Tips for Hosting a Progressive Dinner

Progressive dinner parties are a fun way to mix up your traditional dinner party. As you travel from house to house, your friends and family have the opportunity to share food, swap seats and mingle more than usual. While it makes for a memorable night, it takes a little planning.

We’ve got 5 tips to help the night run smoothly.

Split the responsibilities

The best part of a progressive dinner party is splitting the food, drinks, supplies, and hosting duties. This limits the financial and time burdens on any one host. Let each house be in charge of their own food and entertainment.

Be prepared

Whatever it is you’re serving, prepare it ahead of time. Choose an appetizer, salad, entrée, or dessert that can be made days or hours before the party begins. When the party gets to your house, quickly put the final touches on it—heating, slicing, topping—and serve!

Easy to serve, even easier to clean up

Chinet® brand products make hosting a progressive dinner easier than ever. After you eat, you’re out the door to the next house, and the last thing you want is to come home at the end of the night to dirty dishes. Make cleanup easy by using elegant Chinet Crystal® plates, cups, and cutlery.

Hand dipping a wrap into sauce on a Chinet Crystal plate

Keep it moving

There is no need to linger at one house too long, especially when food and drinks await. After your finish a course, let the host of the next house get a 15-minute head start and then get on your way.

Friends toasting with Chinet Crystal cups

Mix it up

Make the night even more memorable by giving each house a different theme or different cuisine to serve. Bring the theme to life with decorations, entertainment and even attire. It will be hard to forget an evening that included a luau or lederhosen.

More Ideas

Red velvet cheesecake brownies on a Chinet Classic platter

recipe