Without a doubt, the key to having an easy gathering is to keep a prepped kitchen. What do I mean by prepping the kitchen? Having an organized, stocked, and cleaned kitchen is key.

When you have a clean kitchen, people will feel much better about eating at your house. No one wants to come over and see dirty countertops and a greasy stove and then eat whatever you made. Don’t forget about your fridge. More than likely, someone is going to help put things away or get themselves a cool beverage and they don’t need to see grimy shelfs and mystery liquid dripping down the sides.

A stocked kitchen makes having a last-minute gathering so much easier. I like to keep a rough inventory of what I have and make sure I always have the essentials stocked. This also helps with food cost when serving extra mouths!

Get organized. Declutter often! Having the things you actually need in the area you actually need them is so important. Know where things(equipment) are. You don’t want to waste time and energy walking, digging, and hunting for something you need when you’re making a meal, or your guest are on their way and you’re sweating because you can’t find that cheese knife you only use for special occasions.

Unless you’re a superhero, this isn’t going to be an easy feat. It will take time and trial and error before you get it down, but alas, don’t give up. It’s worth it when you get there.