Meal Tips for Hosting Overnight Guests

This post is sponsored by Red Baron but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Happy Tuesday! This week we are busy preparing for Thanksgiving. Not only are we entertaining on the day of Thanksgiving but we will a lot of out of town family staying with us over the holiday. We love hosting out of town guests at our home but I will admit that I do get a little frazzled getting ready for visitors. I want to make things nice for our friends and family especially when it comes to feeding our guests. Today I will share some tips for planning meals for overnight guests!

Consider the Plans for the Visit

First things first, you want to determine how many meals you actually need to plan. Consider activities where you will be out and you will not be eating at home. Find out when your guests will arrive and when they are leaving, so that you are prepared for every meal. Take in to account how much prep time you will have for meals. If you are going to be out and about all day with your visitors, will you really want to make a labor intensive meal when you get home? Think through these details.

Ask about food preferences and dietary restrictions

Find out what your guests like to eat including any foods that can’t or don’t eat. If you are hosting a family, it’s important to consider what the kids like to eat. If your guests include really little kids, ask if you can pick up milk and baby food ahead of time. This step can save your guests from running to the store for those necessities.

Create a list of Go To Meals

I try to keep a running list of tried and true recipes that my family likes that I think would make a good meal for a crowd. Some of our favorites including taco bars,  BBQ sandwiches and some breakfast casseroles.

Also, plan on some very easy, ready to go meals, like frozen pizzas. These will save you from the mealtime chaos that is even crazier with guests!

Don’t forget to include snacks in your meal plans. Especially if you will be out and about all day, it is nice to come home to some snacks. This allows you a little more time to get dinner ready!

Allow Guests to Access Food on Their Own

I try to make it easy for guests and show them where they can get to  basics like milk and bread and some of our snacks. Especially if your guests are early risers, it’s nice to have some breakfast food easily accessible.

Find out how they like their coffee or tea and make sure to have those things ready and visible, so everyone can get to their own drink.

Keep it Simple

My final and most important tip is to KEEP IT SIMPLE! Your guests are here to visit you and your family! They won’t expect gourmet meals and to be waited on hand and foot.  I always balance more complicated meals with some easy but tasty favorites.

We make one or two homemade recipes and then I make some quick and easy meals. Pizza is always a favorite for a crowd and we keep it really easy with Red Baron pizza.

My family absolutely loves the Four Cheese Pizza, so I know it goes over well with guests too. Red Baron is a perfect option for feeding a crowd with kids! It is a meal you know will be a hit!

Mom Tip: I like to cut up the pizza into smaller appetizer size squares when serving kids. Kids appreciate the smaller portion sizes and the pizza seems to go farther!

I love Red Baron pizza because it comes out of the oven crispy and tasty every time. You can find a store that sells Red Baron near you HERE!

******************************************************

You do want to get so stressed out about hosting overnight guests that you lose site of what is important. Ultimately, you want your guests to feel comfortable and welcome. With a little planning, you can achieve this goal without going crazy!

What are some of your best meal planning tips for houseguests?