Planning summer entertaining or a dinner party can be stressful. There’s so much to think about: food, drinks, arrangements, music…it can be overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be – we’ve got your back. Here are our Top 3 recipe suggestions to help relieve your stress levels and focus more on what’s important: friends, family, and fun!
Everything here is easy, can be prepared a day ahead, and can be modified for the vegetarians we love.
1. Charcuterie & Cheese Board. You choose your own combination, but it can include anything from crudités, fruit, nuts, olives, meats, cheeses, jams, sauces, crackers, bread – anything snackable. The key here is to arrange it neatly on a large wooden board. The food itself makes for a stunning display. Gina Homolka of skinnytaste.com has an excellent entry in regards to making the perfect charcuterie board.
photo by Raul Velasco from skinnytaste.com
2. Kabobs. These can be made with meat and veggies, or veggies alone; think: peppers, squash, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, proteins of your choice, the list goes on… Assembling them on skewers a day ahead will make for a seemingly effortless production by just throwing them on the grill. There are so many recipes out there, but we have fallen for Debbie Taber’s recipe on allrecipes.com – we just replace the mushrooms with small potatoes for no other reason than we love potatoes.
photo by Michelle
3. Blackberry Icebox Cake. This chilled, fruit-laden, no-bake dessert from bonappetit.com is perfect for a warm summer night. Yet again, this is just a few ingredients, and can be made the night before and ready to pop out on a plate and serve your guests!
photo by Heidi’s Bridge for Bon Appetit
There you have it! Easy and beautiful summer food for you and your guests and your next entertaining engagement.