Girls Night Out! How to Host a Midweek Dinner Party!

My friend Lauren was in town last week to do some treasure hunting. One of the best things about Lauren’s visits is that it means guaranteed girl time and allows me the opportunity to do some midweek entertaining (yes, this was on my BLD list). I love an excuse to entertain!

It can be stressful having company over on a weeknight after a long day of work.  It doesn’t have to be stressful. Typically I’m a bit of a control freak and want everything to be perfect when people come over.  Then I remember, this is about being with my friends. This should be more about spending time together and less about dazzling them with my entertaining skills. Jenny at Dinner, a Love Story, shares her tips for remaining in control while entertaining!  Here are some of my fool proof tips to making mid week entertaining easy and fun!

Plan ahead of time:  Decide what it is you want to make and how you want the party to feel. Is this a tray and tv show kind of night on the couch or do you want to gather around the table?

Make it simple:  You don’t have to serve a 5 course meal when your girlfriends come over.  It’s about getting together, not necessarily what you serve.  Consider ordering pizza from a boutique pizza place or pick up some pre-made options from local caterers or local restaurants.  Tonight we’re having individual chicken pot pies from a local restaurant, The Picnic.  I picked them up yesterday and all I have to do is throw them in the oven.  Another option that takes a little more planning is finding a caterer who will make the meals in your own serving pieces. They will cook for you, and deliver in your serving dishes.  Throw those in the oven and voila, a “home cooked” meal on a weeknight.  These are all surprisingly easy and inexpensive ways to host a girls dinner.  They just take some planning (see item #1)

Set the table: I always set the table the night before so I don’t have to worry about that the night of the dinner. This also allows me to imagine the flow of the evening and clean/gather the necessary serving pieces, cocktail napkins, etc.

Add some special touches: I have a chalkboard that I pull out for dinner parties creating a special menu for the evening.  This is a simple way to add a special touch. You can also consider putting kraft paper on the table writing each girl’s name at their plate.  Another fun idea is picking individual drink servings to put as each plate.  Think Skinny Mini Margaritas with guacamole, salsa and tacos!

Enjoy yourself: You earned it! Now that the table is set and the food is ready to go, sit back and enjoy a night with your girlfriends!