Host a Dinner Party for $100 or Less with Trader Joe’s

I am going to make a bold statement here – dinner parties are so back. Intimate dinners with 3 or 4 of your friends, followed by several rounds of Monopoly Deal and coffee, is absolutely the move this winter. In fact, I’ve made it part of my Winter Bucket List. Also, groceries are no longer cheap, and I would love to say you could do this for $50. It would be difficult, even at Aldi. $100 dollars is the move here to give you enough variety, and you’ll have enough to send folks home with something. Nothing says, “Wow, I actually hate you,” like not having food enough to take home. Major red flag, reevaluate the relationship.

Today, I’m going to give you loose guidelines to make a bangin’ dinner party using only Trader Joe’s products. Y’all know I’m an unabashed hoe for Joe. These aren’t rules by any stretch of the imagination. My only rule is: stick to one plan. It’s easy to walk into Trader Joe’s, get overwhelmed, and have several themes for dinner. If something calls out to you (and it will), adjust the list to work with that item.

You’ll be the guaranteed host with the most – people will mention it for months to come!

Appetizers/Nosh-y Things

• Dip Board – have you visited the dips section at TJ’s? Sweet heavens, it’s incredible. There’s everything from cannoli dip, to white queso dip (DIVINE), to several different types of hummus. I think a dip board is a cool idea in lieu of a charcuterie board. Get several different types, pick up Cornbread Crisps, tortilla chips, Butter Waffle Cookies, and these cute Stollen crackers. Et voila! You’re the talk of the group chat. You should be able to get this for under 20 dollars for 2 dips and 2 chips.

Alternatively, if you’re hosting brunch, can I suggest a cream cheese board? Just invite me, that’s all I ask.

• Fruit & Nut Board + Antipasti – more of a classic charcuterie option, but it’s a classic because it works every time. Grab Harry & David Comice pears, eat one by yourself because they’re that good, and mandarins with the stems on because we’re fancy. We’re Ina Garten. We wear button downs and bobs and live in the Hamptons. Also, you will need the Nuts About Rosemary Mix and an antipasto kit. Bless TJ’s for taking the guesswork/grunt work out of things. If you go with this option, it should also be around 20 dollars.

Main Course

• K.I.S.S. – do not overthink the main meal. Keep it simple! My favorite dinner parties have almost always involved a soup or stew. You can jazz it up or down, it’s basically a day-to-night outfit in food form. A chili bar is so perfect for winter and the toppings are endless. If you forego soup, I would suggest these Rosemary Balsamic Beef Tips and Brussels sprouts made restaurant style. Cannot recommend this combo enough. For the carb, either boil a couple Yukon Gold potatoes for mashed potatoes, or rub down a few russets in olive oil and coarse salt and bake them off. An easy but classy meal. The beef tips were around 14 dollars, and the Brussels Sprouts were 3 dollars.

Dessert

• Chocolate Chunk Cookies + Fleur de Sel – cake is wonderful. Brownies? Divine. You can literally never go wrong with a brownie. There is something so simple and so perfect about a chocolate chunk cookie, though. I put a bit of TJ’s grey fleur de sel on the bottom of the breakaway cookie pre-bake and watch in delight when people bite into it. If you have time, obviously make Joy’s dad’s cookies, cuz duh, but we’re operating on ease here. You can find the cookies for 4 dollars, and the fleur de sel for 5.

• Eat it with a spoon – to me, nothing says sophistication like handing me a tiny tea cup filled with butterscotch pudding. If there’s an accompanying tiny spoon, I might cry. Because we’re going for easy but fancy, pick up their Pretzel Bread Pudding, or this incredible looking Coffee Panna Cotta. Jazz it up (who even says that anymore – well I guess I do) with some fresh blackberries and/or dark chocolate. This will be around 10 dollars.

Drinks

• Libations – Trader Joe’s wine section is the stuff of legend. 2 Buck Chuck originated at Trader Joe’s when they sold their in-house label, Charles Shaw, for $1.99. Amazing! Their wine has won awards and is wildly affordable. I am not a huge wine drinker, but if you are, welcome to Heaven. If I’m picking up something universally liked, it’s their Lambrusco. It’s 6 dollars. SIX! Grab 2 bottles – I did. Or if you’re adventurous make a batch cocktail! But truly, their wine is where it’s at.

• Non-Alcoholic Options – I’m not sure if it was the pandemic or just… *gestures at the general state of life* but alcoholic beverages just don’t do it for me anymore. That, and the mocktail game has seriously stepped up. Their sparkling teas have lovely dry flavors that favor rosé and riesling. And don’t pass up their Oat Nog! If you’re doing coffee after (and why would you not?) pick up a Gingerbread Oat Creamer. It’s like a hug that starts on the inside. The creamer is $2.99 and the sparkling teas are $8.99

Take-Home

Panettone – how beautiful would it be to walk out of your dinner party with this gorgeously wrapped box of panettone? Oh, that host is so classy?! 10/10, 5 stars, liked, subscribed.

Vibes – It wouldn’t be a post I’ve written without some vibes. If we’re counting we’ve come to about 70-ish dollars total, which leaves plenty of room for take-home gifts. This actual pound of chocolate has pretzels, sea salt, and caramel in it. It’s good baked into cookies, or late at night standing at your kitchen island disassociating. Take a spin down the frozen aisle of TJ’s at the shelves above the freezers – that’s where the magic is. Boozy chocolates, mini cookies, gummy candies, and delights galore await you.

I hope this holiday season, and this winter in general, brings you lovely quality time with friends – whether Trader Joe’s is involved or not. The company you keep is what stays in my memory for a long time. Having stellar food options just solidifies you as the HBIC, and if we’ve learned anything from Joy the Baker, we love an HBIC. *hair toss* Don’t forget to have a killer playlist, this one courtesy of my best friend Michael, who has flawless taste and throws flawless dinner parties!