Let guests join in the fun with a cooking party

June 09, 2009

Instead of spending most of your afternoon preparing for a dinner party with friends, invite them over and incorporate them into the process.

This can take some of the stress away for the party planner and create a more relaxing atmosphere with close friends.

The first step for a cooking party is to figure out the menu and decide what kind of dishes need to be created. Since there is essentially a team of cooks, an elaborate dinner with more prep time may be in order.

One suggestion is to make it an Italian night, since homemade pasta sauce, or gravy as some like to call it, can be left to simmer for most of the day.

While the sauce is being prepared, you and your cooks can use recipes to create homemade meatballs for the meal, as well as appetizers such as stuffed mushrooms or baked shrimp.

Finally, feel free to have a bottle of wine handy to toast the chefs once the meal is complete.