How to Host a Family Lunch or Dinner
Prepare and Organise a Meal to Share with Other Families
While formal dinner parties are enjoyable, busy couples or families with young children do not necessarily have the time needed to prepare an elaborate meal for entertaining. Sharing a meal can be a wonderful opportunity to relax and enjoy spending time with friends or family. If plans are kept simple, preparations do not need to be particularly time consuming or expensive.
Organising a Space for Dinner
Before a menu or guests are organised, the number of people who can be comfortably fit into the space available needs to be considered. For a small apartment or dining area, one other couple (with or without children) might be all that is practical. Remember to consider entertaining outside if the climate is suitable, as a patio, deck or other outside area can offer more space than an enclosed dining room.
It is not always necessary to have both adults and children sitting at the table at the same time. If space is limited, consider allowing the children to eat their meal first then the adults can sit down and eat their own meal at a more leisurely pace. Alternatively, young children can be set up with a picnic blanket and plastic plates on a lounge room floor, leaving the table free to be used by the adults.
Preparing a Simple Meal Plan when Entertaining
It is easier to invite others over to share a meal if the meal plan is kept simple and casual. A meal plan should include an appetiser or some form of snack such as a dip with crackers, a main meal and dessert. A cheese or fruit platter for after dinner to serve with coffee can also be included if desired.
Barbecuing is ideal for casual entertaining. Meat can be marinated and prepared in advance then simply cooked once everyone has arrived. A barbecue does not have to be limited to steak and burgers, but can also include meat and/or vegetable kebabs, marinated chicken, and seafood. Barbecues are also suitable for breakfast or brunch with bacon, eggs, sausages, tomato and mushrooms all easily cooked on a barbecue hotplate.
In winter, a casserole, stew or soup prepared in a slow cooker or crockpot is easy to organise even for a large group of people. Served with warm crusty bread, potato dumplings, warm cheese and herb scones, vol-au-vent shells, rice or pasta, this meal is easy to prepare in advance and can be easily adapted to any taste.
Allowing guests to serve themselves from dishes placed in the centre of the table allows the host and guests to relax at the table together while the meal is served. If there is not sufficient room on the table, place serving dishes along a sideboard or kitchen counter and allow guests to serve themselves from there before sitting down to begin their meal.
Share the Food Preparation
To make it even easier to host a group meal, ask each family or group of guests to bring something to contribute to the meal – a side dish, bread rolls, drinks, dessert or appetiser. The host can then concentrate on preparing the central part of the meal.
Purchasing a pre-made dessert that can be reheated in the oven prior to serving will also reduce the amount of effort needed by the host. Ice-cream in cones or in a bowl with flavoured toppings will generally satisfy young children, leaving any more elaborate desserts to be enjoyed by the adults.
Keep Entertaining Plans Simple
Simple plans are easier to execute, generally less expensive and have the advantage of allowing hosts to focus on guests rather than spend the entire time in the kitchen or fussing with the next course.
Inviting Friends to Share a Meal
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