Preparing Food for a Party

One of the biggest challenges in throwing a party is knowing what to serve your guests. Many people tend to try to please everyone and make too much of everything. However, this only results in wasted time, effort, money, and food.

When entertaining guests, the most important factor to consider is the type of gathering you will be having. Obviously, the menu of a sit down dinner is different from that of a cocktail party.

Cocktail parties are the easiest to plan, but they can be the hardest to prepare for as well. A cocktail party menu is typically composed of a selection of appetizers and finger foods. Most of us have one or two signature dishes that fall under these categories, i.e. those dishes that we have perfected, are known for, and take to every potluck. But. Don’t make them all for a single event. Instead, plan your menu around one of them.

For example, if you decide to make your Mexican style appetizer that everyone just can’t get enough of, plan a Mexican menu. Or you can base your menu theme on a holiday. Whatever you do, limit the food you serve to how much you actually need. You don’t have to cook everything.

A good rule of thumb is to assume that each guest will have three pieces of every appetizer. Multiply the number of guests by 3 to determine how much of each dish you have to prepare. I always plan for two to three extra guests, and this works well.

Another important thing to remember is to serve an assortment of foods. Some guests will probably prefer vegetarian dishes, while others will look for dishes without cheese. Then there will be those who will make a beeline for the veggie platter.

If I will be hosting a party for twelve, I might make six appetizers – two meat based, two dips (only one with cheese), one veggie or fruit platter, and one dessert. This might look like a small spread, but people will eat what they are served. Plus, if you add drinks, a few bowls of mixed nuts, plates, and napkins, your table will be packed and no one will leave hungry.

One last bit of advice: if you are planning on serving a dish (or dishes) that you have never made before, run a test before the actual party. Merely reading a recipe will not tell you how it tastes, or if it will go well with the other dishes in your menu. Make it once for your family, and then fine tune it for your party.

Throwing a successful party doesn’t have to be difficult. All you need is a bit of planning and a little effort to make sure that you keep your budget and feed your guests well.


About the Author:

David Meagor, is founder and creator of BooRoo. The leading edge company focused on Polls, Surveys and Quizzes. BooRoo will fetch the feedback and information you need to make decisions, create connection, convert, retain and manage your organization.For more information visit BooRoo.com.