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Free Dinner Menu Templates (PSD, AI, Word)

For those who love to receive friends and family for an unforgettable meal at home, it is no secret: to be able to enjoy the moment with them, the idea is to think in advance about what the event will be.

If you are part of this team, you will love to know that, in today’s post, we have prepared a complete guide on how to organize an unforgettable dinner at your home, from the first steps of planning to clean after the party!

Like? Keep reading and find out how to receive at home with maximum success and minimal stress!

1. Planning: Step By Step To Organize

Between one and four weeks before the big day, depending on the size of the dinner you plan to organize, it is good to start thinking calmly about the details of the event.

For this reason, first of all, we have a shortlist for you to check, one item at a time, everything needed to plan an unforgettable evening. Check:

1.1. Guests

It’s not just a matter of the number of guests —which, of course, should have a limit to maintaining the comfort of everyone in your dining room, right? —, but still who exactly you will call.

After all, to ensure a pleasant evening, it is necessary to gather people with chances of getting along, if they do not know each other. If they are known, be careful not to forget anyone when it comes to calling a class that is always together.

At this point, it’s great to be able to count on a friend or friend who wants to call anyway to ask for guesses regarding the guest list.

1.2. Date and time

After carefully selecting the guests, you need to check which date and time will be most convenient for everyone. Fortunately, it’s quite simple to solve the issue by creating a group for the event on social networks or instant messaging apps!

Consider the routine of the guests (know if they work the next day if they will leave their children at home) and try to reconcile everyone’s needs whenever possible.

Saturdays and recesses are ideal for you to prepare the party with tranquility and arrange the house without haste the next day.

1.3. Budget

The next step in how to organize a dinner is to establish the budget for the event. As well as decide whether it will be divided among those present or covered by you. In both cases, be sure to stipulate a set value or at least one ceiling not to be exceeded.

A great way to share part of the expenses with the guests, without the dinner no longer being a gift from you, is to ask them to bring some small things, such as a baguette, a cheese, or even a bottle of wine.

1.4. Type of dinner

Once you’ve defined who you’ll call for the event and the date and time you choose, it’ll be easier to decide what kind of dinner you’ll offer: from finger food to a full,multi-course meal. You can also opt for a theme (such as, say, Mexican or Japanese food) that matches the occasion.

From there, your choices for the menu will become more limited and consequently uncomplicated!

1.5. Shopping

Don’t forget to plan for shopping for the party yet. Some items are difficult to find or need time to ripen (such as avocado, for example), while others should be fresh and, therefore, can only be purchased on the day.

Make the shopping list in advance and divide it according to the time, as well as the location (supermarket, bakery, gourmet products store,etc.).

Also, remember non-food items such as napkins, decorating accessories, crockery, and necessary kitchenware. Then just put the plan into action following the schedule!

2. Decoration: How To Leave Your Home Beautiful And Cozy

Another thing that can and should be planned is the decoration of the dinner. Keep an eye on our tips to get the look of your home right, and don’t forget any details to make your guests feel comfortable:

2.1. Composing the environment

A few days before the party, try different ways to brighten up the dining room.

It is also worth adding the light of a lamp or positioning candles in different locations. Eventually, it may be interesting to change the cold light bulbs for warm (yellowish) light bulbs, to make the place cozier.

Take the set of crockery you want to use from the cupboard and test it together with the tablecloths, napkins, and other accessories to choose what else has to do with the atmosphere of the dinner, in addition to the ones that best match each other. If you want, base yourself on the theme of the event to make the décor more fun!

2.2. Setting the table

Ideally, the table should already be prepared with the dishes, cutlery, glasses, and glasses when the guests arrive, even if you spend time pinching appetizers on the sofa before dinner itself.

Throw it with a tablecloth or a set of American games. Place the sousplats (if using), and distribute napkins, plates, and cutlery in place of each one.

Even if you start drinking before you go to the table, it is interesting to leave another glass or glass prepared in place of each, as well as a jar of water. Alternatively, you can leave dishes, glasses and cutlery arranged on a tabletop to serve the food in the buffet style.

