Written by Jennifer Karam, Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker
So I should start off by saying I’m an over the top host: the host who makes place cards for dinner parties and believes everyone should have a holiday gift, including the dog. So this post is for the Martha Stewart aspirers that love or want to try throwing a fantastic housewarming party on a budget and a time crunch! Now while place cards and flowers are important, the real success of a party comes from good food and plenty of drinks. I’ve never heard anyone complain that my flowers weren’t perfect or that there wasn’t a place card by their chair. However, I have heard party guests complain about how starving they were and how they had to go out for pizza after the party (obviously not at one of my parties)!
So here’s my fail-proof plan for hosting a successful housewarming party that will save you time and keep some money in your wallet.
Inexpensive Centerpieces
You can’t have a party without at least having some sort of centerpiece (it just adds that personal touch). For my last party, I added a lively spirit to the cold winter months with some roses, which gave me the white and green color palette pictured below. Fortunately, you can get beautiful flowers these days at the supermarket, which means one-stop shopping for party planners. For $40, I made all three of the centerpieces below, so for less than $20 you can make a beautiful arrangement or arrangements depending on your budget! The money saving trick is to re-purpose a vase or vases from around your home, cutting the cost of your centerpiece expenses. If you’re feeling country chic, you could use mason jars from around your home. 
Beverages To Go Around
When hosting a housewarming party, it’s good to have a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Before the event, take a mental note of who will typically drink what… This should help you determine how to best please your guests. Don’t forget to pair a wine with your meal.
Dining Success
Most hosts spend the majority of the party preparing the meal; however, when the party starts I am never in the kitchen. The ideal recipes to prepare for parties are the ones that require minimal effort, similar to my family’s favorite recipe below. The best part about these kinds of meals is that you can enjoy the party, which is the whole point of a housewarming! Don’t let cooking take you away from mingling with family and friends.
My recipe of choice is Chicken Riggies (a popular dish in my hometown). It’s chicken, vegetables, and pasta; how can you go wrong? This recipe is especially ideal for large groups of individuals and a bottle of red wine. You can make pounds of Rigatoni, and it goes a long way at a housewarming. Plus, it’s not often you can prepare something in one big pot and have everyone dig into a home cooked, comfort food creation. (BTW, when I called my sister to ask if I could share this family food, she wasn’t happy, but since she’s the best sister ever she relented.) So after much discussion here’s the final step to your housewarming party success:
INGREDIENTS
SERVINGS 8 UNITS US
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 1⁄2 lbs chicken breasts (I usually use three to four chicken breasts)
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1 -2 jarred hot pepper, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 large onions or 2 -3 small ones
- 2 cups water
- 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon or 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1⁄2 pint heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- salt and black pepper
- crushed red pepper flakes (if you want it hot)
- 1 lb rigatoni pasta, cooked and drained
COOKING DIRECTIONS
- In a large pot melt butter and then add chicken.
- Cook chicken over medium heat just until they begin to turn white. (salt and pepper)
- Add peppers (hot and green) and onions cook until soft.
- Add water, bouillon, tomato sauce, and spices.
- Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 min, stirring occasionally.
- Add heavy cream.
- If it is very runny just let it cook down a bit more. For an even thicker sauce, add a tablespoon of cornstarch to two tablespoons of water and stir until dissolved. Then add to sauce.
- Stir in cooked pasta and serve immediately, sprinkling each serving with grated or shredded Parmesan cheese.
As for serving, I like to use white plates with this dish. I always find that pasta looks best on white. Red wine glasses and freshly made garlic bread complete the meal. Also, for a great party, you don’t have to make everything yourself. If I cook dinner then, I usually will buy something for dessert! You don’t get extra points for slaving away all day! I hope these tips bring your housewarming party to the top!
