Hosting weekend guests will be so easy if you just follow the plan. This menu consolidates cooking time by re-purposing your menus into sandwiches, a taco bar, and brunch—that way there’s more time to relax and enjoy your guests.

We got it all figured from Friday night to Sunday. Read through the plan below, and get the links to all the recipes here: Weekend Guests (Summer)

friday night

THE WELCOME SNACK:

Prepare a snack for your guests’ arrival ahead of time.  Guests will feel welcomed and pampered from the get go. We suggest:
—charcuterie
—Grilled Vegetable Napoleon (see Hobnob’s recipe)
—cerignola olives
—fresh mozzarella
—Amy’s Tuscan bread (a little softer than the typical baguette, which will work nicely for the sandwiches for Saturday’s lunch)
—olive oil for drizzling
—keep a large bowl of fresh fruit on the table all weekend so guests can grab a bite when they need to

THE BAR:

—Host a Small Batch Gin Tasting: See our post for the details and info on American Gins. Along with your gin selections, serve a pitcher of water and a bowl of orange slices for palate cleansing.

THE DINNER:

The strategy: Grill enough for dinner on Friday night, plus extra to put out on the taco bar Saturday night. See our shortcut recipes for:
—Blackened Grouper
—Grilled Mole Marinated Pork Strips
—Grilled Chicken BBQ Strips
Offer food as it comes off the grill, and have a big fresh salad on the table to accompany.

saturday

BREAKFAST:

See our recipe for Carrot Kamut Muffins: Guests will love waking up to freshly-baked muffins.  Make the dough ahead, so all you have to do is pour it into parchment cups and bake.

LUNCH:

Parlay items from Friday night’s dinner into 3 sandwiches.
—Grilled BBQ Chicken with arugula and avocado mayo
—Prosciutto & Soppresata with roasted red peppers, arugula, and olive oil
—Grilled Vegetables with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and hot sauce

PREP FOR DINNER:

Be a job creator. Things will move very swiftly when guests get involved in prepping. Each person has different strengths and joys, so make sure to assign the task that fits the person’s aptitudes.
—clean the veggies
—chop food for salsa and slaws
—put toppings into bowls
—make the dressings and sauces
—set the table
—arrange flowers

COOK THE DINNER:

Set up a taco bar so that each guest can create a taco to their liking.
fillings:
—Reheat the grouper, pork, and chicken from Friday night
—Make Chipotle Onion Ground Beef
—Make Baked Peppery Sweet Potato Strips
toppings:
—White Peach Salsa
—Carrot & Pea Pod Slaw
—cilantro
—corn
—baby arugula
—black beans
—dijon mayo
—Pickled Pink Sweet Heat Jalapeños
—Rogue Hot Sauce
—Aveyo Avocado Mayo

SUGGESTED TACO COMBINATIONS:

[1] Baked Peppery Sweet Potato Strips with black beans, slaw, hot sauce
[2] Grilled Mole-Marinated Pork Strips with salsa, pickled jalapeño, cilantro, dijon mayo
[3] Chipotle Onion Ground Beef with arugula, fresh jalapeño, corn, avocado mayo
[4] Grilled BBQ Chicken Strips with slaw, fresh jalapeño, cilantro
[5] Grilled Blackened Grouper with salsa, arugula, fresh jalapeño

THE BAR:

See our wine suggestions.

sunday

brunch If you have planned your amounts well, you will have a surplus of charcuterie, fresh mozzarella, grilled vegetables, fruit, and some taco topping leftovers. Here’s what to do:
—create a salad with grilled vegetables, beans, corn, jalapeños and fruit leftovers
—create a frittata or individual omelette with charcuterie, ground beef, grilled vegetables, fresh mozzarella, beans

See the complete menu and strategies for hosting weekend guests in style: 06 Three Day Party