Your first steps to showing hospitality can be easy. Plan to start small and as you grow more comfortable, add to the number of people you are inviting over. Plan a bigger meal or more detail to the recipes or dishes. Just take baby steps for now. You have will years to build on this.
Start Small
- Maybe ask one family or even one couple.
- Sometimes it is easier to have two couples or two small families over to help keep the conversation going.
- Keep the food simple, or even order pizza.
The House
- Your house should be clean, but remember they are coming over to visit, not buy your house!
- Clean up the clutter, dust, clean the floors and make sure the bathrooms are clean. Most of this can be done ahead of time with good planning and give the bathroom a ‘once over’ before the guests come. If you don’t have time for anything else…. clean the bathroom & kitchen!
- Be sure your driveway and front porch are clear and if you can, have a bright “pop” of color at the door. This could be a potted plant/flower or even a DIY wreath, you want your guest to feel Welcomed!
What to Make
The key is to prepare as much of the food ahead of time as possible. This is where freezer cooking could come in handy for you. I will talk more about this in another post. Here are a few of my “go-to” meal ideas for feeding a small group of people. And the recipes to these meals can easily be doubled when needed.
Meals
- A baked pasta dish/salad/bread (home-made is best but purchasing a frozen pan of lasagna from the grocery store is a great time saver. Easy to bake & serve and easier to eat than spaghetti.)
- Pulled Pork or Chicken BBQ/baked beans/slaw/potato salad
- Chili with hot dogs or cornbread/crackers or Fritos and add on shredded cheese and sour cream
- Taco Salad or Salad Bar. Lay out the toppings and let them build their own favorite dish
- Subs (deli meat, meatballs, or pizza toppings) add on some chips and maybe a dip
- A roast or two with veggies cooked in a big roaster is always a great meal.
Desserts
- Bunt Cake – can be made ahead of time
- Brownies – can be made ahead of time
- Ice Cream – buy cones and make a toppings bar. Go crazy with it!
I am always telling new couples that their family and friends are coming for the conversation and love more than the food. You only need to make them feel at home.
