Some people might delight in the notion of entertaining multi-hyphenate celebrity chef Ina Garten in their own home, some may dissolve under the intimidation, and others, still, will balk at the whole hypothetical. But there are oodles of useful tips to glean from Garten’s own personal and professional experience as a party host from over the years. In particular, there’s one dinner party faux pas you should always avoid.
“Nobody should ever make a new recipe for guests,” Garten told Esquire in its ever revelatory “What I’ve Learned” series. “You have no idea how it’s going to turn out. You should make something you know you love — something you know how to do without breaking a sweat, which you know your guests are going to adore,” she said. If you already have your own Ina Garten-inspired 10 recipe arsenal, that should work out just fine. Otherwise, we recommend expanding your repertoire of trust recipes. The Barefoot Contessa’s brilliantly flavorful roast chicken is certainly one for the list, and it’s an easy, elegant option for feeding a group (the juicy secret is dry brining the bird). Just be sure to roast it with vegetables you’ve already mastered, too, lest you’re left with the bitter taste of a broccoli rabe blunder or the like. The same principle applies to your own personal best dish: Group gatherings just aren’t the best time for experimentation. Cook what you know.
More great plates you can make for a crowd (even if you must break Garten’s rule)
Although charcuterie mistakes can happen, they’re definitely more quickly fixed than something like a soufflé mistake. Simply gather the titular meats, add a smattering of cheese, incorporate a few fruits, spreads, and some sliced baguette, and you’ve crafted a beautiful board in no time. A few ounces per person make for an ideal snack, but you should scale up if this is intended as a more abundant dinner-like buffet. You can even build out stations like the cured meat section, a smoked seafood platter, and a dip tray for a veritable cornucopia.
Speaking of buffets, a taco bar presents as more home cooked with surprisingly little effort. You can use the protein preparation you know the best, then assemble toppings like shredded cheese, chopped vegetables, and a fun smattering of salsas and hot sauce options that’ll make it seem like you were in the kitchen all day. Any pasta sauce or gravy recipe you’ve got up your sleeve is also likely to please plenty of palates, and you can make it even more interesting by serving it alongside a few bruschetta garlic bread varieties. Apply the same large format, batch-made, and/or self-serve elements to dessert, and all your guests will leave suitably satisfied.
