Get ready to host with ease and style using these casual entertaining ideas. Impress your guests and make any gathering memorable.
Want to save this project?
Enter your email below, and then we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus get awesome new projects from us each week.
As you may have guessed by now, we at Made with HAPPY love to entertain. Whether its bringing out the fancy china or having a few friends over for play date, we love the idea of bringing people together and having some great food. Today, I thought I'd share with you some ideas for casual entertaining that you can use for the next time you have friends over.
Tip 1) Use what you have. I personally always have a white table cloth to throw over the table , but if you don't have a table cloth, right on your table or counter works just great too.
Tip 2) Feel free to use your everyday glasses for drinks. I'd avoid serving in the kids plastic princess cups, but wine tastes just as good in an old fashion glass as it does in a wine glass.
Tip 3) Pull out your cutting board, and a few small plates and bowls, along with a silverware caddy if you have one. If you don't have a silverware caddy, simply place your silverware in short glasses and place them near your plates. The cutting board is a great place to gather your eats.
Tip 4) Serving a Mediterranean style platter is both easy to pull together and casual. Your guests can feel free to grab with their hands and nibble on delicious food all the while still being able to talk and enjoy the get together.
Here is what I like to include in my Mediterranean platters:
- Town House® Pita Crackers - These pitas are great for dipping and even come in a Mediterranean flavor that is DELICIOUS.
- Fruits - You can never go wrong with some fruits on your platter. Grapes, apples, pears, and I found that some guests love a little lemon slice to squeeze over their plates.
- Town House® Original Crackers - This buttery cracker is great to hold your meats and cheeses or just by itself. Town House® Pretzel Thins and Town House® Flatbread Crips are also great to just pour and serve by themselves, but also pair well with everything on the platter.
- Cheese - What Mediterranean dish would be complete with out some great feta? I buy a chunk of feta and cut it into cubes.
- Meats - Any cured meat is going to be delicious on your platter. I included a prosciutto, but you could also have a salami, or chorizo.
- Olives - Kalamata (purple) are your typical Greek olive, but green olives or any you have in your pantry will be great.
Hummus - Dips like hummus or tzatziki are great to serve on a meat and cheese board. Here is a simple recipe to whip up your own hummus dip that will be the hit of the party.
Ingredients:
- 1 - 15oz. can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) - drained but keep the liquid
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup tahini (sesame seed puree)
- 4-5 garlic cloves
- 5 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon garbanzo bean liquid
Directions:
Combine all ingredients into a food processor and mix till smooth and creamy. Easy Peezy!
Tip 5.) Keep the drinks simple and casual too. I like to serve a crispy refreshing white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio). Make sure to have some sparkling water and/or water with lemon on hand as well.
Remember that casual entertaining is about keeping it stress free, simple and having fun.
Happy Entertaining!
From presentably munch-able options, to dipping inspiration, to versatile possibilities, we have the variety that will help her stylishly host any type of gathering - from planned to impromptu.
