Simple meals for hospitality that will make having people over more doable. Don’t let not knowing what to make be an excuse!
We love hospitality! We try to share a meal with others in our home at least two to three times a month. Sharing a meal in your home is one of the best ways to get to know someone (and let them get to know you!).
Deciding on what to make when you have company over is one of the hardest parts of hospitality. Therefore, today I want to share some simple meals for hospitality that will make having people over more doable.
Simple Meals for Hospitality
Homemade Pizza
Homemade pizza is always a big hit with others. We love serving Chicken Alfredo Pizza. It’s so delicious and filling! Toss a salad on the side and you have a yummy dinner to share.
Another fun way to do homemade pizza is to do personal pan pizza style. Give each person their own pan of dough and lay out the fixings. Let each person pile their pizza dough high with the fixings of their choice. Or give each family their own full size pizza to dress. Either way this is a laid back (and fun!) way to share a simple meal that doesn’t take a lot of effort on the hosts part.
Taco Bar
Laying out a taco bar is a popular, simple meal for hospitality. You can choose to have everything at the ready yourself, or ask your guests to contribute to the meal.
What you’ll need:
- Ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken, etc.) cooked with taco seasoning
- Hard and soft tortillas
- Diced tomatoes
- Shredded lettuce
- Shredded cheeses
- Refried beans
- Sour cream
- Avocados
- Taco and/or Hot sauce
- Salsa
Lasagna
You can feed an army with lasagna! We love making a couple of pans of lasagna for nights when we have teenagers from our youth group over for dinner. Plus lasagna is just easier to make in bulk!
Spaghetti
Spaghetti is a cinch to whip up and just about everyone loves it. I make this Simple Spaghetti when I’m short on time because I can have it on the table in less than 20 minutes! Add a tossed salad and some crusty bread to round it out.
Want something just as simple, but isn’t regular ol’ spaghetti? This Baked Rigatoni from Gospel Homemaking is just as simple!
Soup
Soup is an easy, and frugal, meal to serve guests. Our favorite is Hearty Fall Vegetable Soup or Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Chowder. Served with crusty bread and everyone will leave the table fully satisfied!
Some other great soup ideas:
- Hearty Lentil Soup @ Intentional By Grace
- Family Favorite Potato Soup @ A Delightful Home
- Hamburger Vegetable Soup @ Intentional By Grace
- Southwest Chicken Crockpot Soup @ Intentional By Grace
- Cheeseburger Soup @ The Greenback Gals
- Tangy & Savory Mexican Soup @ Just Making Noise
Salad Supper
If you’re hosting a house full of women, I love this idea from A Delightful Home – Host a Simple Salad Supper. This Apple, Quinoa, and Kale Salad from The Greenback Gals looks mouth watering!
Dessert
I’m going to be totally honest. If they ask what they can bring, I usually ask the guests to bring the dessert. Making desserts is just not a gift the good Lord gave me. I will never be known for my ability to whip up a batch of cookies or pull amazing pies from the oven. I’m known for cake explosions and rock hard cookies. That’s just all there is to it!
Even if you’re not a baker, here are some easy desserts you can whip up for your guests. If I can do it, you can do it!
- The Most Amazing Chocolate Cake @ The Stay At Home Chef
- Unbelievable Chocolate Applesauce Bars @ Intentional By Grace
- Healthier Snickerdoodles @ Intentional By Grace
- Old Fashioned Coconut Cream Pie @ Mel’s Kitchen Cafe {by far my favorite ever!}
You can even do ice cream with chocolate sauce or yogurt and berries. So simple!
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Deanna
February 25, 2014 at 7:39 amWe tend to do homemade pizza a lot as well or Mexican. Brownies or cookies usually end up being dessert. We got an automatic ice cream maker, so if it’s a small group of people that’s always fun too.
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Leigh Ann Dutton
March 5, 2014 at 2:19 pmI can’t wait to get my ice cream maker out this spring and summer! Thanks for the reminder 🙂
Lindsay Stevenson
February 26, 2014 at 11:50 amEnjoyed the fresh ideas for meals! Thanks. Breakfast for dinner (quiche or pancakes with fruit) is a go to last minute meal for us.
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