Easy Meals For Casual Entertaining
When you need easy meal ideas for entertaining, follow this plan. It’s perfect for casual dinner parties and the recipes are simple to make when you’re hosting overnight guests, relatives, or friends.
Easy Entertaining Meals
Now is the time to think about dinner party ideas and entertaining. To me that means hosting out of town family, friends and overnight guests who come for holidays or just because.
So the focus here isn’t on preparing formal or fancy dinners. It’s about creating easy meals and casual menus. It’s about preparing comfort food for the people we know best and don’t have to impress.
Welcome Guests With A Drink
No matter how casual it is, a welcome drink is always necessary. Set up a tray on the kitchen island and let guests make their own mocktail or cocktail. Or set have a premade pitcher drink that’s easy to pour.
- Prepare a sparkling fruit punch with just 3 ingredients. Make it a mocktail or a cocktail.
- This sunshine punch can also be made with or without champagne. Make it non-alcoholic to serve all ages.
- Classic red sangria is always a welcome party drink.
- As an alternative, make a batch of white wine peach sangria.
Serve Light Appetizers
Offer a light snack to nibble on while dinner finishes cooking. Make room temperature appetizers so there’s no need to keep them chilled or hot.
- Two-ingredient cheese hors d’oeuvres are bite-size and flavorful.
- Make-ahead deviled eggs are easy to make ahead and taste elevated.
- Set out a bowl of homemade hummus with pretzel chips, pita chips and veggie sticks.
- Make cowboy caviar a day ahead so it’s ready to serve when you are.
- You can also prepare pimento cheese spread a day ahead, and serve with a variety of crackers and vegetables.
Easy Dinner
When it comes to dinner, you want things to be quick and hassle free to prepare. Using the slow cooker to make the best spaghetti meat sauce is one of my go-to plans. Or, use it to make southwestern chili.
My second choice is to make a casserole that can be assembled early and put in the oven just before guests arrive.
- Make classic chicken tetrazzini.
- This Mexican pasta casserole never disappoints with its unique blend of Mexican and Italian ingredients.
- Nothing is quite as easy as baked spaghetti.
- A layered pasta bake is similar to lasagna but much easier to prepare.
- Choose a soup recipe and keep it warm in a crock pot. Add bread, salads or sandwiches to round out the menu.
Salad
A green salad can be made ahead, covered, and refrigerated until ready to serve. It’s a fabulous side dish or appetizer that goes well with the main dishes above.
My make-ahead kale and apple salad with walnuts is delicious with perfectly balanced flavor.
Set a Casual Table
Just because you’re hosting a casual dinner doesn’t mean you can’t create an attractive table. There are some simple tips to follow to create a lovely table without the hassle.
- Start with using complimentary colors like orange and green. Layer a printed fabric topper over a solid color tablecloth.
- Rattan chargers frame the simple setting, and colorful napkins break up the plain white visual of the dish.
- Match the color of the napkins to the color of the glassware.
Easy Centerpiece
No Flowers? No Problem! I love a floral centerpiece as much as anyone, but sometimes you run out of time, you’re on a budget, or the available flower selection just isn’t going to work with your decor.
Pull out some candle sticks, a tray, and some votive candles to make a last minute centerpiece.
Create an unexpected twist by placing wine corks in the candle sticks instead of taper candles.
Provide Endless Conversation
There’s never a dull moment when you put conversation cards at each place setting. Grab our 36 conversation starters free download and print them out on to decorative paper or card stock.
Add a few to each place setting. I love using these vintage floral frogs as holders. And you can spray paint them any color to coordinate with your party table.
If you want to put a little extra effort into this, make these layered diy 3-piece menu & place card sets.
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Casual Dinner Chicken Tetrazzini recipe
Casual dinner party recipe for chicken tetrazzini is delicious comfort food that you can prepare ahead for easy hosting. Use rotisserie chicken for a head start, along with pasta, mushrooms, and a creamy cheese sauce.
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ medium onion, diced
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 4 cups milk
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules (or 2 cubes)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 cups shredded chicken (use a rotisserie chicken)
- 12 ounces vermicelli (or spaghetti), cooked al dente
- 6 ounces fresh mushrooms
Topping
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheese (mozzarella, white cheddar, or gruyere)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Melt butter in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes, until tender.
- Whisk in flour until smooth and cook while continuing to whisk, until thickened - about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add bouillon, pepper, and cheese, and continue to cook while whisking for about 1 minute or until smooth.
- Remove from heat and stir in chicken, pasta and mushrooms. Spoon into a 1 to 1 ½ -quart baking dish sprayed with cooking spray if desired.
- Cover with foil or lid and bake for 20 minutes.
- Uncover and top with shredded cheese and bake (uncovered) for 10-15 more minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden.
Notes
MAKE-AHEAD: Prepare dish up until baking. After spooning everything into the casserole dish, let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, until ready to bake and serve. When ready, take dish out of the fridge and let stand for at least 30 minutes. Bake as directed, adding 5 more minutes to covered cooking time.
Double the recipe for a crowd.
Gorgeous, as always!
Thank you , Teesha! xo
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Thanks so much Ophelia!
I <3 everything about this! The mix of natural elements, antiques, and green pops of color is lovely!
I couldn’t agree more, Layla! Thanks for commenting : )
LOVE the green with thatch/cane!!! So cutes!!!