Weeknight dinner party, London edition

I’ve talked about this before, but when it comes to hosting people, on a weeknight especially, you’re better off if you have a plan. For me, this looks like breaking up tasks across days so you can chip away at things.

• Day 1: Figure out your meal plan and make your grocery list (I find it helpful to break up my grocery list by category, in the order of the store)

• Day 2: Go to the store and get everything you need

• Day 3: Whatever can be made or done ahead, do it the day prior

• Day of:

The menu:

• Prosciutto wrapped asparagus: No real recipe here, I truly just trimmed asparagus spears, seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper — then wrapped each one with a half piece of prosciutto. Roasted at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes, topped with Parmesan.

  • [Prepped and made day-of, but can be baked ahead since they don’t need to be served hot]

• Veggies and homemade ranch dip: I used carrot sticks, sliced cucumbers and cherry tomatoes with my favorite homemade ranch recipe from NYT — my only changes here are doing half mayo and half Greek yogurt, and doubling the seasoning.

  • [Ranch made day before, veggies prepped a few hours before]

• Italian chopped salad: I love this salad from BA because it tastes like nostalgia. The dressing is tangy with a hint of sweetness. Use whatever lettuce you like if Iceberg alone isn’t your style, softer but crunchy works best IMO.

  • [Dressing made day before, salad assembled but not dressed a few hours before]

• Chicken parm with pasta: There are many ways to make this classic dish, but I’ve found that BA’s Best Chicken Parm is really memorable — and worth the extra steps, like marinating the chicken and making the sauce. The only change I made here was puréing the sauce a bit with an immersion blender.

  • [Sauce made day before, chicken marinated morning of and breaded several hours ahead]

• Apple crisp with vanilla ice cream: Given the time of year, making this felt like the move. It’s cozy and easy, but makes people happy. I love this rendition from All Recipes, though this is not usually an outlet I gravitate toward. If your apples are extra sweet, reduce the amount of sugar.

  • [Made the day before]