Planning Your Menu for a Christmas Party Buffet

50 Recommended Christmas Party Buffet Recipes

10 Easy Holiday Appetizers

Impress your guests with a selection of easy and delicious holiday appetizers. Start your party off on a festive note with a variety of passed small bites and hors d’oeuvres. As guests arrive and mingle, they’ll appreciate having something tasty to nibble on. Then, place a few dips and other simple finger food on the buffet table for guests to enjoy at their leisure.

Baked Olive Cheese Balls

Olive Cheese Balls are a delicious, impressive and crowd-pleasing appetizer. Tangy pimiento-stuffed green olives are baked in a cheesy, flaky crust and served hot. The best part? These little bites of heaven can be prepared up to 1 month ahead, frozen and then heated just before serving.

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Tomatoes and Pesto with Goat Cheese Crostini

Quick and easy to prepare with only 6 ingredients, these vibrant and scrumptious Goat Cheese, Pesto and Tomato Crostini are a family favorite. Can also be served as a layered dip with toasted bread on the side.

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Crispy Cheddar Cheese Straws – Easy Recipe!

These savory treats combine the rich flavors of Cheddar cheese, chili powder, and cumin with a delicate, flaky dough, resulting in a crispy mouthwatering delight that is both elegant and alluring in its simplicity. For a unique twist, serve spicy pepper jelly alongside as a dipping sauce!

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Prosciutto, Fig and Goat Cheese Puff Pastry Tarts

Prosciutto Fig Tarts are an easy appetizer to prepare and freeze up to 2 months ahead. Puff pastry squares are filled with chopped prosciutto, fig spread and goat cheese, frozen and then baked until bubbly and puffy. A perfect make ahead, two-bite appetizer for a Christmas Eve gathering!

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Curry Shrimp Appetizer Recipe

Scrumptious Shrimp Curry Bites are not your everyday shrimp appetizer – and they’re the perfect new finger food to serve at your next gathering. These bite-size wonders are easy to prepare ahead, elegant, colorful on the plate, and bursting with flavor!

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Curried Chicken Bites

Curried Chicken Bites are colorful, a bit spicy (depending on how much curry powder you use), a bit earthy, and super flavorful. They are easy to prepare, make ahead two-bite appetizers that are sure to please!

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Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Spread

This sophisticated and impressive appetizer is guaranteed to satisfy. Creamy cheese is elevated by the addition of tangy goat cheese, creating a perfect harmony with smoky salmon. Avocado brings a refreshing touch and adds a nice pop of color. Although this smoked salmon appetizer requires some time for preparation and refrigeration, the resulting taste is absolutely worth the effort. And, you can be confident in achieving perfection by following my detailed instructions. Prepare to receive an abundance of compliments once you serve this elegant, make ahead appetizer!

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Cilantro Mousse

Cilantro Mousse is an easy, elegant, slightly spicy appetizer that can be prepared up to 3 days ahead, making it perfect for entertaining. Fresh cilantro leaves are mixed together with jalapeño peppers, mayonnaise, cream, stock, onion, lemon and lime juice, soy sauce, and seasonings. Gelatin is added to keep it all together. Super flavorful, super colorful!

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Luxurious Mushroom Pâté

Earthy and savory, luxurious Mushroom Pâté will soon be part of your regular recipe rotation. Made with dense, meaty cremini (baby Portobello) mushrooms, it’s easy to prepare, too! And, it’s so full of deep umami flavors, even your meat-eating friends will love it.

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Artichoke Dip with Jalapeno and Cream Cheese

Artichoke, Jalapeno and Cheese Dip is a creamy, spicy, scrumptious appetizer – that’s also quick and easy to prepare!

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17 Make-Ahead Main Courses and Side Dishes for a Holiday Buffet

A great way to simplify your party prep it to choose mostly simple make-ahead main courses and side dishes. This will free up your time on the day of the party so you can focus on enjoying your guests. Offer a mix of protein-based dishes, vegetarian options, and sides that all complement each other, creating a cohesive and satisfying dining experience.

Farfalle Bolognese Pasta Casserole

Mom’s Farfalle Bolognese Pasta Bake recipe is a richly flavored, satisfying dish that’s perfect for a cozy dinner or a festive gathering. This long time family favorite (over 50 years!) combines farfalle pasta with a meaty bolognese sauce, tender spinach, sour cream – and, of course, cheese. Not only is it super delicious, this pasta casserole is easy to prepare ahead of time, and can be frozen.

