I love having friends over for dinner but even with years of hosting under my belt, it can sometimes still get stressful! I’ve learned that the best way to avoid any stress is by sticking to a few simple rules and when I do this not only does the whole evening feel more relaxed but I enjoy myself so much more.

Plan the Menu

My biggest piece of advice here is stick to something you’ve cooked a few times before and you feel comfortable making. This can be something elaborate and involved or something very simple like a one pot main. The key is that it should be something you can make easily and for different people with different cooking abilities this will differ hugely. Don’t be tempted to try new dishes because that will almost certainly end up being stressful!

Take Shortcuts When Needed

While I often like to serve a starter, main and dessert for all my gatherings, it can take a lot of time to get three courses ready for a dinner party. So here’s a cheat I often use: I’m not a fan of making desserts so when I’m short on time, I often buy something and put my own spin on it. This could be something like getting a few ingredients that you assemble in to a dessert in advance or even as simple as adding some chopped fruit to a shop bought cheesecake. The point is take a shortcut if you need to.

Another shortcut I often take is skipping plated food and going for a buffet style dinner where you place dishes on the table and everyone serves themselves. Plating up food for three courses takes time and most times a buffet just works better and is far less stressful.

Prep Ahead

Preparation is so important when it comes to stress-free hosting. Chop vegetables, marinate meats, and even cook entire dishes earlier in the day (or the day before) if possible.

Aside from the food, do things like setting the table, laying out serving dishes, tidying the house and anything else you know needs to be done and can be done in advance.

Keep Drinks Accessible

Unless you’re having a super-formal do, creating a “help yourself bar” is always a good idea. You don’t need a proper bar to do this as any tabletop will do. Have a couple of big buckets filled with ice and leave cans and bottles in there to stay cold. Also find some recipes for easy cocktails to make at home, make these in advance and fill up a few jugs so guests can help themselves.

Letting guests help themselves to drinks is a game changer because firstly no guest will want to disturb you for a drink if you’re busy and secondly it frees a lot of your time especially if your gathering is on the larger side.

Let your Guests Help

Yes, really! It’s fine for guests to help out and most people genuinely want to. Whether that’s bringing dishes to the table or taking dirty plates to the sink or anything they offer to do, take them up on it. I’ve been to so many parties where I’ve helped with the most recent one being where the host had forgotten to chop some garnishes and I happily helped with this.

Don’t sweat the small stuff

Accept that things might go slightly off plan. Dinner may ready be later than you planned, something may be over cooked, you may forget to serve a side; whatever it is is fine. Your guests aren’t there to judge you so don’t stress about it. The more relaxed you are the more relaxed your guests will feel and everyone will have a better time.