How to Entertain Without Going Crazy
A hosting season deep dive
It’s a deep dive week! This week, I’m focusing on entertaining, just in time for the holidays and football season. Think of these as mini e-books with a ton of tips to make your life easier (and a lot more delicious). If there’s a topic you’d like to see covered, drop it in the chat!
It’s officially fall!! Hosting season is here.
If you’re having people over for the holidays, Friendsgiving, or to break the fast next week, these are for you. Today I’m sharing my tips to make hosting way easier so you can get back to the party. They’re my go-tos for any occasion, even if it’s just a chill night in with a few close friends.
I’m also including my favorite hosting recipes and small things you can do to make life easier before, during, and after the party. And just in time for Yom Kippur, I’m sharing my favorite bagel board hacks and veggies to add to your spread.
Here’s what’s on the menu:
My favorite hosting tips to keep you sane
Three Easy-to-Prep Dips
Two Salads to Feed a Crowd + my fave protein
How to Build the Perfect Bagel Board
My Favorite Hosting Tips to Keep You Sane
A few days before:
Assemble salads. I’m sharing two of my favorite hosting salads today that can easily be made a day in advance. When people arrive, dress it, toss it, top it, bop it, and set it out on the table. USE THE MIXING BOWL TO SERVE. No one cares what bowl the food is in when it’s this good. Timing for this is flexible, do it when you can.
Make the dips ahead of time, too. Stock up on these containers to store them in the fridge—they’re lightweight and dishwasher-safe. These dips get even better after a day or two.
Choose a protein that’s easy to prep ahead of time. I’m including my favorite marinated chicken—marinate it overnight, then cook it before guests arrive. It’s packed with flavor and won’t add stress.
Right before your guests arrive, set out a grazing board with chopped veggies, crackers, and dips. You can include the salads in this as well, and serve them with tortilla chips. When we used to host every Sunday, my best friend would sit across the counter, eating the salad with chips while we finished cooking. It takes the pressure off to rush the cooking and gives everyone something to snack on.
When people ask what to bring, give them something that eases stress. I usually outsource dessert (ha), but if drinks, ice, or anything else are stressing you, ask someone else to take care of it.
Remember: Store-bought is fine! Desserts, broths, whitefish salad for the bagel board—don’t overcomplicate it.
During the party:
Line serving boards with parchment paper for easy clean up.
Use paper plates, again for easy clean up. If it’s a holiday, I like Sophistiplate because they don’t scream PAPER PLATE. For everyday use, we have a stash of Dixie.
After the party:
To make clean up easier:
If people offer to help clean, let them!! (Easier said than done, I know.)
Tips for the Perfect Bagel Board to Break the Fast
This is how we break the fast for Yom Kippur every year, but these tips work for any breakfast or brunch gathering.
My #1 tip: Make it easy for people to build their perfect plate.
I create a big board filled with schmears (scallion, veggie, plain), lox, whitefish salad, tuna salad, and egg salad, then fill the rest of the board with sliced veggies (tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, capers, fresh herbs, scallions) and a bunch of different bagels. Variety is the most important takeaway!
Send people home with leftovers if you have any. Deli containers are a great way to sneak a container of salad into someone’s bag.
I’d love to hear your favorite hosting tips—share them with everyone in the comments! We’re in this together ✌️
this looks amazing. thank you!
For a big holiday, I keep a standing shopping list of items that I know I’ll need so I don’t need to sit down and make a list from scratch every year.