BEST Ideas for Casual Entertaining

I’m sharing the BEST ideas for casual entertaining, and they’re easy to pull off. When it comes to hosting girls night in or a casual happy hour you want the preparation to be easy but thoughtful.

One of the best things about casual entertaining is that you don’t have to spend a lot of time decorating, or creating a labor-intensive menu. That doesn’t mean you can’t make it festive and stylish though. From food to fun, these 8 tips will keep you calm, cool, and collected as you host a gathering.

Think of this as your reference guide the next time you want to have a few friends over for a casual party.

I'm sharing 8 ideas for casual entertaining, from what to serve to how to make it special. Find them here.

8 BEST Ideas for Casual Entertaining

I'm sharing 8 ideas for casual entertaining, from what to serve to how to make it special. Find them here.

1.  Cheese & Charcuterie 

For casual entertaining it doesn’t get much easier than setting out a few tasty cheeses and cured meats. A charcuterie & cheese party is a classic choice. It’s filling, and it’s easy to socialize around. Some best practices are to serve a hard cheese, a semi-hard cheese, and a soft cheese. Choose variety in animal origin {sheep’s milk, cow’s milk, etc} and country of origin. For the charcuterie you can serve prosciutto, salami, pepperoni, summer sausage, Spanish chorizo, etc. Town House Original Crackers are a nice base on which to serve all the different combinations of flavors.

I'm sharing 8 ideas for casual entertaining, from what to serve to how to make it special. Find them here.

2.  Cute Cheese Markers 

Presentation still counts even when the party is casual. You can label your cheeses for a food & wine tasting happy hour with pins like these. They can be found in the scrapbook section of the craft store.

I'm sharing 8 ideas for casual entertaining, from what to serve to how to make it special. Find them here.

3.  Dips & Spreads 

These are some of the best go-to items to serve when entertaining. This Mediterranean style dip is a quick & easy appetizer that’s fantastic served with Pita Crisps or Flatbread Crisps. I love serving spinach dip or this chicken artichoke cheese spread with Pretzel Crisps.

I'm sharing 8 ideas for casual entertaining, from what to serve to how to make it special. Find them here.

4.  Bar Cart 

When space is tight – or even when it’s not – a bar cart is the most stylish way to serve today. It’s more than a bar on wheels – it’s a chic way to serve food too. Set up a few trays or stands to hold small bites that guests can grab and go.

I'm sharing 8 ideas for casual entertaining, from what to serve to how to make it special. Find them here.

5.  Conversation Starters 

I have a secret to let you in on. I have a major fear of small talk. It causes anxiety and I begin to obsess about what to say next. As such I find myself being drawn to people who have exceptional conversation skills and who put me at ease. They’re not easy to come by however, so I’ve come up with my “secret weapon” – 36 conversation starters that can help take the pressure off of small talk! They’re printable so you can punch or cut them out and either drop them in a jar to grab when you want, or you can tie them on to the stems of your glasses. They’re actually a lot of fun whether you’re just meeting someone new or you’re chatting with an old friend.

I'm sharing 8 ideas for casual entertaining, from what to serve to how to make it special. Find them here.

6.  Big Batch Drinks & Sangria 

I never met a sangria recipe I didn’t love, and neither has anyone else I know! It’s a fantastic drink to make for entertaining, and easy to serve from a pitcher or drink dispenser.

I'm sharing 8 ideas for casual entertaining, from what to serve to how to make it special. Find them here.

7.  Stylish Accessories 

As I said above, presentation counts when the entertaining is casual, and you can easily dress up the party with just a few decorative touches. Adding these diy drink stirrers is a cute way to let each guest’s personality shine. Create an array like I’ve done here and see which one each person chooses. This is a beginner level project so have fun with it.

I'm sharing 8 ideas for casual entertaining, from what to serve to how to make it special. Find them here.

8.  Simple Sweets 

When the mood is casual, so is the dessert. Instead of baking or serving store-bought sweets, try filling a few containers with sweetened gourmet popcorn for a popcorn & champagne bar. It’s delicious, and a bit whimsical and unexpected. Plus, it’s easy to eat without utensils! There’s a great variety of flavors available from caramel, to chocolate, to cookies and candy bar flavors. Just have fun coordinating complementary flavors.

Sharing is caring!

Similar Posts

2 Comments

  1. I love visiting your blog. Here you have so many good ideas and lovely photos. Greetings from Europe.

Comments are closed.