Celebrating the holidays with family and friends is what the season is all about. Del Monte agrees, which is why we partnered with them on this post.
Spread the cheer this holiday season and host a party that will wow all your friends — and we mean all of them. Keeping yourself sane is all in the planning and prep when it comes to toasting with dozens of your buddies. After pulling it off last year, the fear of letting 60 or so adults wander through my house with appetizers and drinks is more like a tingle of anticipation for me, not a twist of frantic nerves. You'll be enjoying the festivities alongside friends with these smart tips for tossing the best holiday bash ever.
1 Month Ahead
This is one of the busiest times of year, so sending out invites at least one month ahead of time is a must. And remind guests that RSVP'ing is essential for your final head count. If guests ask what they can bring, wine is always good.
Now it's time to kick back and do a bit of menu planning. Because you're hosting a big bash, you aren't going to be serving sit-down food, so appetizers are a smart idea with maybe one main item, such as a baked ham or a big platter of poached shrimp. And you'll probably want some classics, like spinach balls, wontons, or stuffed mushrooms.
Cocktail party etiquette suggests you have at least 12 appetizers per person. But instead of freaking out over making so much stuff, be smart and rely on big and beautiful crudité platters, chips and dips, and lots and lots of baguettes.
Photo: Sarah Lipoff
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2 Weeks Before
As you get closer to your big event, double-check RSVPs and send a reminder email to those you haven't heard from. And you should finalize your appetizers and create a master list for hitting the grocery store. Pick up canned goods, frozen, or packaged items to save time and reduce stress during prep on the day of your party.
If you don't have enough dishware for hosting, order through a rental service or get festive with holiday-themed paper plates, which makes for supereasy cleanup after the party. Same goes for paper products! You'll need napkins, toilet paper, and paper towels — the more the merrier.
Photo: Sarah Lipoff
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1 Week Before
Yes, the excitement is brewing! Wash serving dishes and stemware, and designate platters for dishes. And it's also a smart time to do a bit of cleaning, tackling any dusty corners and stacks of magazines or clutter.
Prep any food items that can be frozen, cutting back on preparty stress. And most appetizers freeze well, so turn Sunday afternoon into a holiday food-fest. It might be a bit overwhelming to make spinach balls, stuffed mushrooms, pesto, and hummus all at once, but it sure beats sweating it out on the day of your party.
Because you're hosting a big crew, it's a smart idea to have stations set up to keep everyone flowing. Create a separate self-serve bar area where guests can mix their own drinks — or have a signature cocktail already mixed in bulk. And it's a festive time to use any of your fun cocktail glasses.
Head to your local liquor store and pick up any wine or booze you need for getting the party started. Pop all Champagne, wine, or beer in the fridge so it's cold — and out of sight for the time being.
Clear as much clutter from your bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen as possible, leaving open areas for putting down food and drink. And it's superimportant to remove any personal items and store them in a safe spot. Do the same with anything irreplaceable that might get damaged.
One of the biggest lessons I learned when hosting a big party is to move your furniture, providing as much open space as possible. You might think everyone will want to sit down, but most just like standing and mingling. And use unsuspected spots for positioning food and drink, like on your mantel or coffee tables.
If you can get ahead by chopping onions or slicing cucumbers, now is the time to do it. And head to the grocery store to stock up on ice. You're going to need it.
Place wineglasses and dishes in positions so you can take a final look at how things are arranged, adjusting as needed. And you can create a cute centerpiece for the center of your main serving table, or sprinkle some festive holiday touches around your house for a bit of color.
Because guests will be imbibing lots of different types of beverages, you want to keep those visitors out of your fridge as much as possible, so use a cooler for holding beer. No, it's not pretty, but it beats your fridge being held open for several hours. Store the ice in the cooler until it's needed the next day.
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Party!
Your guests will be arriving shortly, so do a final kitchen and bathroom cleaning check. Place all frozen foods in the oven for a final heating, and put out other appetizers. Go overboard with leaving out extra toilet paper in the bathrooms and doling out napkins near all serving platters.
Fill ice buckets, set up the bar area with condiments and drink accessories, and put out the wine. Take a few minutes to get ready, and then toast yourself with a glass of wine as your guests arrive.
Photo: Sarah Lipoff
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