Easy Summer Entertaining with a Seafood Boil

How to host a seafood boil for easy summer entertaining! Think a seafood boil seems like a lot of effort to pull off? We did too… until our first one! Read on for our simple tips to create your own summer seafood affair.

Living along the coast I feel like we’re in the land of all things seafood and the time has come for me to embrace it. In all honesty, I wasn’t previously a seafood fan, yet since moving to the gulf coast a few years ago, people would remind me that it was time to try again. Thankfully I did! My kids are also serious fans and when HSN asked if I’d host a seafood boil and share my experience, well, it was one for the books. At first I was a little intimidated by the idea… but it didn’t take long for me to embrace it; and I have to say, it’s one of the easiest ways to get a big meal on the table!! PERFECT for summer entertaining. I mean, what’s not to love about gathering ’round the table with friends and family over laughs, cold drinks and finger-licking food… mess required?! The whole thing is easier than it seems and just a little preparation goes a long way!

Tips for a Simple (and Delicious!) Seafood Boil

Part of the fun of a seafood boil is the mess. Food poured on the table in heaps, eating with fingers, scraps piled on plates, warmed butter for dipping; it’s all an experience. So get ready to embrace the mess! I’ve long been a fan of butcher block paper (used for everything from wrapping gifts to table coverings and more!) and find it easy to line the table with a quick roll down the center and a second layer of newspaper. Again, things are going to get messy, so you’ll want your table covered. Another plus? At the end of the night, dump all the scraps and trash on the table and roll up with the covering to discard… easiest cleanup ever!

Once your table is covered, set out plenty of cloth napkins (I find cloth to be easier to use and they don’t pull apart or fall apart with buttery fingers) and plates for the scraps… you don’t really need plates for the meal itself, but shells and shrimp tails will start to accumulate!

Drinks are a must and whether you set out an ice bucket or have one hand on the refrigerator door, you’ll want to keep them cold and keep them coming! Saltines and cocktail sauce are optional, warmed butter is essential and a basket of bread adds an extra layer of flavor and texture (and goodness, do I just love bread!). 

So, get your tunes ready, gather up your aromatic seafood spices (grab Zatarain’s or Old Bay on your next trip to the grocery) and click on over to our post on HSN to see just how we made our seafood boil happen! I promise, the whole thing is SO much easier than you might think… and seriously fun to eat!