Apartment Entertaining: 5 Steps for Easy Dinner Party Planning

Planning an apartment dinner party for friends? Here are 5 steps to help make throwing a great dinner party a simple, easy task.

1. Enlist Some Help

Be it your significant other, roommate or a friend, find someone to help you run the show. This person can help you set up, help you in the kitchen, and help you keep the party running smoothly once the guests have arrived.

2. Prepare as Much as You Can the Night Before

No matter what recipes you are preparing for your guests there is almost always some amount of prep work that can be done the night before.

Be it marinating meats, julienning vegetables, making vinaigrettes or preparing sauces, the more tasks you can knock off your list the night before the smoother your party will run.

3. Make a Simple, ‘No Cook’ Appetizer

To prevent uncomfortable stress levels and allow you more time to focus on greeting guests and finishing the rest of the meal, put out an appetizer that requires little to no cooking.

For instance, buy some nice prosciutto, some fresh melon, and some toothpicks. Cut the melon into wedges, wrap a slice of prosciutto around each, insert a toothpick through the center and arrange on a platter for a quick and easy appetizer.

4. Prepare an Entrée that Doesn’t Require Constant Attention

If you want to enjoy your party and be able to do some mingling then put together a main dish that does not require you to spend the whole evening in the kitchen. To this end, roasts (chicken, lamb, prime rib, whole fish) are a great idea; and they’re easy to prepare.

5. Have Fun

Don’t stress out too much; don’t put too much pressure on yourself. A dinner party should be a fun evening amongst friends and if your stress levels are high then your guests will pick up on it.