If you are planning a holiday party, you already know that food can be one of your biggest expenses. However, you can plan the perfect party and still cut food costs. You don t even need to consider serving expensive appetizers and beverages to throw a great party this holiday season. A little imagination, creativity, and effort can make your festivities a truly memorable occasion.
Here are some of the ways I ve learned to save on the cost of party food over the holiday season without sacrificing fun or quality:
Snacking Is Classic Sticking with classic holiday season snacks may be the perfect thing for your party. Traditional foods at casual holiday gatherings include fresh vegetable trays with an assortment of creamy dips, as well as trays of cheese and sausage. Don t buy pre made veggie trays. Instead, buy vegetables in bulk and wash and cut them up yourself. They ll be less expensive and better quality when they re fresh cut by you. Buy cheese and sausage the same way. The little extra time you spend cutting up your own snacks will be worth it both in money and in what your snacks look like, and taste like. Buy nuts in bulk and put in pretty and festive little dishes around the room. If you can afford an assortment of olives, that s a nice touch next to the sausage and cheese trays.
Frugal Thirst Quenchers Most every holiday party would benefit from serving an inexpensive but pretty punch. A punch bowl is very festive and it goes a long, long way. Use frozen juice concentrates in any combination you like, throw in some bubbly soda pop, some ice, and you ve got yourself a great centerpiece. You should also have an assortment of soft drinks in big bottles as well as fresh water in pitchers. For a casual holiday gathering, your guests can help themselves as long as you have cups and ice available. If you have someone serving your guests, just keep filling their cups and you ll be hailed as a great host!
Finger Foods For Mingling If your holiday party guests will be moving about, finger foods are a great way to go. You can create very inexpensive but filling finger foods with very little effort. Start with the classic vegetable tray and dip. Get a good variety of vegetables and make your own dip in order to save money and show you care about your special guests. Wash and cut your own vegetables to ensure quality and to save money. Some simple, small sandwiches are always welcome. Keep in mind that people will be walking around, so no sandwiches that involve two hands and a bib! You can buy big bags of frozen boneless chicken wings that are already seasoned and are relatively inexpensive. Those look great on a bed of kale or romaine lettuce with wedges of lemon alongside. Just stock up on festive napkins and paper plates and your mingling party is set to go!
Culturally Inspired What if your holiday party has to be a sit down dinner? Every culture has some kind of dish that is designed to feed a large gathering inexpensively. An Italian inspired meal could include a couple spaghetti dishes, perhaps a tomato sauce and an olive oil and garlic sauce. Be sure to include lots of crusty bread and a fresh antipasto platter on your holiday table. An Asian inspired dish may include a stir fry of fresh vegetables with ginger and cashews or almonds for crunch. Serve over sticky rice to complete the meal. If you like Mexican food, try some big plates of Nachos, Chilies Rellenos, or Share A Potluck If you thought potlucks were just for church gatherings, think again. This holiday party planning option is catching on big time. This holiday party is usually a casual gathering of folks who know each other pretty well, and if not, you ll get to know each other better. The host of the party needs to provide a main dish, but everyone else, in order for it to be a true potluck, brings whatever they want. Now, if someone asks you what you should bring, you can use the opportunity to request a specific dish, but I like the surprise, myself. Ask everyone to bring a copy of their special holiday recipe, unless it s a well guarded family secret recipe, of course!
Enchiladas. Have lots of chips and salsa to round out the meal. Give some thought to your own background. Maybe some Red Beans and Rice and Blackened Catfish is where you re coming from! Have some fun with it and your holiday guests will, too!
Traveling Party These holiday parties work particularly well when several people within the same circle of friends is celebrating the same holiday season. If you have three families in the same neighborhood, each family takes a portion of the party and hosts it at their house. One family starts out with hors d oeuvres and beverages, the second family with the main dish, and the third family with desserts and coffee. You want to get together on the menu so that the three families are on the same page when it comes to the atmosphere of the party. The food should be casual as people will be coming and going. This kind of holiday party is never a sit down dinner and should always be served buffet style. Try to plan a specific block of time for each course , knowing that you ll need to be a bit flexible to allow for the flow of people traffic through each house.
Dessert Time If your holiday party is later in the evening, or if your guests are the type who like to eat dessert first, this plan is for you. Some inexpensive angel food cake can be all gussied up to look like, and taste like, an expensive gourmet shop dessert quickly and easily. Melt some chocolate, even cheap candy bars will do, and stir in some cream and a pad of butter. When it s nice and thin, pour it over slices of cake on dessert plates. Garnish with some fresh mint leaves or sprinkles of fresh edible lavender. Try drizzling some thin powdered sugar frosting, flavored with any citrus extract you like, over the slices of cake, then topping with some fresh carnations or even lilacs. The petals are edible and pretty! Or just grate some orange or lime zest over the frosting to give it a bit of flare. Do this in front of your holiday guests to really make their mouths water and come off looking like a real chef!
If you can t afford expensive catering for your holiday party, you need to get creative with your menu and your plan. It s really not that hard to come up with frugal and fun ways to save big money on your holiday party budget. Give it a try!
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