Tips for Hosting an Easy Outdoor Pizza Party!

This post is sponsored by World Market

With the official start of summer, and the deck officially broken in, it’s time start the outdoor entertaining (err, just eating and drinking outside…)! Even though we’re selling our house (more on that tomorrow!) and are prepping for a big move, we couldn’t resist a weekend of rolling out the outdoor rugs, lighting the fireplace, and fluffing the couch cushions. And thanks to this little cutie from World Market, a pizza party broke out.

The very best thing about throwing an outdoor pizza party is that the toppings bar doubles as a snack board. No need to wait for the pizza oven to get hot or the slices to cool down. Chris loaded these beautiful (and extremely affordable!) wooden charcuterie boards with prosciutto, tomato bruschetta, Caprese salad, olive tapenade, soft brie, creamy Manchego, Ghost Pepper salami, fig spread, anchovy fillets, briny olives, nuts for sprinkling, and cool Mozzarella. Best of all, World Market has a ton of these pantry staples stocked (Did you know they have consumables?!), and we always keep in a few in our cart just *in case* a pizza party happens.

Chris is a combinations king, and while the rest of us imagined pizzas with pepperoni and bubbling cheese — he kept us on our toes with lots of fresh alternatives. Because this oven gets so hot, the pizzas literally take minutes. And Chris was churning out new ideas just as quickly. Though they were all delicious, the crowd-pleaser had figs and Manchego and arugula and lemon juice and anchovies (no, really. Trust).

Chris’s Fig & Manchego Wood-Fired Pizza

1 Pastorelli Ultra Thin & Crispy Pizza Crust*

2 Tbsp. Mackays Fig Preserves *

1 oz. Talatta Anchovy Fillets (optional, but encouraged)*

1 oz. Manchego cheese

1/2 cup arugula

1 drizzle Iliada Kalamata olive oil *

1 squeeze fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat Blue Fish Terracotta Pizza Oven* by lighting a fire in the center — using paper, a bundle of dry kindling, and two to three pieces of dry hardwood. Allow fire to burn for 30 minutes, until glowing embers remain.
2. Spread fig preserves evenly over pizza crust. Top with anchovy fillets and Manchego cheese.
3. Using a Wood Pizza Paddle*, put the pizza in the oven. Use the paddle to rotate the pizza, every minute or so, if desired. Pull pizza out after 3 to 5 minutes, or when cheese in bubbling and crust is golden brown.
4. Build with arugula, drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Enjoy!

*Ingredients and products sourced at Cost Plus World Market

Best of all, a wood-fired pizza oven doubles as décor, making the deck feel styled and summery. We’re loving the new addition to our outdoor living space.

We set up a “racetrack” to keep the kids happy while the pizzas cooked. This outdoor rug, with its long stripes, made for speedy lanes once they got going. (And shh — we just got it to tie in all of the patio’s pretty blues.) And it looked just as handsome, nestled next to the family friendly drink bar we set up:

Setting up a patio drink bar is all about supplying options: extra fizzy sparkling water or sodas, flavored syrups (we stocked rose, ginger, raspberry, and cucumber), sweet creams, fresh fruit, and ice for days. The pretty tumblers from World Market’s Santiago collection are equal parts fun and functional. And since they’re made from durable melamine (whew! shatter-proof!), we don’t stress about the girls wanting to make their own fun drink to cheers each other a hundred times. (Okay, Chris and I cheers a lot, too.)

Chris and Julia’s Santiago Mocktail

1 oz. House Of Broughton Premium Cucumber Syrup*

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup San Pellegrino*

Juice of 1 fresh squeezed grapefruit slice 

Pour cucumber syrup over ice in a Tropical Birds Santiago Acrylic Tumbler*. Splash with heavy cream, and top with San Pellegrino. Finish with a generous squeeze of grapefruit juice. Give it a quick stir, and enjoy!

Finally, tropical plates, cups, and napkins give the deck an instant summer vibe, so decorating for a party is as easy as setting the table. We love the lush, colorful Santiago collection mixed in with tried-and-true neutrals (hint: This is the fast way to change your tabletop seasonally). And this vase is so stunning as a centerpiece. Plus, we upgraded our outdoor table (and coordinating benches!) this year and gushed all day about how substantial and sturdy it felt. This baby has the weight of a table that happily hosts a huge party, course after course, and then hangs in for game night. A true hub.

Hope this inspires some fun night outs at your place! We're sharing some fun videos from this night, more tips and sources to everything you could possibly need to pull it off right here on World Market's site. Here's to outdoor entertaining season!