Buzz
These entertaining game ideas will ensure your dinner party is unforgettable and full of laughter.
Digital Vision/ThinkstockDinner parties are a fantastic way to showcase your cooking talents, bring friends together, and enjoy a break from daily responsibilities. While conversations usually flow naturally, they can sometimes hit a lull. Spice things up by incorporating a few cooking games into your evening. Whether your guests are food enthusiasts or not, we’ve prepared five creative ideas to keep everyone engaged.
Are you up for a fun challenge?
5: Mystery Taste Test
Food and wine enthusiasts will adore this game, but even beginners can enjoy it: a blindfolded wine tasting. The blindfold ensures that you rely solely on taste, as even a glance at the label can influence your perception, according to Wine Guppy. After tasting, remove the blindfolds, jot down your observations, cleanse your palate with bread, and proceed to the next wine. Once all wines are sampled, unveil the bottles and compare notes.
Another variation involves guessing the mystery ingredients in a prepared dish. Those with a keen palate will relish identifying the subtle flavors, from spices to oils, hidden within the dish.
If your bar is well-equipped, the upcoming challenges will be perfect for you.
4: Mixology Mashup
If purchasing full-sized liquor bottles for your mixologists exceeds your party budget or you prefer not to store large quantities of alcohol at home, consider buying mini bottles instead.
Stockbyte/ThinkstockCocktails are an excellent way to kick off a dinner party. Spice up your happy hour by turning it into a fun competition. Split guests into teams, have a judge announce a cocktail name, and watch as one player from each team races to craft the best version. Alternatively, as suggested by Punch Bowl, let guests create their own cocktails, with everyone voting for the best (and worst) concoctions and brainstorming creative names for the new drinks.
If beer is more your style than cocktails, don’t worry—challenge your guests to open a pry-top bottle without using a bottle opener. Just make sure to keep any valuable items safely out of the way.
Keep reading to discover how to transform your kitchen into a scene straight out of Le Cordon Bleu!
3: Culinary Skills Throwdown
If you’re preparing the meal but need some kitchen assistance, turn your request into an entertaining challenge. For instance, let your guests compete to see who can chop vegetables or grate cheese the quickest. Award bonus points for flair, but deduct points for creating a mess—and always use sharp knives to minimize the risk of accidents.
Another exciting challenge is the saucepan flip. If your menu includes crepes, pancakes, omelets, or sautéed dishes, test your guests’ flipping skills. Be prepared for potential mishaps by keeping extra ingredients ready, or lower the stakes by practicing with bread cubes in a cool pan.
If your guests excel at chopping, grating, and flipping, see how well they handle the pressure in the next challenge.
Planning your dinner party menu can feel overwhelming, but don’t stress. The cooking and entertaining site Epicurious has teamed up with renowned chef Gordon Ramsay and sommelier Daniel Johnnes to provide expert tips that will elevate your party to the next level.
2: Turn Up the Heat
Curious about which chile peppers pack the most heat? Refer to the Scoville scale, which measures and ranks peppers based on their spiciness.
©iStockphoto/Karin LauThis challenge—chile pepper chowdown—is not for the timid. Whether your guests are spice enthusiasts or daring beginners, this game will push their taste buds to the limit.
In one version, see who can consume the most of a specific spicy food, such as jalapenos. To prevent overindulgence, set a strict time limit, like 30 to 60 seconds. The second version is an endurance test: participants taste chiles, curries, or other fiery foods, starting with the mildest and progressing to the hottest. The winner is the one who survives the most samples without reaching for a drink or quitting.
Make sure to have milk, bread, and antacids ready; your participants will undoubtedly need something to cool down the heat!
1: Iron Chef Battle
Bring the excitement of TV shows like "Iron Chef" and "Chopped" into your kitchen! Start by assembling a set of ingredients and challenge your guests to create a dish or meal using all of them. You can form teams and evaluate each other’s creations or appoint a few judges while the others cook.
If your kitchen is too small for an on-the-spot competition, host a potluck-style challenge. Notify your guests about the secret ingredient 48 hours before the party, giving them time to prepare a dish at home. The results might just be culinary masterpieces!
Now, stock your kitchen and bar, and send out your invitations. With these entertaining game ideas, you’re all set to host a dinner party that’s both memorable and fun.
For guests who prefer non-alcoholic options, there’s no need to exclude them from the cocktail fun. Bar None offers an extensive selection of alcohol-free drink recipes, or you can experiment and craft your own unique creations. Don’t forget to provide water, coffee, tea, and soda as well.
