So you want to host Easter dinner this year?
Did I hear you mention that you have no idea where to begin? Are you wondering what to serve for dinner? How will you decorate the table? What will you put the food in when your entertaining dishes are last night’s pizza box and a leftover burger box? These are serious questions for any hostess!
Which is why I put together a few hostess hacks for you!
If you follow me at all, you know I love me some HoneyBaked Ham for my holiday entertaining! They might have sponsored these hostess hacks, but that means nothing because I would buy their food myself.
Start by looking around your home for items that might pass for serving dishes and decor. I was surprised to learn that I own a single, lonely Easter/spring-ish sort of dish. ONE! And it sure as heck isn’t big enough for a quarter ham. Bummer, dude!
So what’s a party planner to do?
I raided my photo props looking for inspiration. Then, Michael caught me searching for inspiration in party planning space. I even stood in my craft room begging something to make sense! Surely I owned something that would work because I REALLY didn’t want to go shopping with a 6 week old and his 3.5 year old brother. Just, no.
It just so happens that willing things to make sense works when you have party planning powers! Also known as, figuring out what I could use and then picking up a few adorable egg holders to serve as my place settings.
Hostess Hack: Sometimes the best inspiration is time. Spending some quality time thinking about your table will help the ideas flow.
Let’s talk about staging the table for Easter dinner.
I dug this basket out of who knows where and stuffed it with color coordinating Easter stringy stuff. (I have no idea what it’s really called.) Flowers would also work well if you are looking for a more upscale look. I purchased oodles of stringy stuff on clearance last year so a playful centerpiece made more sense.
Hostess Hack: Label each dish with a sticky note so you, and your helpers, know what food goes where. I find that sticky notes help keep my head screwed on when things start to get dicey.
Whenever I host a HoneyBaked Ham party, I like to get a bit of ham and turkey to please the masses. I have family members who rave about their ham, and those that get down on the turkey, so having both keeps both armies happy. Knowing that I won’t run out food is a huge motivator, too.
Hostess Hack: It’s okay to go semi-homemade with your meal when the food is tasty and you have a coupon. Your guests would rather spend time with a happy hostess than a frazzled one. Trust me.
I have to ask… were you able to guess what I used to serve the side dishes in?
Drumroll please………………………………………
I used a set of candy jars from last year’s clearance haul! For real, dudes. I had planned on using the jars to store my craft supplies, but, yeah… life happened.
Hostess Hack: Look at your home decor in a new light when looking for items to use on your table. You never know what you will come up with!
I always get good reviews when I serve HoneyBaked Ham’s mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese, so I grabbed a few side dishes to go with the meat. Easy peasy, no?
Pair your sides with a bunch of rolls and you have yourself an Easter dinner in a few short hours! There are oodles of perks to a semi-homemade meal.
Like pretty desserts. Pretty desserts that I didn’t stand in the kitchen for hours making.
Note: Side and Dessert selections may vary by location.
I might not slave over the gorgeous cheesecake, but I do like to prepare a little somethin’, somethin’ for my guests who don’t eat cheesecake. Which is why I always keep chocolate chips in the house.
See, I told you I would hook you up with some tips! Enjoy the fruits of your not that hard labor.
Hostess Hack: I like to give my guests a few options when it comes to desserts so everyone is able to enjoy a sweet treat.
DO A GIRL A FAVOR AND PIN THESE EASTER DINNER IDEAS!
