Hello!! I hope you’re all having a great week! I thought I’d pop in and share some healthy summer party and grilling recipes if you’re planning any fun family nights or get-togethers.

I LOVE grilling season, it’s such an easy and healthy way to make dinner. The best part: very little cleanup. Something about veggies and meat on the grill lets us all know that summer is officially here. We have some fun get-togethers planned over the next couple of months, and I’ve started to brainstorm and remember my favorite summer grilling and party recipes.

Here’s a little list if you’re looking for inspiration, too!

Healthy Summer Party And Grilling Recipes

Party Grill Recipes For Summer

Appetizers

Goat Cheese Queso With Green Chile

This appetizer is melty, cheesy, and oh-so good. It’s perfect to snack on while waiting for the main meal, and, it has turkey bacon! Even though I grew up around Mexican food, the appetizers aren’t my strong suit. But I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make and how much everyone loved it!

Eggplant Pizzas

Eggplants—I love eating them, I love incorporating them into dishes, but actually cooking them feels like a whole ordeal. What I forgot though (until making this recipe) is that eggplants really don’t need that much to taste good—these egg plant pizzas prove that! They’re also super nutritious which is always a plus.

Marinated Grilled Vegetables With Avocado Whipped Feta

Struggle with eating vegetables sometimes? We’ve all been there, I’m guilty myself! But all you truly need is a grill and good, flavorful marinade. I’ve had this appetizer for an actual dinner a time or too, but it’s lightweight enough to serve as a side or a pre-meal snack.

Chicken Manchegos and House Guacamole

Not only is this appetizer SUPER good, it’s even easier to make! It’s got the protein, the veggies, and the gooey manchego cheese. If you’re having people over for a night of grilling, set this out for them to try.

Read more

Sharing my top tips for hosting an awesome dinner party + some of my favorite cooking hacks.

Hi hi! How’s the morning going? I’m off to mass with the kids and then hitting an F45 class. I hope you have a great day, too.

For today’s post, I thought we could talk a bit about dinner party tips and cooking hacks. Please keep in mind that I’m NOT a professional (even though we have some people in my family who are professional cooks and others who cook like they’re professionals). I’m just a home cook who enjoys it and also happens to LOVE feeding people. When the Pilot and I first got married, a friend said I needed a kitchen sign that said, “Never leave hungry” because that seemed to my motto. It brings me so much joy to enjoy awesome meals with the people we love, so we love having friends and family members over whenever we can.

Over time, I’ve learned some good dinner party tips and cooking hacks, so I wanted to share with ya this morning. If you have any you can add to the list, please chime in in the comments section so we can help each other out! (* = ones that were submitted from Instagram! Thank you to those of you who chimed in)

15 Tips For Hosting A Dinner Party

Make anything you can in advance

I learned this one from my nana, who will make and freeze as many meal components as possible before a family get-together. She used to own a catering company, so she’s pretty used to making large quantities of amazing food. Anything you can make before a party, do it. This means things like dips, desserts, side dishes, anything. I usually try to pre-make anything I can, so I’m not cooking as people are arriving.

I learned this one the hard way. We invited friends over the first time we lived in Valdosta, and I hadn’t prepared a single thing. They all sat at the kitchen table as I ran around the kitchen, stressed, and sweating from the hot stove and burners. Learn from my mistake, friends.

Never try a new recipe the night of a dinner party

It can be tempting to want to try a cool new recipe you see on social media or a website, but always give it a test run before serving it to another group of people. I’ve had a handful of Pinterest fails and I’m so glad I took the time to try them out in advance. Serve options that you can cook easily and that you know are a hit.

Set the menu strategically

Check in with guests to see if there are any dietary restrictions. Plan out the menu in advance depending on the occasion and them