Let's talk about food.
Cooking for a group of people in a smaller space can be a daunting thought. With less counter, fridge, & oven space - being strategic about both your menu and prep is key.
Your room party style will dictate the menu. Certain things are easier to eat perched on a couch than others: Pasta salad? Easy-peasy. Anything that requires a steak knife?
Then there’s the temperature to consider. For example, don't plan for a full menu of warm items that won't fit in the oven right before guests arrive. Instead strike balance between cool, warm, and room temperature items. Serve a salad or cold appetizer at the start to welcome guests while you wait for the hot items to come out of the oven. Hopefully, this will keep any single spot in your kitchen from getting overcrowded and make it easier for a host to serve.
Prepping is imperative in a smaller space since you will likely lose a portion of your standing room in your kitchen once guests arrive (it inherently will become an area where guests stay and mingle).
The key to successful prepping is simple, do as much as you can ahead of time. We take prepping very seriously in the Centner house. From chopping veggies and mixing dips to setting the table and laying & labelling all the platters we want to use for each dish. We even made it an important part of every chapter of Eatertainment - The Party Countdown, breaking down anything and everything that can be done a week, days, and hours before your event.
Speaking of platters, the last step of food is serving it! With limited counter space, we like to say: if you can't move outward, why not upward? Tiered trays should be in any host's arsenal, but they also take up decent storage space, so understandably might not be something our condo and apartment entertainers have on hand. Luckily, they are easy to DIY! All you need is two plates, 1 small & 1 larger, and a cup. Starting with the large plate as the base, place the cup centred on top, and finish with the smaller plate. Feel free to use some double-sided tape if you are worried about stability.
Now that you've got your plan all laid out, all there's left to do is get to work!
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