Be sure to check out the great offer below from Blue Apron, who has sponsored this post.
We love hosting dinner parties, but even when you switch up the menu every time it can often feel like the same ol' same. If you're ever in that boat and looking to shake things up, try a Progressive Dinner!
If you're unfamiliar with what a Progressive Dinner is, you're likely not alone. We were introduced to them not long ago and only a couple weeks ago decided to give it a try.
It's a great change from the typical potluck. Essentially each person/couple is in charge of serving a different course of a meal, and that course is served in a different location from the other courses. It can be in the persons home, in a garden, park, or any location you would like to bring your guests.
With our most recent Progressive Dinner, we opted to host the appetizers in our home. We wanted to offer something new, so we actually used one of our Blue Apron meals to create mini versions of the recipe.
We took cues from the plating of the original dish (Seared Chicken & Peach Sauce with Red Rice Salad) and cut the chicken up smaller so it could be skewered. And since all of Blue Apron's meals are chef-designed, it made the perfect appetizer and was something our guests had never tasted before.
And even though I love cooking and coming up with my own dishes, we've used Blue Apron for years now because it makes my life so much easier. Blue Apron sends all the farm-fresh ingredients you need, perfectly portioned, to make these delicious meals without any last minute trips to the grocery store to pick up that one thing you forgot.
I was able to make the entire appetizer in just over 30 minutes, without having to spend any time planning or worrying about it. Which was a nice break from all the travel and the perfect start to our evening with friends.
When the evening was over, we had eaten four delicious courses in 4 different places, and finished the night with a few games and a lot of laughs. For your next dinner party, make an evening of it and turn it into a Progressive Dinner. We love the pace and variety, and it's even better when Blue Apron does the heavy lifting. Have you ever done a progressive dinner?
Blue Apron is offering $50 off the first two weeks of meals to the first 50 readers who sign up using this link. Honestly, we've used them for years and we are sure you'll love them as much as we do.
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As a teen, our church group would do a progressive dinner for our Christmas party. Hosts stayed at their homes, we would travel from place to place and end up with dessert and small gift exchange (white elephant). Was a highlight of the year! (We usually would serenade our hosts with a few carols as a thank you.) Much fun!
Love this post! Where did you find your bowls?
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I run ours in our neighborhood for our association! So much fun!! We have everyone come together at one house for apps. Then we pull names out of a hat to send people off to another house for the main course (which we cater to take the pressure off hosting) and then we all come back together at someone else's house for dessert. Last year we had about 70 people from the neighborhood participate. It's a great way to meet different neighbors you wouldn't normally talk to or see.
We do a progressive dinner in our neighborhood every February! It is so much fun!!! There are usually about 50 people in attendance. We all have appetizers at one house, then everyone heads to their assigned dinner location for the main course. Usually there are 4 or 5 mian course locations so you can sit down with a group of 8-10 people. The girls that organize it always try to mix up the groups so you can meet new neighbors. Then everyone goes to one house for dessert to finish off the party! And since everyone is in the neighborhood you can walk from place to place!
i love that tradition!!
I have to ask...what else did you eat?!
There was a salad course (spinach, strawberries, goat cheese--so good!), the entree was barbecue, for dessert our friends had a sno-cone machine! Really a fun night.
How does the main meal work? If everyone is somewhere for the appetizer.....who is left out to cook the main meal until everyone comes over? Other than appetizer, main meal and dessert....what other courses did you do?
Usually it's something that can be slowing cooked or made ahead of time.
For our neighborhood we actually cater the main course. That way the dinner is the same at the 8-10 houses people are at and there is no pressure for the hosts to cook. All they have to do is set the table and keep it warm in the oven. :)
So smart! I love this idea. I’m on the Board for our HOA and will definitely present this idea soon. Thanks!! :)