We have been in our house less than a month and have already had people over a few times! Last Friday I invited some close friends and family over for some grilling, beer/wine, and a bonfire to celebrate Scott’s 31st birthday.
With a crazy travel schedule I have needed to become extra efficient at getting the house and food ready for guests. Here are a few of my favorite tips for easy entertaining:
- Keep a supply of paper plates, cups, utensils around. Best place to buy these? The dollar store!
- Have a few bottles of white wine chilled and ready to go in the fridge at all times, I usually keep 3-4 in the fridge. When I take one out I put another in. No need to wait for wine to be cool enough to drink.
- If you have a 2nd fridge, stock it with a variety of beer, soda and water. You never know what a guest might want.
- Make the menu simple. You will still have delicious food but a casual gather may not be the best time to try that 18 step recipe. A typical sample menu:
- Burgers/Brats on the grill
- A mixed green salad
- Veggie tray with hummus & dip
- Fruit Salad
- Pasta salad with veggies
- Cheese and crackers
- Chips with homemade guacamole
- Store bought dessert, that is the one area where I really take a shortcut. I don’t need to make some fancy dessert, cookies, pies or bars work just fine.
- Make sure you have a variety of items to make everyone happy- vegetarian/vegan options, meat for those who like it, healthy snacks and some treats
As for picking wine and beer, try to choose things that will satisfy most people. Yes there are those people who only drink xyz brand but if you have a light beer, an IPA style, something seasonal. And for the wine (especially in summer) sparkling is a good option, a chardonnay, sauvignon blanc or riesling.
Pick up a cheaper set of wine glasses at Target or Ikea and use those for entertaining, as much as I love guests I do like to have my not as fancy stemware out. Especially if we will be going inside and out. If something gets broken, no big deal!
Set up a buffet on your table, put all the paper plates, cups, etc, the food out and let people help themselves. They will snack throughout the evening! Just make sure anything that needs to stay cold is only out for a short period.