Mise en Place Your Dinner Party

Preparing for a dinner party can be exhausting, unless you plan ahead.

Six years into throwing dinner parties, I have created a few planning and organizational systems to help me say yes more quickly to hosting the next get together. The French principal of mise en place means quite literally to put everything in its place. It is a principal used by chefs to pre-measure or prep ingredients, so the dish can come together more easily later on.

The same practice can be applied to hosting dinner parties. Planning ahead will help the night go more smoothly so you can spend time with your guests instead of running around making sure nothing is falling apart and everyone has gotten their food.

Mise en place your menu.

If you need help putting together your menu, download my free menu planner, which is the equivalent of me sitting down with you and having a conversation about what food to make for your party. Before going on your grocery shopping trip make sure you double check your refrigerator and pantry for the things. you think you already have. Very often, a key ingredient will have spoiled or already been used, and you will save yourself the headache of having to go back to the grocery store.

If you want to be prepared for impromptu hosting (ie: those dreamy summer days when the beach turns into a backyard barbecue with friends) keep the following ingredients handy:

  • Fresh citrus (lemon, lime, grapefruit)

  • All-purpose flour

  • Vodka or Tequila

  • Fresh garlic

  • Sugar

  • Eggs

  • Butter

  • Active dry or instant yeast

  • Flakey sea salt

  • Soda water

  • Mayonnaise

  • Olive oil

Having these items on hand will help you pull together crowd pleasers like homemade bread, focaccia, aioli, brownies, and chocolate chip cookies. You’ll also be able to pull together easy beverages like margaritas, palomas, mexican or moscow mule, or a citrus spritz, which all go pretty well with a variety of foods.

Mis en place your decorations.

If you are just getting started hosting, you don’t need to go all out. I recommend starting small with a few essentials that go together really well, and adding to your collecting if you have the resources and space to do so. Here is what you should start with:

  • 1 Tablecloth + 16 cloth napkins

  • 1-2 Vases

  • 2-4 candlesticks and candles

All of these items can be thrifted if you have the time and are looking for more budget friendly options. Make sure they are clean and store in a plastic bin in between parties.

Mise en place your supplies.

Supplies could be anything such as specialty glassware, serving platters, cutlery, drink coolers, or wine glass tags. You know, those specialty items that are essential to hosting, but gather dust with disuse in the day to day. I recommend storing these types of items in a similar area, be it a cabinet in your kitchen or large lidded plastic storage container in your garage, where they are least likely to gather dust (open shelves I’m looking at you). If you put them away in top shape, then you won’t have to worry about cleaning them when you’re ready to host.

Mise en place your timeline.

I would shout this from the rooftops if I could: Making a timeline is the single most important thing you can do when having people over. It is especially important to go through the timeline with your hosting partner, so that they know what is expected of them throughout the evening, and takes the mental load off of you having to assign and explain tasks throughout the party. I like to do a timeline of my to do list the week before the party, then revisit the to do list the morning of outlining what still needs to be accomplished.

For an impromptu get together, a timeline is likely not necessary, but it may be helpful to go through what needs to be accomplished with your hosting partner, so they can take initiative to help during the party.

Mise en place the vibe.

To create a cozy, welcoming atmosphere, turn off all overhead lights (or lights taller than your shoulder), and rely on candles and lamps. Don’t worry about it feeling too dark. Softly lit places like bonfires and restaurants set a relaxing tone where people feel like they aren’t under a spotlight and can kick back and be themselves.

Music is another way to make people feel comfortable and fill the gaps in conversation. If you make your own playlist, aim to have it be at least 4 hours long. I also have a few that you can use on Spotify:

Mise en place your house.

If you only have 30 minutes to panic clean, then focus on putting away the clutter, folding blankets on couches, fluffing pillows, wiping countertops, making sure the toilet is clean, and making sure there is enough toilet paper.

When you have time to truly prepare, start the party with an empty trash can, empty sink + dish washer + dish rack, and place a bag for recycle/trash in an obscure but easy to describe spot. All of these things will help people feel comfortable and welcomed to your home.

After you have gone through all of these steps, you are well on your way to being an expert host that can actually enjoy spending time with their guests.

If you need extra help going through all of the steps to make it even more easier, then you can download my Dinner Party Toolkit here.

Happy Hosting!

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How to Host a Wine Pairing Dinner Party