The holiday season provides the opportunity to get together with friends and family over delicious food and exciting drinks. However, hosting can be stressful sometimes and it can be hard to enjoy your own holiday party and be a gracious host at the same time. Holiday hosting can be a breeze. Here are my opinions on how to get it done in a flash.
If possible, I invite my guests at least two weeks before the party. It gives them enough time to respond and I don't feel guilty if I have to follow up with them the week of. It also gives me enough time to get to know my guests preferences and tailor my menu accordingly.
If my dinner party is on a Saturday, I typically finalize the menu by Sunday of that week to leave myself enough time to shop for the ingredients and arrange for any last minute contingencies. There's usually something that comes up last minute so expecting it makes it easier for me to tackle it.
For appetizers, I love to serve something handheld that can be eaten in one bite. Preferably, the components can be prepped ahead of time and served at room temperature or cold. If the dish is easy to eat with your hands, it means I can serve these to the guests while they're standing around mingling with the other guests, perhaps with a drink in hand that I'd batched that morning.
For the main course, I usually pick something that can be reheated or finished in under an hour. Think of hearty stews cooked low and slow or casseroles that can be assembled ahead of time and cooked when the guests arrive. A pasta dish like lasagna is also a spectacular option because it's a crowd-pleaser, it's special and it can be assembled ahead of time. I try to pick a dish that is impressive but easy to put together. That way, it still wows my guests but I have to do very little on the day of the dinner party.
For dessert, I pick something that can be made the day before and is served chilled or at room temperature. My go-to is a saffron scented no bake cheesecake with a pistachio crumble or a tiramisu. The flavors develop more depth as they sit in the fridge. A rich, airy chocolate mousse would be another brilliant option.
I start my prep the day before the dinner party. For example, if I'm making lasagna, I'd make my sauces on this day. This is also when I plan what tableware I'm going to use and how I'm going to set the table.
The first thing I do on the day of the party is prepare the dessert. That way, it's done and setting in the fridge while I get on with the other dishes. I then move on to the main dish and start cooking it. If it's a stew, I put it in the oven so I don't have to tend to it on the stovetop. If it's a lasagna, for instance, I assemble it and set it aside to cook an hour or so before the guests arrive. I prep the appetizer last and get all the components ready for assembly.
A little bit of planning goes a long way in making the evening as smooth as possible. After all, it's equally important for you, as the host, to enjoy your dinner party as much as your guests do!