Short On Oven Space? The Trick That Helps You Pull Off A Crowded Dinner Party

Do you love throwing dinner parties but feel stressed when it comes to prepping and cooking multiple dishes at once? More specifically, if you plan to cook a variety of entrees or sides with just one oven, the preparation process can get a little vexing. What you need is a helpful solution to make sure everything can be heated in your oven and served at roughly the same time. Fortunately, building your menu around a few make-ahead dishes — some that you can cook together in your oven on the day of your party and some that don't need an oven at all — is one of the best ways to make any dinner party nearly perfect.

For starters, take a cue from master chef Nigella Lawson's practical advice for hosting a dinner party and prepare only a few signature dishes as opposed to a long list of smaller ones. Better yet, choose hot meals you can prepare and store in your refrigerator ahead of time. Also, try to choose meals that require the same (if not similar) cooking times so they can cook simultaneously. Some worthwhile options include lasagna, chicken pot pie, broccoli rice casserole, enchiladas, and Hawaiian bread ham-and-cheese sandwiches.

You'll also want to factor in rest times when planning which dishes to cook and when. For example, lasagna typically requires a 15 to 20 minute resting period before cutting. During this time, feel free to reheat any dishes you prepped and cooked in advance.   

Maximize your oven space even more with a few chilled, make-ahead dishes that don't require your oven at all. Prep a few appetizers like shrimp cocktail, creamy whipped feta, or a cold spinach dip that you can serve with crackers and sliced vegetables. This way, as your guests enjoy the pre-made snacks, you have a free oven to cook and heat your main entrees and sides based on what takes the longest and what can be heated right before mealtime. 

Appetizers aside, if you're hosting a warm-weather party, consider serving both hot and cold dishes to free up more oven space. For example, use your oven to cook a few integral favorites like macaroni and cheese or homemade rolls and then pair them with chilled, pre-assembled side dishes like chopped mango avocado chicken salad or Italian deli grinder salad. You can also pre-cook steak or chicken the day before your party and add it to pasta for another quick and flavorful option. 

Another solid way to offer both hot and cold dishes at your next dinner party is to utilize your oven for one or two primary protein sources, like baked chicken or roasted salmon, and use your refrigerator to house the majority of your appetizers and sides. Regardless of what you decide to make, tackle most of the prep work in advance to better streamline your next dinner party.