If you want to take the stress out of entertaining, the top priority is planning in advance. Once you figure out the when, who, where and what, then it’s just a matter of mapping out the day. This maximizes your time so that you are preparing and cooking at your convenience. Having friends over for a casual lunch sounds easy, but realistically can be a struggle, especially if you find yourself in the grocery store at 8AM, just hours before the luncheon starts.
The best approach is to make as much as possible in advance, and with this menu, you can make the dip and cookies a day or two before. For the hearty soup, you can make the chicken stock and roasted chicken days in advance as well. In short, you can put it all together hours before your first guest arrives.
Tzatziki is a traditional greek yogurt sauce. Preparation could not be easier – all you have to do is chop, mix and refrigerate… suddenly you have a light and fresh appetizer on the table when guests arrive, while have a few welcoming drinks and get the conversation flowing.
Chicken Lemon Soup is a hearty, rich and robust meal in itself, bursting with flavor. I always believe in home-made chicken stock. It’s economical and you can make a big batch that you can freeze for half a year. If you haven’t done that, you can use chicken stock in cartons, or get frozen fresh stock from your butcher. I also recommend roasting the chicken in advance. Everything else you can make an hour before your guests arrive and serve at your convenience.
Snickerdoodle Cookies are an amazing and simple end to a relaxed lunch. Like the tzatziki, you can make these a day or two in advance. You likely will not have vanilla powder or cream of tartar in your kitchen, so be sure to get all the shopping done in advance.
Boom… you’re done. You can enjoy a stress-free afternoon while treating friends to flavorful food and drinks.
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