Are you having a dinner party for Christmas or New Year’s Eve? Gather some food ideas and entertaining holiday tips for your holiday dinner event. Small or large gatherings can use these Holiday Food & Entertaining Tips this and every holiday season.
The holidays are always a busy time, filled with many events marked off on the calendar. Weekends are often busy with shopping and dinners with friends and family. The holiday season is also an elegant season when it comes to food and entertainment. If you are having a dinner party this holiday season, consider some new and simple food ideas.
Holiday Appetizers Ideas
Dinner parties can be elegant without having to spend hours cooking large mess-making meals. Many Christmas parties and New Year’s Eve parties have a more casual approach to the event and encourage mingling and snacking on food during the night.
Use your table or kitchen island as a buffet area and offer a host of appetizers for your guests. Use some fancy plates and serving platters with lettuce and grapes to garnish each dish. The following work great for an appetizer selection:
Cheese, Crackers, and Cheese Complement: Offer various sliced cheeses as well as sliced cheeses with a variety of crackers. Cheese complements are often found in the cheese section of your store and add a tasty touch to your cheese and crackers. Garnish the tray with some cherry tomatoes, grapes, pomegranate seeds, and lettuce leaves.
Check out these Charcuterie Boards for Easy Entertaining tips from Straight To the Hips, Baby
Shrimp Rings: Offer a shrimp ring with cocktail sauce in the middle for dipping. Keep a dish nearby to dispose of the shrimp tails.
Sushi Platter: Sushi is a unique dish with some interesting colors and arrangements. A sushi platter offers a variety of foods to the table as well as a splash of color.
Warm Appetizers: Offer some nice, warmed up appetizers to your guests. Baked Brie or Camembert Cheese topped with a cheese complement like Maple Walnut is one idea. The usual assortment of baked appetizers like pot-stickers, spring rolls, sliders, and dry ribs are often a welcome addition to the table.
Hot Dips with Bread/Chips: You can find recipes online for great dips you can bake and then offer with bread or crackers. Or you can check out my Instant Pot Cajun Shrimp Dip for an easy hot dip. A warm spinach and artichoke dip goes very well with bread and is a healthy food choice as well. Consider keeping the dip warm in a crockpot, so it will not cool off during the evening.
Fruit and Vegetable Platters: Fruit and vegetables are healthy food choices and are great for snacking on. Some stores and businesses offer edible fruit arrangements, which are both decorative and tasty.
There are many great ideas for quick and simple appetizers for your table. A super easy and popular choice is this Easy Pesto Bruschetta. Grab some fresh bread, make or buy some pesto, and chop of some fresh tomatoes. A classic, but easy appetizer. Make ahead of time and pop it in the oven when ready to serve, or serve cold!
Entertainment Decorating Ideas and Tips
A dinner party is not only about the food; it’s about the presentation of the food. Simple and elegant decorations will help set the mood and add even more appeal to the food on the table. Find a nice centerpiece for your table and decorate the rest of the house with similar pieces. Don’t go overboard on decorations, or your room may look cluttered.
You can even make your own centerpieces and decorations with broken pine leave branches and fallen pine cones. Gold ribbons and red bows can also add a splash of color and elegance to your room. By adding some garnish to your food dishes, you will also turn that dish into a decoration of its own, so explore that avenue as well!
Food Safety Tips When Entertaining This Holiday Season
Don’t forget food safety when having a dinner party this holiday season. Whether you are cooking a large meal, or just offering a table full of appetizers, keep food at a safe temperature to avoid bacterial growth. Keep cheeses, sushi, and shrimp cold by placing the platters on top of an ice pack or dish filled with ice.
You can use some linen to cover the ice tray, so it still looks elegant. Using a crockpot to keep dips, ciders, and soups warm is a good idea. Other warm foods, like potstickers and spring rolls, will cool off quite quickly, so keep them warm in the oven and only put out a small amount on the table at one time.
Don’t be afraid to look online or in cookbooks for some food and decorating ideas. When you go to dinner parties, look around and remember some of the decorations you see and the foods you try. Holiday dinner parties should be fun for both you and your guests, and you should have the chance to relax and enjoy the evening instead of running around serving everyone.
Happy Holidays everyone! Stay safe, be merry, and enjoy all of your family, friends, and of course food!
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December 30, 2020 at 4:07 pm[…] sure to also check out my Holiday Food & Entertaining Tips for tips on how to display and serve food, decorate your tables, and food safety! Okay I hop you […]