Ensure Your Party Guests Have Fresh Food By Staggering Your Servings

Given that Thanksgiving has already passed and we're in the throes of our Christmas preparations, the odds that you have been or will be called upon to host a dinner party are likely at an annual apex. If you are chosen as the party host, you'll want to ensure that you put together a perfectly balanced dinner party. Crafting such a successful meal is no easy feat, as it involves considering the flavor contrasts of each food you intend to serve and how the colors of different dishes will work with one another from a purely aesthetic perspective, not to mention corralling a collection of party guests.

Choosing a theme to run through every element of your gathering is what Bobby Flay swears by for a foolproof dinner party. Still, unless you're a veteran host, it's advisable for you to focus more on the food you're going to serve and how. It's a good idea to stagger your servings throughout the party, ensuring both the satisfaction of your guests and the optimization of the flavors of your carefully prepared food.

Planning a food spread for a gathering may be daunting, but it can be boiled down to a few fairly simple points. First and foremost, it's imperative that you have a serving schedule, which will ensure that your guests remain satiated throughout the party. As you might expect, starting your party with an appetizer, which you should have prepared in advance, is a good idea. After the initial round of hors d'oeuvres, it is recommended that a party host puts another serving of snacks into the oven so that the gathered guests never go more than 45 minutes without a bite of food.

When attempting to serve your guests the best food possible, the specifics of your staggering are essential. After you've served the appetizer that was prepared beforehand, it's time to start thinking about the main meal. It's recommended that you only set out half of your hot dishes and keep the other half in the kitchen so your guests can enjoy hot, fresh food if they wish later in the party.

Much of your party preparation will take place long before the guests have arrived. In addition to preparing an appetizer before your party, there is a whole world of party-hosting tasks you can complete before the start. Making sweet treats before the gathering commences is a surefire way to simplify dessert distribution. You can also prepare main dishes that only need a brief stint in the oven for reheating.

One of the inevitabilities of party preparation is a mountain of dishes. If you're hosting, having a sink full of dirty dishes would be unsightly, so you should also do as much cleaning as possible before the party. This will tidy your party space and clear your dishwasher for the newly dirtied tableware and kitchen utensils.

While on the topic of kitchen appliances, another tool can be your saving grace when attempting to stagger servings. A slow cooker will keep a dish ready to eat for a considerable amount of time, which makes your staggering of servings all but automatic. You can even use a slow cooker divider to give your guests servings of two different foods.