Since the food will be taken care of by your trusty friends, focus your energy into making the party space feel extra special. You may want to entrust the main course to an experienced cook (or a professional chef, if you're lucky enough to have one among your guests) and leave the wine and beer to the eligible bachelor who’s never set foot in a kitchen. To ensure a balanced spread, you'll want to make sure you have all of these courses covered:Ĭonsider guests’ skill levels and interests when assigning courses. The resulting menu will be harmonious and interesting while still allowing your guests to show off their creativity. Encourage guests to make dishes with seasonal ingredients or dishes that are part of a particular cuisine. Pick a theme for your dinner party ahead of time to establish general culinary guidelines. For example, Tim might bring his signature dish - Thai curry - which doesn't meld so well with Beth's award-winning apple pie.

While a potluck is a great opportunity for guests to flaunt their skills in the kitchen, it's your job as party host to ensure that all dishes complement one another. Keep reading for some fail-proof tips on how to host this collaborative party. Your duties are lessened when guests help out with preparing the large meal, and people are usually happy to show off their cooking prowess by bringing a dish. While it might seem that having guests over is as simple as sending out invitations and making the meal, it’s not long before the realities of cooking, cleaning, decorating and getting dolled up spur party-planning panic.įor novices, hosting a potluck dinner party is the perfect solution.

Even the most-seasoned hosts would agree that the biggest challenge in throwing a dinner party is juggling all of the preparation.

Pot luck dinner