hosting for big dinners?

yeah, that takes a lot of planning, buying food the day before, starting it at 6am, eating 4-6 hours later.

either have people pitch in - do not do this all by yourself - or order fajitas (1 order per 4 people works FINE).

Anonymous wrote:Lebanese Taverana is my go to when I have company but don't have time to cook.

Seriously. Great platters.

Rockland's BBQ is great for family gatherings. It's not fussy AT ALL but is better than pizza, IMO.

They have all of the traditional BBQ options, great sides and they also do a very tasty salmon.

They deliver.

Anytime I've ever had people over and used Rockland's, they raved about it.

Also, Millie's has a great "taco box" (which I think is still available) and is great for 4-6 people for $70ish. Also a hit the two times I have served this.

OP, I don't like hosting either but you HAVE to occasionally! I try to make it as easy on myself as possible with the food because I get such anxiety when hosting. Any time I have done either of the above, I was relaxed, I had FUN, my guests loved it and also had a great time!

You can also easily step it a notch with actually being less complicated. I find multi ingredient casserole or slow cooker like dishes to be more complicated and never really taste that good anyway. I'd stay away from the usual lasagne, enchiladas, breakfast casserole or noodle krugel type dishes.

>Good quality cheeses, nuts, preserved fruit or olives etc and good wine. Very little prep just put them out nicely on an appropriate serving platter. Get a selection of charcuterie from costco, some sliced good quality cheese and water crackers.

>If its a special occasion in the winter and people eat beef do Prime Rib. Its easy and just about buying a good quality piece of meat, following simple techniques and seasoning it. If you do mash potatoes look up the French recipes with lots of butter and how to mash or rice them. Never use a hand mixer. Just oven roast some mushroom and asparagus with garlic. Add a simple salad.

>If its a special occasion in the summer go to the grill and use great ingredients with simple marinades. The marinade and seasoning makes all the different. Use lemon or lime-acids make a difference.

Anonymous wrote:Similar situation in my house, I busted my butt to make an Indian brunch of dosas and idlies (first time I’d ever done this for my in-laws, who arelocal and not Indian). My FIL was grouchy the whole time and said, I’ll wait for the pancakes when I asked him How he’d liked it. Then he opened the pantry and rummaged for food. My mil came in while I was still cooking and said she’d eat a hunk of cheddar cheese. She tried an idly but didn’t say thank you. No class. Meanwhile they cook meals at their home for us that are rarely our favorite and we’ll eat it up and la ish with c9mpliments. Smh.

Dosa from start to finish are a lot of work! If someone offered a brunch like yours, I would be non-stop with compliments. Sorry your in-laws were so rude.

I get stressed about hosting because of all the cleaning involved. Currently, my house is very cluttered because we have not decluttered for past several years because we were very busy. However, the easiest way to get your house guest-ready is actually to host more frequently. I am expecting some house guests next weekend and I am systematically cleaning out the guest bedroom, common areas, kitchen, pantry and fridge. Is it a PITA? Absolutely. But, if I do not have this stress hanging over me, I will never do a deep clean.

As far as hosting goes, I usually serve buffet style, set the table the day before and warm food in fancy chafing dishes. I do not use disposable dishes and cutlery - except for paper napkins. I buy some food and make some dishes.

Last but not the least - I always open up a couple of folding tables in the garage and I park all the appliances and decorations on them before a party. It allows me to have empty counter space in the kitchen.

Lots of great tips on this thread. If you are a novice hostess, plan the flow of the party and go from there. A timetable as another PP suggested is an excellent idea. Make sure that you have some fun activities planned - a photo shoot of the participants, some card games, family BINGO etc. And make another relative part of it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A written game plan is key. Down to "3:15, turn on oven at 350 to pre-heat."

Delegate: Ask people to bring wine, dessert, beer, whatever...*if they offer.*

Mix store-bought and homemade items. I am a great cook but am not a good baker. I buy one or two fancy desserts from Wegman's, or ask a guest to bring a pie.

Keep it simple. Don't make too many sides or five kinds of desserts. Execute a good, simple menu well, rather than half-assing a huge spread.

Ultimate guide:
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/502032.page

Best thread ever. Thanks!

I will check out that thread, but I want to add that the game plan has to include what time you go for a shower and do your hair and makeup.

Simple is good.

Keep it simple:
Brunch Gathering - bagels, cream cheeses, lox, fruit, coffee
Lunch Gathering - sandwich platter + salad, drinks
Dinner Gathering - Rotisserie chickens, salad, veggie side, cake/pie, drinks

Honestly, these are all things that you or your DH can buy (or have delivered) and set up easily. A step up from pizza, but not much harder.

Also -- I like to host and cook, but DH's family doesn't. They usually do pot-lucks where everyone brings an app, side, or dessert, with the host only providing the main dish.

I do enjoy hosting, but there are times that I just get overwhelmed and don't really have time. When that happens, I do order food for everyone. It's the consequence of rotating the hosting. If they don't want to eat catered food, then they can skip our house for hosting duties.

Besides pizza, some other options:
- The family platters at Famous Daves always serve about 25-50% more people than they say and work great
- Roast chickens from Sam's Club with prepackaged trays and frozen foods that just need to be heated in the oven
- Ordering Chinese. We often do this, order more than we need and we have leftovers for lunch in the next day or two.
- If you know ahead of time, Sam's Club, Subway all do the long 3 ft (or so) subs that feed an army. Then just get sides to go with it. I once got one of these big subs and a can of "just add water" soup mix and made a huge pot of soup from Sam's by adding water and boiling. A big tub of cole slaw, a tub of macaroni salad and a tub of potato salad and everyone seemed happy.
- 3 Brothers catering isn't that expensive and they'll even come and set up the steam table trays for keeping the meal warm.

Your husband should be able to handle any of these.

Brunch is easy if you're hesitant.

Tray of bagels and tray of cream cheeses, smoked salmon, capers, sliced tomato, sliced red onion.

Muffins or donuts.

Bacon.

Fruit salad - I prefer a fruit platter people can take what they want.

Make a quiche or two.


Coffees, juice boxes, bloody marys, mimosas.

Anonymous wrote:Here are my casual go-tos for hosting friends/family

- Taco Bar - fixings pre-done but in nice bowls. Crock pot shredded chicken and ground beef. Great hit with kids who like making their own tacos.
- Grill - hamburgers, hotdogs, steaks, corn on the cob (DH is in charge of grilling)
- Sandwich bar - cold cuts, different fresh breads, etc.'
- Lasagna

Or I just get something catered from fresh market and serve it on my own plates so not immediately obvious that it is catered - https://www.thefreshmarket.com/partyfoods

These are all great ideas, pizza is fine too. There's no reason why every family get together has to be a table cloth, fine china event. If you decide to you'll host, you can decide it'll be casual.