Have you ever met someone who has a theme for everything? You know the type– they invite you over for a meal, and all of a sudden, there is a theme behind it. That’s me. I am that girl.
Let me explain… Is there anything worse than being invited to an event and asked to bring a dish, but there is no direction on what to bring or what will go well with the rest of the meal? I love having direction when it comes to planning meals for gatherings. And the best way for me to do that is with a theme.
I have even taken it one step further and have done movie nights with food inspired by that movie. Last year, we had spaghetti and Poptarts for an Elf family movie night. And we had another family over a few summers ago to watch The Sandlot outside, and we had baseball-themed food. It was epic.
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Gathering
My husband and I love to host in our home. We love to gather and spend time with people we love. There is just something so special about the connection that can happen when you invite someone into your dwelling place.
I am an introvert, he is an extrovert. But somehow, we both love having people over. And we spend so much time thinking about, planning, and eating food, so of course, we will have food if you come over. This whole idea of spending time together around the table is Biblical. You see it throughout the Bible– with Jesus at the Last Supper and in Acts when they gather in each other’s homes and break bread together.
It goes back to the way we were created– to be in community with each other. And we are able to do that by gathering in our home. I love how Wine & Bread: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table explains the joy of life around the table. We are given the opportunity to nourish those around us with food and our company.
Breaking bread
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:46-47 (NIV)
Praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. How beautiful is that? We are able to gather in our homes freely in this country and praise God. We are able to find joy in other human beings.
Breaking bread together is one of the most foundational ways to be hospitable to your guests. Offering food and drink to nourish the physical needs while connecting with each other to nourish emotional needs. Now, I’m not saying every single meal has to have a deep conversation about the ways of the world, but spending time in each other’s company gives opportunity to do life together. To be in the messy and to relish in the joy.
Meal ideas
Ok… now what you’re really here for. What are some meal ideas and themes for parties, small groups, family meals, etc.?
We host a small group in our home each week– most months of the year. I plan the meals for the entire cycle in advance so that we always know what we are eating and don’t waste time debating what we should have.
Here are 15 of my favorite themes:
- 5 Ingredients or Less
- Game Day
- Burrito Bowls
- Diner Dinner
- Crockpot Meals
- Jazzed Up Classics
- Nacho Table
- Rookie Cookie
- Restaurant Recreations
- Movie Themes
- Oktoberfest
- Picnic Party
- Last Name Menu
- Heritage Meal
- Left Over Grub
We also go with traditional themes too, like Italian, breakfast, hoagies, etc. However, one of my favorite themes is the heritage meal. For this theme, our guests need to bring food from their family’s heritage– my husband’s family is Polish, so we often make pierogies– or a meal that was a staple in their home growing up. One of my all-time favorite meals growing up was mashed potatoes and hamburg gravy– it’s literally what it sounds like mashed potatoes topped with ground beef + gravy, and it is amazing.
Here are two books to check out for amazing ideas for board and platter-style themes:
Platters and Boards: Beautiful, Casual Spreads for Every Occasion
Whether you have a theme or just make some burgers on the grill, the beauty in connecting with people around the table (or firepit) is incredible. Even if you feel you’re not the hosting type, I would challenge you to try it. And if it’s not hosting in your home, try connecting with people on common ground.
Now that you’ve learned about gathering in your home and throwing together some amazing meal themes, check out why you were made to do life with other people.
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