A lot of people love throwing parties and getting their friends and family under the same roof. However, no matter how passionate you are about hosting a party, you are bound to get tensed and overwhelmed with arranging the entire event. Pre-planning is the key to throwing an amazing dinner party.
There are many different outdoor dinner party menu ideas that you can explore to choose the best menu. The goal of this article is to discuss some of the most important tips that you should choose the best menu, so keep reading!
Select the Main Course
When you are exploring different outdoor dinner party menu ideas, the very first thing you should do is select the main course by considering these factors:
- The season in which you are throwing the dinner party. When you arrange your dinner party according to the season, you will be able to create the perfect vibe, and also, the food will taste better since it will be fresh.
- The number of people you will be serving at the party. There are certain dishes that work best for a smaller group, while others work better for a larger group.
- Keep quality, quantity, and your budget in mind.
- Potential dietary restrictions of your guests. It is common for party hosts to ignore or forget about people having food allergies or who are vegan or vegetarian. You can ask the guests about these things when you send them an invitation.
Some of the great main course dishes you can select are:
- Roast chicken with tomatoes, lemon, and salsa verde.
- Grilled New York Strip Steaks With Chimichurri
- Summer Spaghetti With Tomatoes, Burrata, and Basil
Choose and Prepare Side Dishes in Advance
Throwing a dinner party can be difficult, especially when you are expecting to serve a lot of guests. Without proper planning, you can end up spending the entire day in the kitchen and not enjoy the party yourself.
However, you can make it easier by choosing and preparing the side dishes in advance to complement your outdoor dinner party menu ideas.
Prepare the sides, such as roasted veggies, grains, and salads, in advance. You can keep them in the fridge or properly covered on the counter to keep them fresh. Don’t overwhelm yourself with preparing a lot of side dishes.
Typically, two to three sides are enough to have an amazing dinner. For example, you can have a starchy dish like sweet potatoes and cooked vegetables like roasted mushrooms. If your guests insist on bringing something to the dinner, you can ask them to help you out with the side dishes.
Offer Snacks
Offering snacks to guests as soon as they enter your house is a great way of impressing them and showing them that you are a great host who is willing to go the extra mile to have a great dinner experience. Generally, you should pick snacks and appetizers that go well with your overall meal, especially the main course.
Some of the common snacks and appetizers you can offer are:
- Cheese and charcuterie.
- Toasts with pretty toppings.
- Burrata with figs and pesto.
Prepare a Sweet Dish
Ending the meal with a sweet dish is a great way of having a great dinner. Most of your guests are likely to have a sweet tooth, so you should definitely serve something sweet at the end of the meal.
However, make sure that you are not serving a large dessert at the end because you would not want your guests to feel weighed down. Something as simple as a cake also works great for a dessert after the meal, so you don’t have to prepare it yourself.
Dinner Style
Throwing a perfect dinner party is much more than just exploring and choosing the best outdoor dinner party menu ideas. It also involves selecting the best style of dinner to have a great time. Nowadays, hosting a dinner party has become much more casual than it used to be.
Serving food in a family style is certainly very popular as it creates a relaxed atmosphere in which guests can interact with each other and serve themselves or others. However, there are some situations in which the family-style dinner does not work properly.
It typically happens when the main course is a very hot dish that will be difficult to pass from guest to guest. Moreover, plated or buffet-style dinners are also useful when you are serving a lot of guests and want them to get served around the same time.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that selecting the best outdoor dinner party menu ideas consists of many different factors that you should consider to ensure you are able to throw a memorable dinner party for your guests. Ultimately, it will help you in enjoying the party yourself and make a long-lasting impression on the guests.
