I have a HUGE family… and it’s actually one of the reasons why we were so excited about moving to Miami. I have my mom and her boyfriend, my dad and his girlfriend, my brother and his girlfriend, my sister and her boyfriend… my uncles, cousins, my own kids, and then of course the people we call family but aren’t actually family… the list goes on!

The best part is that we get together ALL the time, and at least once a week for a big family dinner. It used to be that my mom always hosted the dinners but since moving back I was excited to volunteer my house for one of the weekly gatherings. The thing about my family though, is that NOTHING is ever planned until the last minute. Sunday afternoon at 4:00 I will get a call from my mother that a group of 10 will be coming over from dinner at 6:30, “that wont be a problem, right?!”

Now I will admit that throwing together a tablescape in minutes is totally my forté, but cooking a big dinner, absolutely not! So for last minute dinners on the fly {especially a big crew!}, I love heading over to BJ’s Wholesale Club where I can get everything in one swoop, from the food to the flowers!

My menu always starts with a few easy appetizers. I am a huge cheese platter person, so I always buy a large block of Wellsley Farms cheddar, and slice it alongside a plate of strawberries and water crackers. Then my family LOVES mini hotdogs and BJ’s has pre-wrapped ones in the frozen section {can we say time saver!!}, so I throw those in the oven and, voila, apps in minutes!

Next to my apps I always have my wine glasses out alongside a bottle of chilled wine so everyone can help themselves while I am finishing up the dinner prep. BJ’s has its own wine as well, at a great price, so for tonight’s pasta dinner I chose their Wellsely Farms Chardonnay, harvested in Monterey County, California!

For dinner, I love the fresh prepared Wellsely Farms ravioli selection, and for tonight I chose the Grilled White Chicken Ravioli, which I topped with Jumbo Shrimp from the freezer section. Again I am usually super crunched on time, so these easy boil or de-frost items are essential. Once the ravioli is done I throw the de-frosted shrimp on top and mix with Italian Marinara and sprinkle with Grated Parmigiana. Oh and their Organic Multi-Grain Take & Bake Bread is perfect for dipping in the sauce!

Possibly my favorite section at BJ’s is the dessert section. Birthday cakes, brownie bites, cupcakes, it’s a huge selection. But for tonight I decided to keep it simple. Slice Pound Cake Loafs, which I placed on a cake stand, and served topped with whipped cream and fresh blueberries!

Last but not least, BJ’s has a beautiful flower selection from roses to hydrangeas to orchids; I especially love the bulk roses {which are also available online}, to complete my table!!

I hope today’s dinner spread shows that even a dinner on the fly can be as pretty as a dinner party you prepped for hours {and a lot less work} thanks to convenient shopping at BJ’s Wholesale Club! I love knowing that I have a one-stop-shop for all my dinner party needs. So mom, “Yes I am happy to host dinner for 10 in less than 2 hours… in fact, I can’t wait!”

Shop the look:

Photography by Yesi of Simply Lively

Thank you to BJ’s Wholesale Club for sponsoring this post.