It’s been a while since we’ve had a gatherings post, and having hosted and attended many successful dinner parties myself, I felt it was appropriate to share a few things I’ve learned along the way. When I say ‘successful’, I don’t mean in terms of the food, but more so in terms of enjoying myself and being able to spend quality time with my friends and family.

Like me, I’m pretty sure many of you have come out of hosting a dinner party wishing that you’d spent less time in the kitchen, and more time with your guests. Well, it’s never too late to change how we do things, and with this year’s holiday season upon us, now is the best time to start.

I once attended a dinner party where the host served Asian Steamed Fish. Though delicious, the problem is that the dish comes together in 10 minutes and cannot be made ahead. So she had to wait until everyone had arrived, then disappear into the kitchen, prepare it for the oven and get all the finishing touches ready.  Though the dish came out great, she was a little bothered at having to disappear for so long right when her guests had just arrived.

It occurred to me then that hosts have just as much right to enjoy their own dinner parties as their guests. Yes, that may be hard to do, but not entirely impossible, the trick is to have as much done as possible before the guests arrive, leaving you with very little to do once the party gets started. Things like salads, condiments and sides are easy enough to make and set ahead of time. But, what about the dishes that are best served warm? What then?

To make things a little easier, yufeed is sharing with you a list of dishes to have in mind next time you have a gathering and would rather spend more time with your friends than in the kitchen:

7 Fast and Easy Make Ahead Dishes for Dinner Parties and Gatherings

1. Any kind of lasagne or casserole; the great thing about casserole dishes is that they can be baked an hour or so before the guests arrive, they need at least 30 minutes to rest before cutting into them, and they can be served at room temperature as well as warm. So, once your lasagne is out of the oven, place it on the dining or buffet table and you’re done. Enjoy some quality time with your friends and announce dinner at your own leisure. Note: moussaka is algo a good option here.
2. Any savoury galette, tart or quiche; same sentiment as the lasagne – simply make and assemble ahead of time, pop it in the oven and allow time to rest. Also, most galettes can be served at room temperature, but if you prefer them warm, simply place in a heated oven for 10-15 minutes and re-heat before serving. Note: the dough can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for at least 3 months. Just be sure to then transfer it to the fridge one day prior and roll out when ready to assemble. The filling can also be made a day ahead, making the dish come together that much faster on the day.
3. Any kind of stew or curry; most stews actually taste better the next day, as the ingredients and flavours have had time to infuse.  This makes them the perfect make-ahead dish, because you can literally make the entire thing 1-3 days before, cool down to room temperature and store in the fridge. On the day, simply transfer to a pot and re-heat 20-30 minutes before serving. Pro tip: reheat in a Dutch oven or any pot that can go straight from the stove to the table, this saves you the hassle of transferring the stew to a serving platter, and will guarantee a warm meal.
4. Roast Beef, Lamb, Chicken or Turkey; these can be seasoned, marinated and prepped in advance and cooked in the oven – all in all, a pretty hands-off dish. They then require a good amount of resting time before serving, which again makes them an easy party favourite and a crowd pleaser. 
5. Braised short ribs; like a stew, taste even better the following day, at which point you are simply required to re-heat and serve.
6. Hearty salads: Salads are easy enough to assemble in advance, but with a leafy green salad, I usually don’t add the dressing until the very last minute, otherwise the salad becomes flimsy and wilted. If you’d like to even avoid this hassle, and simply have all your dishes placed before your guests arrive, then opt for salads with heartier ingredients, to which you can add the dressing in advance, and actually taste better when allowed to sit and infuse – these include cabbage slaw, pumpkin, potatoes and grainy salads. Simply cook and prep the ingredients in advance, add the dressing an hour before the guests arrive and you are ready to go.
7. Can’t go wrong with a cheese board! If you can’t be bothered to cook, or the thought of cooking has you all stressed out, then there is nothing wrong with keepings things simple with a couple of salads and your favourite cheese spread – all can be assembled and displayed before of your guests even get there, and make for an all around fun evening for everyone involved, hosts included.

Hopefully some helpful tips when planning your next dinner party.

Any party favourites you’d like to share? What are your favourite make ahead dishes? Place share in the comments!