Hosting dinner parties brings me so much joy, and I dearly love the planning and preparation, the dreaming and designing, and the sense of hospitality and community that comes from a great dinner party. And dinner parties don’t have to be complicated or fussy! Bringing friends together for our annual chili and cornbread dinner party (can you tell I adore autumn?) was simple, delicious, and oh so fun. It didn’t take me but a few minutes to put together a Fall-inspired tablescape with some mini pumpkins and gourds, my glass candlesticks and gold tapers, hand-calligraphied name cards, and gold chargers.

The dinner party was simple and rustic, and chili is the perfect dish for a hearty, inexpensive, and easy Fall dinner menu. We also baked my Mom’s famous broccoli cheese cornbread, drank mulled red wine, and indulged in pumpkin desserts to round out our meal. Getting together with friends and sharing a meal together is the heart of a dinner party, and it brought me so much joy. It doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive, or stressful to gather together around a dinner table. I definitely think the world needs more dinner parties; don’t you?

Here is the recipe for the absolutely delicious broccoli cheese cornbread – it’s a Fall staple, and we all adore it!

And my tried and true tips for hosting a dinner party!