Katie Lee Biegel: Hosting a Great Party Starts with a Great Plan

On this episode of The Better Buy, cookbook author and Food Network star Katie Lee Biegel shares her tips for putting together a party everyone will love.

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On This Episode

Host Mélanie Berliet talks with Food Network host and cookbook author Katie Lee Biegel about what goes into throwing the perfect dinner party, how her hosting habits have changed since becoming a mom, and what to keep around the house for impromptu get-togethers.

Meet Katie Lee Biegel

Katie Lee Biegel is a chef and co-host of The Food Network’s Emmy-nominated talk show The Kitchen. She also stars in What Would Katie Eat and the Cooking Channel’s Beach Bites with Katie Lee. She’s the author of several cookbooks, including It’s Not Complicated, which features easy-to-make recipes for daily life. Katie also co-founded Kind of Wild, a natural wine company focused on sustainability. She’s now raising a daughter in New York City with her husband Ryan.

Advice from the Episode

Katie shares her tips on planning a fabulous dinner party that’ll make an impression on your family and friends without stressing you, the host, out.

Katie Lee Biegel

Don’t bite off more than you can chew, so to speak. So don’t give yourself this unattainable idea of what your party’s gonna be like, with a menu that’s super complicated and takes a lot of time. And where you are in the kitchen, having to do it all at the last minute and plate it individually and make it really fancy. Think about a menu that’s easily executable and that you can do most of it ahead of time. Make it easy on yourself. And food doesn’t have to be fancy to be delicious or to be memorable. And use your best china. Use it all. What are you saving it for? Make a meatloaf and put it on that china that you got for your wedding. Enjoy it.

You Don’t Have to Stick to the Dining Room

• Going for a relaxed, conversational gathering? Consider skipping the formal dining room set-up and let your guests eat where they’d like.

• It might be better to keep the seating plan flexible in case your guests are mid-conversation when it’s time to sit down—you won’t want to interrupt!

Katie Lee Biegel

I really like casual entertaining. I think that when everybody’s gotta sit down at the dining table, that sometimes it can feel very formal, and then people feel a little bit more uptight. So to be able to just have a buffet, take a plate and a napkin, have your plate on your lap and eat, I think just makes everybody really relaxed and you don’t have that feeling of having to keep up a dining table conversation. Everybody’s just mixing and mingling and relaxed … I read once somebody said the quickest way to kill the vibe at a dinner party is say, “OK, let’s move into the dining room.”

Related: 7 Smart Ways to Repurpose the Formal Dining Room You Never Use

Take a Deep Breath and Enjoy the Company

• As the host, your attitude has the power to set the tone for each and every one of your guests. Don’t let yourself get too stressed!

• Plan ahead so you’re able to relax and mingle with your family and friends when the party’s in full swing.

Katie Lee Biegel

The most important thing for setting the atmosphere at any party is the host. If the host is relaxed, everybody else is too. If the host is ready to have a good time, everybody else is gonna have a good time. If the host is uptight and nervous, everybody else will be that way too.

Expect Imperfection

• It’s alright if your house looks lived-in—it is, after all!

• With company comes chaos. Don’t feel the need to achieve perfection, and let mistakes come and go.

Katie Lee Biegel

I think you have to let go of the feeling of everything needing to be perfect. I used to always want my house to be perfect, I wanted everything to be cleaned up, and now I just don’t care if there’s toys everywhere … Now that I’ve let go of this feeling of needing perfection, I enjoy myself so much more, and I also have more time to focus on the food because I’m not running around trying to clean up every little last thing.

Related: 7 Quick-and-Easy Chores That Make a Big Impact Before Guests Arrive

Keep Amenities in Mind

• The guest bathroom may not be your first thought when preparing for a party, but it’s incredibly important.

• Give your guests a clean, comforting place to slip away to—and remember to double check that it’s staying tidy a few times throughout the night!

Katie Lee Biegel

The guest bathroom is really important. And speaking of neat and tidy, make sure that you have that guest bathroom sparkly. I think that’s an important place to put your efforts and have a fresh hand towel or disposable hand towels, a nice scented soap, put a candle or some potpourri in there. Always put a discreetly placed plunger … I think that your bathroom’s getting used a lot, and that helps avoid any kind of embarrassing situation.

Elevate Your Table Decor With Floral Arrangements

• There’s no need to go all-out with the table decoration, but a few small touches can go a long way.

• Think flowers, colorful napkins, and simple votive candles—just about any combination will do.

Katie Lee Biegel

I do like to decorate the table. I think it does make things special. It’s not something that I spend a lot of time doing, but I like small flower arrangements. I usually make a few flower arrangements that are on the smaller side and put them with votive candles around the table. And then I set the table. I think white dishes always look really good. And then whatever color napkin I wanna play around with for the table setting. That’s kind of where I mix things up, are the napkins. That’s where I get crazy these days.

Related: 20 Classic Flower Arrangements for Stunning Bouquets at Home

If You’re Not the One Hosting, Plan Presents Ahead of Time

• Go beyond the bouquet or store-bought candle, and think about what the host might be able to use—fresh vegetables, gourmet granola, or homemade muffins are great places to start.

• Sending gifts before the party begins means you’re not adding anything to the host’s plate while company’s already over.

Katie Lee Biegel

I think it’s really nice to send something ahead of time. So if you are going to somebody’s house for a special dinner, or if you’re gonna go be a house guest, to send a small flower arrangement ahead of time is really nice. Versus showing up with a bouquet of flowers that then your host needs to stop and find a vase for.

Related: Your Guide to Hosting the Ultimate Appetizers-Only Dinner Party

Links and Resources

Editor’s note: Please note that this transcript does not go through our standard editorial process and may contain inaccuracies and grammatical errors.

Download the Transcript for This Episode

• Visit Katie’s website.

• Follow Katie on Instagram and Facebook.
  

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