Hosting and Serving Tips for Party Food Worth Sharing

Fuel the party atmosphere and satisfy guests with flavorful starters, hot appetizers, or a complete, home-cooked meal. At Aroma, we believe that food is a delicious way to bring everyone together – and yes, that means you! Don’t spend your evening trapped in the kitchen.

Follow these party food prep and serving tips to spend more time eating, sharing, and sipping with the people you love:

1. Look for a buffet server with an electric heating base, not traditional flame warmers.

Now you can heat individual treats or other dishes on the warmer after chafing dishes are empty.

2. Reflective aluminum foil can help preserve ice temperature and add a thin layer of insulation.

Don’t forget to layer a towel underneath to keep things cold and collect condensation.

3. Schedule times to set out new dishes and restock your snack table throughout the night.

This intermittent approach makes it easy to serve smaller portions and keep items hot until serving.

4. Have you tried preheating plates in the dishwasher? Run a cycle with clean plates on drying mode.

Warm plates will elevate the experience for guests and help food stay hot.

5. Put just as much thought into your cleanup station as the serving station.

Clearly marked trash cans, bottle bins, dirty dish trays, and cloth napkin hampers are a great place to start.

6. Offer multiple topping options to serve one dish several ways.

For example, this pork belly recipe can be served with TexMex cilantro, Southern cabbage slaw, or Japanese nori strips.

7. Vary serving tray heights on the buffet table to maximize space and create a pretty display.

Stacked books and upside-down bowls are a great way to add variety – just cover with a cloth.

8. Avoid individual skewers and toothpicks to cut down on waste and minimize prep time.

Instead, use tortillas, pita wraps, nori sheets, rice paper, and sticky rice for self-contained bites.

9. Keep your self-serve buffets and snack tables clean by placing cookie sheets or flat trays underneath messy, sticky foods.

In case of spills, swap in a new tray and save your tablecloth.

10. Most party hosts organize menus and buffet tables by food type – all appetizers together, all desserts together, all wines together; try grouping items by recommended pairings instead.

11. Use the ‘keep warm’ setting on your rice cooker or slow cooker for even, consistent heat.

But keep in mind, if you leave the warmer on for more than 3 hours, your meal might dry out.

12. You know what appliances are plugged in and hot, but your guests might not. Electric, no-flame heaters are the safest option, and we recommend LED indicator lights for safety.

13. Glassware is tricky to stack and hard to protect. Utensil caddies are super popular right now but drinking glass holders are harder to find. Search local antique stores for crates or caddies.

14. Aroma’s digital rice cookers are equipped with time delay functions, so you can prep ahead.

Your rice, soup, stew, sauce, cake, or porridge will be ready right when guests arrive.

Whether you’re cooking for a small group or a large crowd, Aroma Housewares has the appliances, recipes, and inspiration to make it a smashing success!