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Seafood Lasagna

Seafood Lasagna – creamy, cheesy deliciousness that’s super easy to prepare ahead with no-boil lasagna noodles. Cooked shrimp and crabmeat are combined with a mushroom and vermouth spiked sauce, layered with a ricotta-cream cheese mixture and lasagna noodles, and baked. Super flavorful, super delicious!

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Shrimp and Crab Au Gratin

Shrimp and Crab Au Gratin is a luxuriant, elegant and impressive main dish that can be prepared earlier in the day (or up to 1 month ahead and frozen), making it ideal for a make ahead dinner. This scrumptious seafood au gratin is also flexible – you can use various shellfish (only shrimp, only crab, or lobster or crawfish), and cheeses, to your taste. Plus, bake it in either individual dishes or as one casserole!

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Parmesan Breaded Salmon Recipe with Herb Mayo

Charming, delightful and crowd-pleasing, Parmesan Breaded Salmon with Herb Mayo will be the star of your next gathering. I’ve been serving this timeless recipe at my dinner parties for years. Not only is it fresh, enticing, and full of flavor, it’s also easy to prepare. All the prep work can be done the day before, leaving you to enjoy your guests!

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Indian-Inspired Chicken Pot Pie Topped with Biscuits

In this mouthwatering recipe for Biscuit-Topped Chicken Pot Pie, tender chunks of chicken and colorful veggies are all swimming in a savory, creamy sauce, and topped with buttery, flaky biscuits. It’s comfort food at its finest. And the best part? This recipe has been tested to be fuss-free and achievable!

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Butternut Squash Gratin

Cooked squash is layered with sharp and flavorful Gruyere cheese, baguette slices and a leek-white wine mixture in this scrumptious Butternut Squash Gratin. Easy to prepare, and vegetarian, too!

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Veggie Casserole with Broccoli, Mushroom, Spinach, and Cheese Pasta

Broccoli, Mushroom, Spinach and Cheese Pasta is a sophisticated and healthier vegetarian version of macaroni and cheese, using Fontina and Parmesan instead of Cheddar cheese. It’s easy to prepare ahead of time, too!

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Lamb Curry and Rice

Rich in flavor while not heavy, this divine Lamb Curry Recipe has been a family favorite for years. Easy enough for everyday, it’s also perfect for entertaining. Both savory and sweet, curry powder, herbs, beef stock and red wine give the sauce a warm, deep and earthy flavor. Apple, green pepper, onion, coconut and raisins provide contrasting sweetness. And, lemon juice provides brightness.

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Shepherd’s Pie

Hearty and satisfying, Shepherd’s Pie is the perfect warm and comforting dinner on a cold evening. Ground beef and lamb, root vegetables and mushrooms are simmered in a rich sauce of beef broth, tomato paste, herbs and spices. Topped with creamy mashed potatoes, it’s baked until all the flavors meld together into a perfect blend of earthy, deep deliciousness that will please even the pickiest of eaters!

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Arugula and Tomato Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Tomatoes roasted with a mixture of fresh herbs and olive oil are the star in Arugula and Tomato Salad. These tantalizing beauties are served atop peppery arugula and surrounded by briny Kalamata olives and delicate fresh Mozzarella cheese. It’s all finished with a luscious, slightly sweet while still tangy Balsamic Dressing.

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Salad with Pear and Goat Cheese

Pear and Goat Cheese Salad is perfect for fall and winter months. Crisp, fresh greens are topped with slices of juicy, sweet pears, crumbles of tangy goat cheese, candied walnuts and dried cranberries. It’s finished off with a walnut vinaigrette that’s super quick to prepare with only 3 ingredients!

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Apple Walnut Blue Cheese Salad with Mixed Greens

Crisp, juicy red apples are the star in this refreshing salad. They provide color, sweetness and crunch that pairs perfectly with the earthy toasted walnuts and hearty mixed greens. What really sets this salad apart is the delightful, tangy Walnut Vinaigrette dressing. It’s quick and easy to prepare, with just 3 ingredients, too!

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Spinach Salad with Lemon Dijon Dressing

Prepared with eggs and fresh herbs, this Baby Spinach Salad is a light, easy to prepare starter or side dish. A tangy Lemon Dijon Dressing keeps it bright and fresh.

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Couscous Cranberry Salad with Pecans

Couscous with Dried Cranberries and Pecans is quick and easy to prepare, full of fall flavors like cranberry and cinnamon, and beautiful on the plate. It’s savory with a tad of sweetness and a bit of crunch.

