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Cooking for a crowd is a great way for people with a passion for food to share that enthusiasm with others. Every dinner party host faces unique challenges, which can range from choosing a guest-friendly menu to timing the meal to seating guests. Lack of ample kitchen space is another potential challenge, particularly for people unaccustomed to preparing large meals in close quarters.

It’s not uncommon to feel a little stress when cooking for a crowd, and a small kitchen can compound such anxiety. But a few helpful hints can help hosts navigate their way through small kitchens en route to serving an unforgettable meal.

• Do as much prep work as possible in advance. Whether you’re mincing garlic, chopping onions and/or peeling potatoes, prep work can be time-consuming. That time crunch can be even more challenging when you don’t have much space to work with. Dishes like cutting boards and cutlery can quickly pile up in the sink, and they might need to be washed and reused to prepare the main course. Do as much prep work as possible in the days leading up to the dinner party. Chop vegetables and other items the night before, leaving valuable counter space for items that can only be prepared on the day of the event.

• Clean out the refrigerator. Another way to simplify meal preparation in a small kitchen is to clear out the refrigerator in advance of the dinner party. Doing so creates ample storage space to keep items prepared in advance and any fresh items purchased the day of the party. Extra storage space in the refrigerator also leaves ample room to store leftovers.

• Measure ingredients all at once and store them together on a small cookie sheet. When preparing a meal with many ingredients, cooks often find it’s best to measure all of the ingredients out first before moving on and preparing the dish. As you measure ingredients for the main course or even the sides, place them in small bowls and then move the bowls onto a small cookie sheet. This makes it easy to move the ingredients around as the need arises and can be a convenient way to make use of limited counter space.

• Make it a team effort. Small kitchens tend to have small sinks and small dishwashers. That means the dishes can pile up even before the meal is served. Adopt an all-hands-on-deck mentality during meal prep, enlisting a spouse, significant other and even your children to help wash, dry and put away dishes. This ensures valuable real estate in a small kitchen is not being taken up by dirty or drying dishes. And if the dishes used during prep are cleaned and put away before the meal is served, those used during the meal can simply go in the dishwasher at the end of the night, leaving one less task to tackle after eating.