Tiffani Thiessen is sharing her top hosting tip for throwing a dinner party — and it’s simply genius.
The Saved by the Bell star, 51, revealed the ultimate get-ahead hack for remaining calm, cool and collected while hosting during an exclusive interview with Parade for her partnership with Chili’s and their news ’90s-inspired Radical ‘Rita.
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“I would have to say, plan. I am a pre-planner. I’m very type A when it comes to that stuff,” Thiessen begins. “So it’s really planning out ahead of time because I don’t want to be stressed at a dinner party or any sort of brunch or whatever I’m throwing. I like to plan ahead, and I’m kind of like that with everything, whether I travel or I’m with the kids. I like things planned out beforehand, so I’m not going out of my mind [at the] last minute.”
She continues: “My biggest hack is just to write things down, shop ahead of time, schedule it out, and also delegate to other people to help, so it’s not all on you. A lot of times I’m like, ‘You know what? I have been having a busy week. I have this dinner party. I’m going to make it a potluck. I’m not going to do it all by myself. I’m going to have everybody bring a dish.’ How fun is that? Doing stuff like that when you need to. I think delegating is super, and I do that a lot for my holidays, too.”
In addition to her tried-and-true hosting hack, Thiessen goes on to tell Parade all about her partnership with Chili’s for the launch of the Radical ‘Rita, which is only $6 and available throughout the month of May. The White Collar alum says teaming up with the of-the-moment chain restaurant was a no-brainer, especially given her and her husband Brady Smith‘s long history there.
“I have to say I have a nostalgic sort of connection to Chili’s myself,” Thiessen explains. “My husband loves Chili’s. We used to hang out at Chili’s actually when we first started dating, which is hilarious. I used to meet him at the bar, and we have many, many memories of Chili’s before we got married and before kids. So, it was actually kind of a full-circle sort of thing for me to be asked to launch their new margarita for May.”
Crafted with Lunazul Blanco Tequila, house-made sour, Monin Dragon Fruit, and a float of Blue Curaçao, the Radical ‘Rita comes with a retro-inspired swizzle stick, and even changes color when you mix it. Thiessen goes on to tell Parade that the restaurant’s new cocktail actually may inspire her next dinner party: a Chili’s-themed soirée.
Related: Tiffani Thiessen Shares Which ’90s Fashion Trend Can Stay in the ’90s: ‘It Didn’t Look Good on Anybody’ (Exclusive)
“I think that’s actually really fun. I love that idea,” she says. “There are some dishes that I absolutely love. My queso is pretty similar to theirs, I have to say, just because my queso recipe is very Texas-style queso. Not California-style because I’m married to a Texan. But I do love that. I would totally do a different version of egg rolls, but their Southwestern egg rolls are so good. Oh my God, it’s so good.”
The new Radical ‘Rita is available at Chili’s throughout the month of May.