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Easy Lemon Rice Side Dish

Lemon Rice is bright, creamy and easy enough for everyday, while elegant enough for entertaining. Long grain white rice and lemon zest are briefly sautéed in a bit of butter, then simmered in flavorful chicken broth. Five minutes before serving, lemon juice and cream are added. So easy, so delicious!

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Quick Homemade Drop Biscuits – Easy Recipe!

Craving a warm, buttery biscuit straight from the oven? Our Easy Drop Biscuit Recipe is all you need! Crafted with pantry essentials and ready in less than 25 minutes, you’ll be well on your way to biscuit perfection.

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Anise Bread

This distinctive Anise Bread is different than any savory bread you’ve ever had. A crisp, brown crust flecked with sesame seeds surrounds a moist interior spiced with anise seeds. And no licorice flavor here; I don’t like black licorice and I love this bread!

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15 Festive Christmas Desserts and Sweet Treats

End your holiday party on a sweet note with a festive selection of desserts and treats. Curate a variety of festive flavors and textures to satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth. Don’t forget to include a few classic holiday favorites, as well as some more unique and creative offerings with a festive twist.

Sticky Ginger Cake

Intensely flavorful and super moist, Sticky Ginger Cake isn’t your typical gingerbread – and it’s super easy to prepare, too. The warm, earthy flavor of ginger is combined with molasses, cinnamon and allspice, resulting in a deeply spiced, scrumptious cake. A two-ingredient lemon-sugar glaze is the perfect finish!

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Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake

Sticky Toffee Pudding is a scrumptious cake spiked with dates and served with an amazing toffee-flavored sauce. Easy to prepare, the cake can be prepared up to one month ahead, the sauce earlier the day of serving. Super delicious!!

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Aunt DeeDee’s Cheesecake with Sour Cream Topping

There’s nothing quite like the indulgent, creamy goodness of a homemade cheesecake. And when it comes to this classic dessert, Aunt Dee-Dee’s Cheesecake with Sour Cream Topping is simply divine. With a buttery, slightly crunchy graham cracker crust and an ultra-smooth filling that’s perfectly baked in a pie dish, this cheesecake is a dream come true for any dessert lover. And the best part? You don’t even need to bother with a water bath.

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Rum Pumpkin Tart

Rum Pumpkin Tart is lighter, fluffier and more flavorful than a traditional pumpkin pie. The crust is comprised of gingersnap cookie crumbs, butter and rum. In addition to traditional pumpkin pie ingredients, the filling includes crystallized ginger – and more rum!

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Royal Chocolate Biscuit Cake Recipe

No-Bake Royal Chocolate Biscuit Cake is a decadent treat that’s sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. Made with crumbled biscuits (cookies), nuts, dried fruits, melted chocolate, creamy butter and cream, this cake is a luxurious and indulgent dessert that’s fit for royalty. The combination of crunchy biscuits (cookies), smooth chocolate and silky cream creates a heavenly texture that will melt in your mouth with every bite. Chopped nuts add a bit of crunch and dried fruits give it a chewy tang. Get ready to indulge in this rich and heavenly dessert!

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Chocolate Pecan Pie Recipe

Indulge your taste buds with the irresistible combination of rich chocolate and crunchy pecans in this homemade pie that rivals the famous Cracker Barrel restaurant version. With its flaky crust, luscious, gooey filling, and perfect balance of sweet and nutty flavors, my family’s delicious recipe for Chocolate Pecan Pie is a dessert lover’s dream. Plus, it’s a delightful variation on the traditional pecan pie, making it perfect for the holiday season.

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Best Pavlova with Berries: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating the Perfect Dessert

This heavenly dessert is a delightful combination of crispy outside, chewy inside meringue, fluffy whipped cream, and bright, fresh fruit – a showstopper on any occasion. In this step-by-step recipe, I’ll guide you through the process of making a Pavlova from scratch – from whipping the egg whites and sugar correctly for the base, all the way through assembling the final masterpiece.

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Cream Cheese Berry Dessert Parfait

Berry Cream Parfaits are quick and easy to prepare with only 6 ingredients, with flavors reminiscent of a creamy cheesecake. A blend of cream cheese, crème fraiche (or sour cream), lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon is layered with fresh berries in a fun glass and, presto! you have a scrumptious and beautiful dessert.

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Kahlua Chocolate Mousse

This Easy Chocolate Mousse with Kahlúa can be prepared in 10 minutes with no whipping or folding of egg whites or cream. With an ultra-silky texture and an intense chocolatey flavor, it’s the perfect make-ahead dessert for any occasion.

