Feed the Peanut Gallery: What to Serve at Your Oscars Party
The Oscars are a great excuse to host a party, but the key is to plan a menu that doesn’t keep you holed up in the kitchen the entire time. With that in mind, we came up with a simple, old-Hollywood-inspired, family-style dinner that can be prepped in advance and requires only finishing touches before serving. All four recipes are also super scalable, so you can make an equally good meal for a few close friends, or the entire neighborhood. Below, an easy battle plan.
The Morning Of:
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Make the cheese straws (these can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for a couple of days if you’re feeling extra organized)
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Make the salad dressing and clean and prep lettuces
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Clean shrimp (if you bought shell-on) and measure out and prep all other scampi ingredients
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Make the pavlovas, whip the cream, and wash the berries
Right Before the Guests Arrive:
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Make a big pitcher of dirty martinis (measure out all of the ingredients so all you have to do is shake and serve), put out cheese straws, and some store-bought nuts and olives
10 Minutes Before You Serve Dinner:
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Cook the scampi and toss the salad with the dressing
Before They Announce Best Actress (Or Whenever the Mood Strikes…):
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Serve the pavlova with whipped cream and berries on the side
The Menu
Parmesan and Thyme Cheese Straws
Homemade cheese straws may sound like more trouble than they’re worth, but these come together quickly and easily and are SO much better than any store-bought version.
Creamy Tricolore Salad
This quick and easy salad really delivers on flavor. The bitterness of the greens is perfectly balanced by the creamy, bright, savory dressing.
Shrimp Scampi
This delicious scampi is perfect dinner party food—it’s delicious, quick, and works well on a buffet. Be sure to serve it with crusty bread to soak up all of the flavorful sauce.
Mini Chocolate Pavlovas
These little meringues are crunchy on the outside, marshmallow-y on the inside, and pretty irresistible. Great on their own, they’re even better with whipped cream and berries.
Parmesan and Thyme Cheese Straws
Homemade cheese straws may sound like more trouble than they’re worth, but these come together quickly and easily and are SO much better than any store-bought version.
Creamy Tricolore Salad
This quick and easy salad really delivers on flavor. The bitterness of the greens is perfectly balanced by the creamy, bright, savory dressing.
Shrimp Scampi
This delicious scampi is perfect dinner party food—it’s delicious, quick, and works well on a buffet. Be sure to serve it with crusty bread to soak up all of the flavorful sauce.
Mini Chocolate Pavlovas
These little meringues are crunchy on the outside, marshmallow-y on the inside, and pretty irresistible. Great on their own, they’re even better with whipped cream and berries.