Hosting a fantastic party starts with one thing: food. These are the essential food types to serve at your party to make it a raving success.
Whether you’re a master party planner or a minimalist host, you likely have some form of refreshment at your gathering. For larger events, especially dinner parties, you must have an array of foods to fit every person’s needs and hunger levels. Here are the essential food types to serve at your party.
Multiple Course Meal
At a party, you should have multiple courses. Even if you’re not hosting a sit-down dinner party, you should have cycles of food come through. Always begin with small, tasty appetizers to get people started and satiate their appetite. As people eat, you can serve drinks and have people mingle.
Once the appetizers make their way around, it’s time to start serving the salad or soup as an entrée into the night’s denser foods. After people enjoy the last of the starters, it’s time for the main course, typically consisting of meats, vegetables, and starches. When everyone finishes their main course and conversation begins to fade, it’s time for dessert and coffee or tea. There’s no better way to finish off the evening than with a sweet and invigorating final course.
International Cuisine
When you host people with a variety of palates and cultural backgrounds, you should take it upon yourself to cater to people’s tastes for international cuisine. For example, if you’re hosting people from East Asia, the Middle East, or Western Africa, you have an opportunity to bring in Japanese, Lebanese, and Gambian influences. The more spices and localized dishes you use, the more welcomed people will feel at your home.
Sweets and Candies
Even at dinner parties with the healthiest foods and saltiest flavors, sweets should be on the menu. If you want to do something simple, you can always bake a brownie mix and adapt it as needed to gluten and dairy dietary restrictions. Or you can take the time to bake and ice an elaborate cake. If you want to stay away from baked goods, you can try the candied sugar route. Make a sweet spread candy charcuterie that puts chocolatey, sour, and sweet-hot candies at people’s fingertips.
Remember the essential food types to serve at your party as you plan and throw your perfect event. As you prepare for your pre-party grocery run, make sure you anticipate all your food needs. The last thing you want is to forget an essential ingredient and waste time going back to the store, or worse, not make an entire dish at all. With a thorough food selection and a healthy array of options, your party food is sure to be a hit with every attendee.
