Spend time with your friends over a casual dinner this month. It’s easy with this complete guide. All of the planning is done for you! I’ve got 3 simple recipes, a timeline for getting it done with zero stress (even if you work all day) and shoppable links for setting the table so everything is as beautiful as it is absolutely delicious!
So many times we miss out on the joys of friendship because we don’t think we have the time- the time to get together, the time to make a dinner, set the table, the time to slow down.
And while meeting for a quick meal at your favorite restaurant is fun, there is something altogether different that happens when you invite your friends to spend time with you in your home.
It builds trust, offers openness and asks others to spend personal time with you without distractions or rushing to the next place. We’re not making room in the schedule. Spending time together is the schedule.
Everyone is craving this type of real connection. You can supply it by following the “3 S’s”!
- Keep it small.
- Keep is simple.
- Keep it selfless.
Small. Keep the group small. 4-6, including yourself.
Simple. Keep the menu as simple as possible.
- I only served 3 recipes for this dinner:
- a dip we could snack on,
- a pasta salad (with greens & bread) as our dinner
- & a dessert to finish.
It was more than enough. It’s key to remember this isn’t a dinner party, and we’re not caterers. It’s a casual dinner with friends.
Selfless. It’s not about performing or demonstrating cooking skills. It’s about spending time together.
Have A Few Basics You Love
I often use disposables I can just throw away when dinner is over, but I also love having some basics I adore and can use over and over again. (You’ll see many of these items like the placemats, the salt & pepper mills + the gold cutlery weekly with the Monday Menus.)
These emerald green pottery plates come in sets of 4, look incredibly expensive but are half the price of similar looks. I use them every chance I get!
The same goes for the green “vintage-look” water glasses. They add that extra touch of special and look stylish alongside the plates when displayed on open shelving or in a glass cabinet.
Hen House Linens and Lemondaisy Designs are my curated go-tos for linens. The Hen House Fandango Gold Camel tablecloth and dinner napkins are neutral basics perfect for all seasons. I just throw them in the washer when I need to- low maintenance but the perfect weight and gorgeous!
As always Lemondaisy has unique, hand painted cocktail napkins and place cards (that can double as gift tags). The green pagoda design adds a fun touch that’s neutral enough for any occasion (or I can use them seamlessly for mahjong parties).
Recipes To Make
There’s no need to make lots of food. Keep the menu low key. The food is what brings us together, but it isn’t the event.
- Limit the # of dishes you make.
- Choose recipes that don’t take a lot of time, have short cuts or rely on easy cooking methods.
I kept it quick & light with a chicken pasta salad that could serve as our whole meal. Serving it on a bed of greens made for a pretty presentation with the practicality of adding more nutrition and flavor.
I also offered 3 pretty breads from my local grocery store’s bakery in a basket for my guests to choose from- a rosemary flatbread, croissants and a sliced baguette- for a special finishing touch!
A dinner with friends doesn’t have to be fancy. And it certainly doesn’t have to be hard. Getting together is about being together.
Keep it small; keep it simple, keep it selfless, and offer your friends the something real they’re craving this month.
Guides & Lists For Everything You Need
Table Links
- 6 ft. folding table
- 10 Ounce Vintage Look Green Glassware
- Maiden Hair Fern
- Fandango Camel Yellow Dinner Napkins
- Gold Flatware Set for 6
- Placemats for 6
- Tall Wooden Salt & Pepper Mills
- Fandango Camel Yellow Tablecloth
- Embossed Emerald Pottery Plates
- Wooden Candle Sticks with Hurricane
- Cocktail Napkins with Green Pagodas
- Green Pagoda Place Cards
- Wooden Serving Tongs
Timeline (Total Time Under 3 Hrs.)
Task Times are approximate.
2 Days Before– 30 minutes
- Buy all of the ingredients.
- Boil chicken breasts. Cool. Store in the fridge in a zip top bag. (20 minutes)
- Use the broth from boiling the chicken to boil the pasta. Cool by running under cold water. Store in the fridge in a zip top bag. (10 minutes)
1 Day Before– 50 minutes
- Have tablecloth & chairs delivered. (From, Ep. 1, I do this so I don’t have to own, store or clean these items. I used a white tablecloth under my Hen House Fandango one.)
- Get out items needed to set the table & make sure they are ready. (10-15 minutes)
- Set up table & chairs (+ set the table, if eating inside). (10- 35 minutes)
- Chop celery, green onions & grapes for the chicken salad. (15 minutes)
- Make Ham & Pineapple Dip. (5-10 minutes)
Day Of– 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Set the table, if eating outside. (15 minutes)
- Make Hello Dollies. (35 minutes)
- Assemble the dip platter with dip + crackers. (10 minutes)
- Assemble the pasta salad. Don’t forget the dressing! (20 minutes)
Day After
- Browse through your phone and choose 1-2 pics from the night before. Order same day photo cards from your local photo lab & mail keepsake thank you notes!
Photos by Kimberly Kimble Photography
This post is beautiful and perfect for spending quality time with guests. Love your site.
This is SO good! I love it!
Hi, Lydia! Thank you so much! This really made my day!
This was fabulous! It seems like even I could pull this off! So well organized! I loved the pictures too! Thank you so much!!
Hi, Jan! Thank you so much! I absolutely know you could! It would be great!