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Easy Frozen Lemon Dessert: Individual Pots or One Pan

Imagine a Frozen Lemon Dessert so smooth it’s like velvet – and, the best part? No baking required! Get ready for a refreshingly cool and creamy treat that’s unbelievably easy to make – and you can choose to serve it in adorable individual pots de crème, ramekins, or freeze it all in one pan.

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Rum Pumpkin Pots de Crème

Rum Pumpkin Pots de Crème are basically a deconstructed pumpkin pie with crystallized ginger and rum added. They are fluffy and mousse-like, light and full of flavor. If you don’t have pots de crème, use wine glasses or ramekins.

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Pecan Snowball Cookies (Inspired by Grandma Clayton’s Sand Tarts)

Sand Tarts (also known as Snowball Cookies or Powdered Sugar Cookies) are tender butter cookies filled with chopped pecans and rolled in powdered sugar. With only 6 ingredients, these tasty morsels are super easy to prepare, and packed with flavor.

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Pecan Chocolate Toffee Bars

Full of buttery toffee flavor, Pecan Chocolate Toffee Bars are simply heavenly. A cookie base reminiscent of shortbread is prepared with brown sugar (providing that luscious toffee flavor) and, once baked, is topped with melted chocolate and chopped toasted pecans. Super easy to prepare, these Toffee Bars are true crowd pleasers!

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Almond Raspberry Cookies

Almond Raspberry Cookies are scrumptious bites of love! Raspberry jam is sandwiched between two cinnamon and almond-flavored cookies, that are then dusted with powdered sugar.

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Easy Lemon Cheesecake Squares

Our Cheesecake Squares are a zesty twist on classic cheesecake bar cookies. Made with a buttery pecan crust (no graham crackers) and a creamy lemon-infused filling, they’re easy to make and always a hit

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8 Festive Cocktails

Complement your Christmas party buffet with a festive drink station or bar. Offer a mix of spirited libations, non-alcoholic beverages, and seasonal sips. You can even feature a signature cocktail (or two) for the occasion!

A Delicious Champagne Cocktail

A great alternative to the traditional mimosa, this recipe perfectly complements brunch, special occasion, and of course, Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations. And with only four ingredients, it’s a snap to put together!

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Pomegranate Vodka Martini

My Pomegranate Martini (or Red Carpet Martini) is elegant, colorful, delicious – and perfect for holiday celebrations! It’s also easy to prepare, calling for only 4 ingredients.

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Cosmopolitan Drink Recipe

Cool and refreshing, a Cosmopolitan Martini is the perfect treat. With their pale pink color, Cosmos (as they are called for short) just look like summer in a glass that you can enjoy all year around. Developed with input from experienced bartenders around the world, my Cosmopolitan recipe is time tested to be perfect, every time.

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Ginger Lemon Whiskey Drink

Bourbon cocktail mixed with a rosemary-infused honey simple syrup, lemon juice, and ginger. YUM!

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Robert’s Perfect Manhattan Drink

My husband Robert’s Perfect Manhattan cocktail is smoky and full-bodied, but isn’t as sweet as most – he uses rye instead of bourbon!

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Brandy Alexander with Ice Cream

Frozen Brandy Alexanders with Ice Cream are a memorable, fun and elegant dessert that I’ve been making for years. Traditional brandy Alexander ingredients of brandy and creme de cacao are turned into into a frosty milkshake by swapping out the cream for ice cream.

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Homemade Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur Recipe

Irish Cream Liqueur, most commonly known as Baileys, is a favorite of mine. It’s a rich, creamy, chocolate and caramel-flavored alcoholic beverage with hints of almond and coffee. It’s super quick and easy to prepare – in only 10 minutes!

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Snowblower Cocktail

Mom’s Snowblower Cocktail is the perfect warm pick-me-up on a cold winter evening. Cranberry juice and apple cider are steeped in cinnamon and cloves, then topped off with a shot of rum. (Can also be made without the rum.)

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Presentation and Decor Ideas for A Holiday Buffet Table

Conclusion

As the festive season approaches and Christmas Day draws near, it’s time to start thinking about how you can make your holiday celebration truly special. I hope that, with all the great ideas provided in this post, you’re now well on your way to creating a memorable and enjoyable holiday gathering that will make you proud. So get ready to gather your friends and family, put on some festive music, and create memories that will last a lifetime.

The post Christmas Party Buffet Food Ideas (50 Easy Recipes) appeared first on A Well Seasoned Kitchen.

