Tips for the Home Cook when Throwing a Party
Throwing a party can be an intimidating thing for most people, but it doesn’t have to be. When you begin the planning phase, you’ll start thinking: What food should you serve? How much should you make? What will the guests like? These are some of the questions that keep people up at night when they are catering their own event.
First and foremost, everyone wants to make sure they have enough food at the party. The thing is, it really doesn’t have to be that hard if you break it down and strategize. Here’s what you need to know when you’re playing caterer:
How many people are coming to the party?
What is the occasion?
What is your budget?
Who is coming to the party? Any vegetarians? Any serious allergies?
When planning food for a party, it’s always good to have at least a few appetizers, a main dish, and some sides. You can be as fancy or as simple as you want, but if you follow this method you really can’t go wrong.
When people show up to the party, make sure there are drinks and snacks already prepared. A cocktail or a glass of wine and some simple hors d’oeuvres will let the guests get comfortable and mingle with each other. It also gives you some time to get the main course ready without worrying about your guests being starved and bored. Put out things people can easily graze on while they are holding a drink. A a charcuterie board, crudite platter with a good dip, some shrimp cocktail or scallops wrapped in bacon are always good choices.
For the main course, you can make one dish that you think everyone will be able to enjoy, or you can make a few different things. A variety is always nice, but make sure the dishes go well together. For example, if you are having lasagna as a main course, it’s probably a good idea to stick to Italian food for your other main courses. Lasagna and General Tso’s chicken may not pair well on the same plate if you know what I mean. Go with a Chicken Marsala or an Eggplant Rollatini instead.
You also want a few good side dishes to round out the meal. Once again, make sure these side dishes go along with the theme of the meal. You want the guests to be able to fill their plates with the main courses and the side dishes and feel like they belong together. It’s a good idea to have at least one starch and one vegetable side dish. If you want more, that’s up to you. You can’t go wrong with roasted potatoes or risotto for a starch. For a good vegetable side dish try sautéed broccoli rabe or roasted brussels sprouts. People always love these.
Don’t let throwing a party stress you out. Strategize and have a good time cooking for your family and friends. But, if cooking isn’t your thing, we can help. We’ll work with you to put together the perfect menu and we’ll do all the cooking. We love catering. Give us a call at 617-996-6680 or check out our catering menu HERE.