to look like a dump? Now that you’re finished preparing the meals for the guests, it’s about time that you started getting ready for the dinner party. Which is why you should clean your workplace first. You’re having guests over for goodness sake do you really want them to see the mess in the house? You may also check out pizza menu samples and examples.
10. Cut yourself some slack
Dude, you have been hard at work preparing and cooking. Come on, cut yourself a bit of slack. If you need help in preparing some of the unfinished work or tasks, you can always delegate some of your buddies to help you out. If you think you can handle it without any help, then by all means, go ahead. Don’t be afraid or hesitant to ask for assistance when you need it. You might be interested in typography menu examples.
11. Delegate like a boss
Ask reliable friends to contribute to the meal by bringing desserts, drinks, or side dishes. If partygoers ask how they can help, there’s no need to be a martyr — put ‘em to work slicing citrus fruit for awesome cocktails, filling water glasses, or doing some other easy task. Don’t make them help you out with the dishes, though — that’s just mean.
12. Start early
Cooking for a large group takes longer than a meal for two, plus there are probably more courses and add-ons to juggle. Give yourself an extra hour or two in the kitchen — just in case!
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13. Set the table the night before
The advantage of setting the table up the night before is that it gives you more time to prepare and cook the food on the day as to preserve its freshness. If you think that you can pre-make some of the meals the night before and just refrigerate them for the following day, then do so. You may also see salad menu samples.
14. Buy extra ice
Drinks are always the last and maybe even the best part of the dinner party, depending on who you actually invited. The night is still young, remember? No one likes their drinks cold. So make sure to get enough ice for all your guests to enjoy their chilled drinks, especially when it’s all guys or sometimes girls. They drink beer or wine too, you know?
15. Get the party started
Now that everything is said and done, it’s time to start the party, right? Woo-hoo! Let’s kick it and rock it. Make sure that you are groomed and dressed properly before anything else. Take a bath if you need to.
16. Choose some sweet tunes
It’s not a dinner party without some music, right? So make sure that your Spotify account is logged and that the speaker is turned on as you fill the room with some dinner and chill music. Be generic in selecting the type of music you will be playing. I am sure that Spotify has some albums there that can most likely fit the mood. You may also like coffee menu examples.
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17. Go easy with the hors d’oeuvres
An overzealous cheese plate means you’ll spend lots of money on something that’s not even dinner and nobody will be hungry for the fabulous meal you made. Limit yourself (and your guests) to one or two options, and don’t keep replenishing the supplies.
18. Dim the lights
For dramatic effect, dim the lights. That always gives it some flair and finesse to the guests. It works. But not all the time. There are some people who prefer to eat in a well-ventilated room. You can always try asking the guests if they prefer the lights dim or not. You might be interested in catering menu examples.
19. Don’t forget about dessert
If there’s no dessert, then it’s not a party either. What better way can you end a party with some cake on your mouth or a cup full of ice cream on your hand? Desserts have to be pre-made ahead of time. The colder, the better.
20. Laugh it off
The most important thing in a dinner party is just to have a good time, nothing else really matters. It’s easy to forget that you’re just having an ordinary dinner party with your friends and you don’t have to be too formal about it. Just be yourself and enjoy the good old days together. You may also check out takeaway menu designs and examples.
We hope you enjoyed browsing through our cool menu designs. Don’t forget to use them for your next party!
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