2.3. Beyond the dining room

Especially if you’re calling people who’ve never been to your house before, it’s important to tidy up the rest of the rooms as well! So they get a good impression when it comes to taking the tour, okay?

Preferably, if you are going to prepare the food in your kitchen, try to plan to get a little of the mess before the staff arrives:

  1. change the dishcloths;
  2. wash or at least arrange the dishes and dirty utensils;
  3. take out the trash;
  4. change to a clean apron if using;
  5. and wipe over the surfaces.
  6. The bathroom or toilet to be used by guests should also be clean, with fresh towels, soap, and extra rolls of toilet paper visible.

2.4. Pampering and extras

Everything in the trenches? So, finally, here are some “extra” ideas that can make your décor even more personal:

use cup scups and bowls, so no one loses yours;

make visible in the bathroom a basket with absorbents, a comb, deodorant spray without perfume, tissue, hair clips, compact powder, and other personal hygiene items for the use of guests;

And make plaques with the names of each one, placing them in their respective seats at the table.

3. Menu: Choosing The Food And Drink

Let’s move on to the stars of your dinner now: here’s what you take into account when deciding on food and drink options to suit all tastes.

3.1. Establish an order

Drinks, appetizers, starters, salad, main courses, dessert, and coffee: which of these steps will make up the script of your dinner?

If the proposal is a relaxing meeting, it may be that drinks and belisquetes end up being the main attraction. On the other hand, in a formal dinner and with fewer people, more dishes mean more elegance and intimacy.

3.2. Consider the climate

With the “script” of the dinner assembled, it’s time to decide what will be served at each part of the party.

Don’t be afraid to opt for soups, roasts, and other hot dishes to warm up to the soul of guests in winter: fondue, broths, pizzas, and others that require réchauds or the oven continuously turned on contribute to making the house cozy as well.

In the heat, bet on foods such as salads, cold dishes of Japanese cuisine, cold cuts, and cold desserts such as ice cream and puddings.

3.3. Keep an eye on allergies and restrictions

In addition to helping to delimit their choices, asking guests if they have any allergies or food restrictions is still a delicacy on their part.

3.4. Combine food with drink

Finally, unless dinner revolves around a wine or beer tasting, leave to choose the drinks after the menu is ready. It makes it easier to harmonize them without error.

Remember that you may as well exchange drinks for wine in the appetizer pass for dinner. It is also worth offering different bottles for each dish and even bursting a sparkling wine at dessert or on the arrival of guests.

Be sure to also separate some non-alcoholic options for those who are driving and use our tips to calculate the right amount of drink.

4. Reception: What Can Not Miss During Dinner

With everything planned, checked, and checked, it’s time to open the doors of your home and welcome friends and family to the dinner you have idealized so carefully! Check it out:

4.1. Arrival and presentations

Plan to have the main course ready about an hour or two after the scheduled time for the start of the event. Thus, guests have a good margin of tolerance for delays and plenty of time to get in the way while biting some snacks.

If there are any guests you don’t know personally yet (like someone’s partner or child), try to know their name before the party: welcome him by showing you that you know who he is will surely make him more at ease!

Also, have drinks ready and cold to welcome people as soon as they arrive: leave the bucket of sparkling wine and glasses on a small table next to the door or take the guests directly to the bar as soon as they arrive to prepare them a drink are good ideas.

Don’t forget to leave a corner, a separate chair or clothes rack to receive people’s bags and coats as they arrive.

4.2. Music

The choice of dinner soundtrack can be almost as important as the menu, so it’s worth reflecting on it a little bit before the party.

If there is no possibility to know about the musical taste of the guests before the big day, opt for something more neutral, such as instrumental music, a light pop, or MPB of the old ones.

Control the volume so that the music doesn’t overlap the conversation, and don’t hesitate to ask people what they’d like to hear when they arrive.

If you don’t have many options for CDs or tracks on your computer, it might be interesting to have a music app and a Bluetooth-signaled stereo to connect to your smartphone.

