Lauren Lane

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  • Recipes
    • Spring/Summer
  • Services
    • Corporate Team Building
    • Food Stylist
    • Influencer Marketing
  • About
  • Subscribe

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  • Recipes
    • Spring/Summer
  • Services
    • Corporate Team Building
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    • Influencer Marketing
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Home » Recipes

Get-Together Menus

Easy ideas for hosting friends and family without overthinking every detail. This is where you’ll find simple menus, casual dinner party ideas, entertaining tips, tablescape inspiration, and little hosting shortcuts that make people feel welcome without making you feel stressed.

New to hosting? Start with my guide on How to Host Your First Dinner Party for an easy, confidence-building plan that walks you through the basics.

  • better boxed
    How to Make Box Brownies Better: 3 Easy Boxed Brownie Hacks
  • Pan-seared chicken breasts in a creamy mushroom sauce, garnished with fresh herbs. The chicken is browned and surrounded by a rich sauce with pieces of mushrooms and green herbs on top.
    Chicken Marsala Without Marsala Wine: Easy Recipe + Best Substitutes
  • He will take pasta salad in a bowl with limes
    Elote Pasta Salad (Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad)
  • authentic bolognese sauce with fork and bite with black background.
    Ragú alla Bolognese
  • Boursin chicken with browned chicken cutlets in a creamy sauce.
    Creamy Boursin Chicken Recipe: One Pan, 30 minutes.
  • Taco cups with cheesy beef and fresh herbs on a plate
    Taco Cups Recipe
  • Glass bottle turned into a DIY mosquito repellent, tiki torch on a pretty patio.
    DIY Tiki Torch: How to Turn Any Glass Bottle Into a Citronella Torch
  • A shrimp boil with shrimp, sausage, corn on the cob, potatoes, onions, and lemon slices served on newspaper, with a bowl of lemons and flowers on a checkered table outdoors.
    Easy Shrimp Boil Recipe
  • Old Fashioned Pot Roast
    French Onion Soup Pot Roast Slow Cooker Recipe
  • Tailgate food ideas with a game day truck setup, hot dog board, Frito bags, snack mix, and football party decorations.
    Easy Tailgate Party Food
  • Oven cooked beef ribs I'm cutting board with barbecue sauce on the side and a brush
    How to Slow Cook Ribs in the Oven at 275°F (Fall-Off-the-Bone Ribs)
  • Mixed green salad in a bowl with vinaigrette
    Mixed Greens Salad for a Dinner Party (Simple & Make-Ahead)
  • No Boil Pasta Bake Casserole with meat
    Penne Pasta Bake (No Boil Meatball Pasta Bake)
  • Creamy baked potato soup topped with shredded cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, and fresh parsley.
    Baked Potato Soup Recipe (Creamy, Cozy & Easy Weeknight Dinner)
  • Mini grilled cheese sandwich sandwiches that are golden Brown with a cup of tomato soup sandwiches are stacked pie and look delicious.
    Grilled Cheese Sliders using Hawaiian Rolls
  • creamy orzo risotto pasta recipe with parmesan
    Creamy Chicken Orzo Pasta

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a food blogger, recipe developer, culinary influencer and food stylist with 25 years of creative and marketing experience. My passion for food goes beyond the kitchen and is about bringing people together with tips on hosting a dinner party with delicious party menus, easy make-ahead recipes, and even a dinner party checklist. Whether it's a weeknight family dinner or dinner party menu ideas, I have you covered!

More about me

Popular Recipes

  • better boxed
    How to Make Box Brownies Better: 3 Easy Boxed Brownie Hacks
  • Pan-seared chicken breasts in a creamy mushroom sauce, garnished with fresh herbs. The chicken is browned and surrounded by a rich sauce with pieces of mushrooms and green herbs on top.
    Chicken Marsala Without Marsala Wine: Easy Recipe + Best Substitutes
  • He will take pasta salad in a bowl with limes
    Elote Pasta Salad (Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad)
  • Glass bottle turned into a DIY mosquito repellent, tiki torch on a pretty patio.
    DIY Tiki Torch: How to Turn Any Glass Bottle Into a Citronella Torch
  • Boursin chicken with browned chicken cutlets in a creamy sauce.
    Creamy Boursin Chicken Recipe: One Pan, 30 minutes.
  • A shrimp boil with shrimp, sausage, corn on the cob, potatoes, onions, and lemon slices served on newspaper, with a bowl of lemons and flowers on a checkered table outdoors.
    Easy Shrimp Boil Recipe

Easter Recipes

  • Mixed green salad in a bowl with vinaigrette
    Mixed Greens Salad for a Dinner Party (Simple & Make-Ahead)
  • Cottage Cheese Bagels on parchment paper. Big golden brown with everything bagel seasoning on top.
    Cottage Cheese Bagels
  • Viral Cinnamon Roll in baking dish
    Cinnamon Roll Recipe
  • twisted bacon straws
    Twisted Bacon
  • layered carrot cake cream cheese frosting
    Recipe for Easy Carrot Cake
  • A cooked baked make-ahead breakfast strata
    Make Ahead Breakfast Strata

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