It’s one thing to volunteer your home for a big holiday soiree. It’s quite another to pull it off without breaking a sweat. There’s so much pressure to host the perfect party, most of us don’t even know where to start.
That’s when it’s time to look to the experts. These ladies make entertaining their job (for real), and they’re sharing their favorite tips for pulling it off without a hitch — and with a lot less effort than you think. Pay attention, and your next big get-together will be a huge hit.
This post was sponsored by Big Lots.
Justina
“I always make a warm holiday drink in my slow cooker for parties. When guests arrive, the whole house smells delicious, whether I’m making mulled cider for Thanksgiving or hot cocoa for Christmas.” — Justina Huddleston, SheKnows food writer and blogger at A Life of Little Pleasures
Lauren
“One thing we have found to ease some of the stress of holiday cooking is to use your slow cooker! You can cook just about anything in your slow cooker, including desserts. Whether you are making the ham on Christmas Day, or the hot chocolate on Christmas Eve, you can rely on your slow cooker to save you time and energy so you can spend the time that matters most with your loved ones this holiday season.” — Lauren, blogger at Six Sisters’ Stuff
Adriana
“I like doing tapas or finger food for Christmas Eve. It takes the pressure off of doing two major meals.” — Adriana Velez, SheKnows Food and Home Editor
Dara
“No one likes to complain about food allergies or dietary restrictions at a holiday party. If you want even the pickiest guests to walk away with full stomachs, stock up on raw foods. My vegan and vegetarian friends love fresh fruit and veggie trays or creative salads. Mix it up with spices and different flavors, like a mango mint salsa. Healthy doesn’t have to mean boring!” — Dara Mathis, SheKnows food writer and blogger at Truly Tafakari
Emily
“Treat simple, inexpensive ingredients with a bit of extra care to make them fancy, which can allow you to spend less on meat (which is typically the focus of the meal). Make a lentil salad but use dried fruit and fresh herbs (prunes and thyme are great with lentils). Emphasize vegetables but treat them well — roast them (which you can do ahead to save time!), gratinee them, blanch them and dress them in a nice vinaigrette. And don’t go crazy on dessert; make something with in-season fruit that you only have to serve with a bit of whipped cream or ice cream, like braised pears or baked apples. When you treat your sides as something really special, you can get away with choosing less expensive meats, like a pork or beef chuck roast.” — Emily Wight, blogger and author of Well Fed, Flat Broke
Heather
“When you’re entertaining two sides of your family, there are going to be a lot of ‘it’s not a holiday meal unless I have [insert item here].’ If you’re going to accommodate a number of dishes (and retain your sanity while not having enough leftovers to feed a platoon), you either need to halve (or even quarter) the recipes or decide on your menu and ask others to bring one of the outstanding dishes. Last year, when I realized that only me and my mother-in-law even care if there are candied sweet potatoes, I made literally a single Hasselback-style one for us to share. There’s always plenty of food.” Heather Barnett, SheKnows food writer
Dahlia
“When you’re hosting a big holiday dinner, it’s so important to delegate and to play to your strengths. Pick two or three of your most impressive dishes and let your guests contribute wine, a side salad and maybe an hors d’oeuvre or two. You’ll spend money only on ingredients for dishes that you’re excited about, and you’ll have enough time to cook everything to the best of your abilities.” — Dahlia Snaiderman, blogger at Chew on This
Zlata
“Ambiance and decor on a table can set the mood for your guests. Don’t overcrowd the table with a lot of dishes. Instead, serve in courses as much as possible. Conversation is what can make or break a party, so add low flower arrangements (versus high). That way, guests can still see each other and converse while they dine.” — Zlata Faerman, blogger at Life and Thymez
Nancy
“Nothing is more welcoming then having delicious smells coming from the kitchen that fill the entire house with an inviting aroma when guests arrive.” — Nancy Foster, SheKnows food writer and blogger at Coupon Clipping Cook
Allison
“Use your appliances, and prep in bulk! It’s silly to chop vegetables by hand over and over and over again. Pull out the food processor, chop the whole lot of it, and keep in gallon storage bags in the fridge or freezer. When you need to start cooking, the hard work is already done!” — Allison Robicelli, food blogger and owner of Robicelli’s Bakery
Heather
“When you’re entertaining two sides of your family, there are going to be a lot of ‘it’s not a holiday meal unless I have [insert item here].’ If you’re going to accommodate a number of dishes (and retain your sanity while not having enough leftovers to feed a platoon), you either need to halve (or even quarter) the recipes or decide on your menu and ask others to bring one of the outstanding dishes. Last year, when I realized that only me and my mother-in-law even care if there are candied sweet potatoes, I made literally a single Hasselback-style one for us to share. There’s always plenty of food.” Heather Barnett, SheKnows food writer
Entertaining tips
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