Another interesting idea is to put together a soundtrack based on the theme of dinner, with French music for dishes of the cuisine of that country, Italian opera for pasta or pizzas, Indian instruments for oriental cuisine, and so on!

5. Cleaning: Tidying Up After The Party

Perhaps the least fun and enjoyable part of welcoming loved ones into our house are this: the time to clean up and clean up the mess after everyone has left.

Still, it is possible to adopt various measures to reduce the heavy lifting after the party and even make it a form of relaxation. Do you want to see it? Write down our strategies and put your feet up faster:

5.1. Pre-clean during dinner

It’s Not — Cool Not Even For You or the guests for the host to spend the whole busy party instead of enjoying it. So we’re not saying you should go to the sink and do the dishes in the middle of the event; however, some quick steps can help make your job easier later.

At each new stage of dinner (that is, in the passage of snacks to the entrance, then to the main course, and so on), take five minutes — but no more! — to collect dirty, dirty glasses, napkins, plates, and cutlery that will no longer be used.

In the case of very greased items, the ideal is to pass hot water. Add the cutlery in a pot or glass and soak everything.

This quick maneuver will prevent dirt from drying out and sticking to your dishes, allowing you to speed up washing later or the next day.

5.2. Use rented crockery and cutlery

Another option that may be worth it, especially for dinners with more than eight people, is to rent the dishes and even the tablecloths and napkins instead of using what you have at home.

Search to see if this option fits the party budget and also check if the company offers the option to deliver and pick up the rented items in your home. That way, you don’t have to wash them, organize them back into the boxes they came in.

5.3. Learn how to fix the house quickly

At the end of the party, after the guests leave, the last thing you should want is to spend hours cleaning the house and tidying up. And the good news is you don’t even have to do that!

With a little care, it is possible to arrange things quickly to sleep with tranquility and finish the heavy part of cleaning the next day, after resting. Just follow these steps:

  1. Put the drinks left in the fridge. You can use reusable stoppers for wines or cover them with plastic film as well.
  2. Pass some water over all the plates and glasses, leaving cutlery, containers, utensils, and saucepans with water and some detergent.
  3. Pass the bushing and then roll over the sink so that you can use it without obstructions to make breakfast the next day.
  4. Collect the napkins from the table and shake the towel or the American games to remove the bran and leftover food before placing them in the laundry basket or soaking in a bowl.

5.4. Take rest and do cleaning the next day

In the morning, have your coffee in no hurry and, before washing the dishes, put the tablecloths to wash and iron a broom in the dining room, put on an exciting song, and make cleaning a diversion.

Then, with everything in place, be sure to reward yourself for the well-done work and success of dinner by watching a movie or a series or reading a book while resting!

Planning a dinner at your home with care and attention is not just a way to avoid setbacks and make everything happen as expected.

It is also a way to ensure that you and your guests have a quiet and pleasant evening to enjoy time together.

Dinner Food Menu templates

Following are some of the best dinner food menu templates:

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      We hope that our guide and templates will have you in preparing the menu for your restaurants. To further increase your productivity, do check out our other free resources!

      FAQs

      What are some typical dinners?

      The entrée/main course is often a meat or seafood dish in most restaurants, with an optional side. The sandwich, salad, and appetizer choices vary from restaurant to restaurant. Vegetarian options are sometimes available but are not common in most countries, but many restaurants offer at least one vegetarian option on their menu.

      What is the most common dinner?

      Steak and ton katsu (pork cutlet) are among Japan’s most popular dinner items. In North America, the most popular dinner choices are hamburgers, fish and chips, and fried chicken. Chinese restaurants in North America often offer a few different noodle dishes like Lo Mein or Chow Mein. Japanese and Korean restaurants may also serve Odon noodles.

      What is a typical American dinner?

      In the U.S., a typical dinner consists of meat or seafood with vegetables and potatoes. In addition, a sandwich, salad, and appetizer are sometimes served as entrees instead of side dishes.

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