People often tell me they think the most difficult part of entertaining is determining what to serve. Growing up in a household with dinner parties once a week – sometimes even more often! – I learned a lot from my mom, the consummate hostess. Over the years, I’ve honed my techniques, learned from others, and also learned from my own mistakes.  I often get asked to provide guidance for putting together a dinner party menu – what dishes to pair together.

What to Consider in Dinner Party Menu Planning

Here are my top 10 tips:

1. First and foremost . . . don’t stretch yourself. Delicious over impressive works every time.
2. Determine the theme (if any) and tone of the party – casual, elegant, French, Mexican, etc. Use that as a guide to put together your menu.
3. Think about the setting – buffet or plated? Will guests sitting around a table or on chairs and couches – or standing? If at a table, will platters/bowls of dishes be passed at the table? Don’t serve a dish that’s complicated to eat based on the setting. Nobody likes to cut a big steak with a plate balanced on his/her lap. My rule is if people are not sitting at a table, I serve food that doesn’t require a knife, just a fork.
4. Politely ask in advance if guests have any dietary restrictions. There are ways to work around every need and request.
5. In general, a dinner party menu should include:
   1. Appetizers – I usually keep them on the lighter side – one hot, one cold at most; sometimes just one and a bowl of nuts or chips
   2. Main dish
   3. Two side dishes (one vegetable, one potato/rice/grain, or sometimes two vegetables)
   4. Bread
   5. Dessert
   6. Depending on the tone of your party and/or the richness of the main dish, I often add a first course of a light soup or salad. Salad can also be a side dish, just make sure you have enough room on the table for salad plates/bowls along side your dinner plate if serving it that way
6. Vary your food colors. We eat with our eyes first.
7. Take texture  into account – make sure to have something crunchy, even a chopped nut garnish on one dish.
8. Variety in flavors is good, but don’t overdo it! And, pair flavors that work well together – if one dish has very bold flavors, make sure the other dishes don’t fight with it. Conversely, Don’t overdo an ingredient. Three dishes featuring goat cheese is two too many.
9. Do, do, do strive for a menu that you can make ahead. My cookbook A Well-Seasoned Kitchen® is predicated on the concept that nearly everything can be made ahead. This allows you to prepare, clean up, get ready and enjoy! There’s no reason to have a party if you can’t enjoy your guests, too.
10. Think about how often you are duplicating the same menu with the same people. Your friends may love your lamb dish, but don’t want to eat it every time they come to your house! I keep an entertaining diary logging who came, what I served, where I found the recipes and how I set the table, buffet, etc. I  keep track of guests’ likes, dislikes and dietary restrictions in the back.

What to Make for a Dinner Party

You will find more entertaining inspiration in our Menus section. Here is an example of one of my favorite menus to serve (all the recipes are in our cookbook, A Well-Seasoned Kitchen®):

• Appetizer – Camembert Sauté
• First course – Chilled Tomato Dill Soup
• Main dish – Salmon with Crumb Topping and Herb Mayonnaise
• Side dishes – Lemon Rice, Green Beans with Cashew Gremolata
• Dessert – Fast Fruit Cobbler

Other Entertaining ideas

Recently I came across a post on porch.com detailing “How to host an awesome International Dinner Party.” The author, Pamela Tatum, includes lots of ideas on decorations, menus and even games to play by country. Definitely check out her article!

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The post 10 Easy Tips for Planning a Dinner Party Menu appeared first on A Well Seasoned Kitchen.

First, think about the personalities of your guests and how best to seat your guests to encourage interaction. The old rule still applies – seat people in alternating sexes around the table when you can.

Second, try not to seat husbands and wives together – they see each other all the time! Do be sensitive to those couples who do like to sit together, like newlyweds (and my husband, who always wants to sit next to me). If a newly dating couple joins you, it’s customary to seat them together.

The best rule of thumb is to be courteous. Don’t seat people next to each other if you can anticipate a conversation full of fireworks. In the same vein, avoid putting the talkative friends at one end and the demure guests at the other.

If a woman is being honored (e.g., it’s her birthday, or she’s an out of town guest), she should be seated to the right of the host with her husband to the right of the hostess. Same goes if the husband is the honoree.

For tables of 6 or more, place cards are a good idea. That way you don’t have to remember where to seat them, and guests don’t have to wait for you to tell them where to sit.

Most importantly – be a good host. When you enjoy yourself, your guests will have fun, too. By planning well, you can be gracious, relaxed and inspire your guests to have a great time.

The post Seating guests at a dinner party appeared first on A Well Seasoned Kitchen.