When it comes to hosting a dinner party, the menu is one of the most important elements. In fact, it’s probably the most important thing of all because no matter how great the atmosphere is or how lively the conversation might be, if the food isn’t great, that’s what people will remember (just as it’s what they’ll remember if it is great). 

It’s hard to decide what to service when you’re hosting a dinner party; you’ll want everything to be just right, and some ideas might come into your head only to be swept aside right away because they just don’t seem fancy enough for a dinner party. Potatoes are a prime example of this, but the truth is that potatoes could be the ideal thing to serve at your dinner party, and here are the reasons why. 

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They’re Versatile 

One of the reasons why potatoes are a fantastic choice for a dinner party is because they’re just so versatile – in other words, they can be prepared in a number of different ways, ensuring that you’ll definitely be able to find a potato dish to suit any theme or to accompany any dish. 

From mashed potatoes to potato gratin, Hasselback potatoes to crispy potato skins, and of course, not forgetting tasty roast potatoes (especially if you’re serving roast beef) – and so many other options as well – you’ll never run out of interesting and new ways to service these lovely ingredients. Plus, you can easily adapt potato recipes so that they work well with whatever else you might be serving, so if you want to include your favorite type of potato, you can – even if you change it up a little to make it fancier. 

Budget-Friendly 

Hosting a dinner party can be a lot of fun, especially when you get a chance to show off your cooking skills (and your home) and get your friends and family together. However, unlike when you’re a guest, and all you need to do is bring some wine or flowers to give to the host, if you’re the one hosting, you’re going to need to spend some money. You’ll have to buy ingredients, perhaps some new tableware, and maybe some new decorations for your home. 

To make things a little cheaper (or a lot cheaper, perhaps!), you can certainly choose to serve potatoes to your guests. Potatoes are a great ingredient to have whether you’re on a budget or not, but if you are counting the pennies, they can be ideal because they’re tasty and filling, and they won’t come across as ‘cheap’ if you jazz them up by cooking them in a new way or adding some extra seasoning to them. 

Potatoes Are Comfort Food

When you boil everything down, you’ll realize that potatoes are actually comfort food. They really do have a way of bringing back memories of family Sunday roasts or cooking baked potatoes around a campfire and plenty of other things besides. Plus, they’re warming and filling, which is exactly what comfort food should be. 
If you’re worried that your guests won’t appreciate being served potatoes, it’s probably not really something you need to be concerned about because they’ll all be transported to happy times, and it might even give people something to talk about.