This weekend kicks off the official start of summer. I love entertaining year-round, but summer entertaining is by far one of my favorites. From casual backyard BBQs to festive pool parties I love gathering friends and enjoying the low key summer vibes. If you are looking for easy entertaining ideas this summer look no further than this Summer Seafood Boil Party!
We recently go together with a small group of friends to enjoy the beautiful Texas weather and sunshine with a simple summer seafood boil. This is one of the easiest parties you will ever throw. From the food prep to the cleanup this party is a breeze and perfect for easy entertaining in the summer.
There are a variety of different styles of a summer seafood boil and over the years we’ve hosted our fair share. From traditional Southern Crawfish Boils to New England Style Clam Bakes we just can’t get enough of a good old fashioned seafood boil!
How to Host a Summer Seafood Boil
One of the things I love most about hosting a seafood boil is the simplicity of putting it together. You really don’t need much as far as decorations, table settings or food preparation go, but it’s always fun to add a few details to make it extraordinary!
Start by setting up a large table, or two depending on the number of guests, outside. Cover the table with butcher paper, newspapers or disposable table cloths.
Be sure to have LOTS of napkins and paper towels on hand, things will get messy quick. Just because this party is simple doesn’t mean you need to skimp on the details. I love the customized napkins and paper goods from Two Funny Girls. The customized napkins and cups are the perfect touch to this simple party.
Create DIY utensil holders with napkins, wet wipes, and forks or crab crackers for each guest. This little detail makes it easy for everyone to grab what they need and find a spot to dig in.
You will need to have several empty buckets of the table for guests to discard their shells in. I like using these small metal buckets from Oriental Trading.
Prepare your seafood and season it according to the seasoning packet, adjusting the level of spiciness depending on your crowd. For this party, we had crab legs, shrimp, sausage, corn, and potatoes. In the past, we’ve included things like crawfish, clams, mushrooms, and peppers.
There’s no need for chairs at this party, simply have guests stand around the table and dig into the delicious bounty spread before them.
What to Serve at a Summer Seafood Boil
Start with some simple appetizers that guests can snack on while the seafood is being prepared. One of my favorite things to serve is Spicy Cajun Crackers with Crawfish Dip. These simple crackers are lip smackin’ good and addicting!
The personalized favor boxes from Two Funny Girls are perfect for guests to fill up with these delicious little crackers and make it easy for everyone to mix and mingle.
Every party needs a signature drink and a big refreshing glass of Iced Tea Punch is perfect for this party. Serve this signature punch in the customized styrofoam cups with personalized seafood boil stir sticks.
Whether you are hosting a traditional Southern Crawfish Boil or a New England Clam Bake the star of the show is good quality seafood. Depending on what is in season we like to use crawfish, crab legs, shrimp, or clams for our seafood base.
One of my favorite parts of a seafood boil is the veggies, they are packed full of flavor and pair perfectly with the fresh seafood. We like to use corn, small potatoes, and whole baby mushrooms.
And to spicy things up, even more, we always add spicy sausage to this delicious mix.
You really can’t go wrong with a summer seafood boil. It’s an easy way to entertain a large crowd, it’s messy, it’s fun and there are sure to be lots of memories made!
This truly is one of my all-time favorite ways to entertain because it is so simple and fun. So kick off your summer with a Summer Seafood Boil Party and make lots of extraordinary memories with your favorite people this season!
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