Dinner Parties during Christmas

During the Christmas season, one of the most popular activities is to entertain friends and family in your home. Most of us like to host small and informal gatherings in our homes while some like to plan a rather extravagant and formal Christmas dinner party.

Be it formal or informal, all of us strive to host an unforgettable Christmas dinner party that our friends and family will appreciate and enjoy.

Here are a few tips to plan the perfect Christmas dinner party.

Make a list of guests – the first thing to do while planning a party is to make a list of the people you want to invite. Everything else hinges on the guest list since the table settings, the amount of food to be prepared, the type of entertainment to be arranged etc will revolve around the number of guests you have.

Send your invitations at least three weeks before the party so that people can let you know whether they can attend it or not.

Plan how to cook the dinner – if you are confident of preparing the food for your guests yourself, plan the menu, how and when the shopping for ingredients should be done and everything else related to the cooking.

If your party is too big for you to cook for the guests yourself, arrange for a suitable caterer and make sure they are given clear instructions regarding the food and drinks to be served at the party.

Type of dinner – decide whether you want a buffet-style dinner or a sit-down one. The buffet is always a better option if you are going to have an informal Christmas dinner party. If you are going to have more guests than the dinner table can accommodate, opt for buffet. When arranging the food for a buffet, divide the food into smaller portions.

Planning the dinner menu – plan your menu at least two weeks before the party.

If you are going to cook for the guests, choose dishes that are both delicious as well as easy to prepare. Make sure to have recipes that can be made in advance and will need to be heated just before the guests arrive so as to avoid getting stuck in the kitchen during the party. Another important thing to avoid is, trying out new recipes that you are unfamiliar with, for the very first time.

Shopping and getting the house ready – once the menu is decided, make a list of the things needed and do your shopping early. Clean out your fridge and make space for your dishes to be stored in it.

Cut and store vegetables two days in advance. If you are going to make cookies, prepare the dough and freeze it. Prepare as many dishes as possible on the day before the actual party. Clean the entire house at least one week before the party.

Setting the table – for a formal party, it is very important to choose the right kind of utensils, to have the tableware placed correctly and the guests seated comfortably. A well-set dinner table adds an elegant touch to the entire Christmas dinner party.

Save the actual day of the Christmas dinner party to apply the finishing touches to the home décor, to set the table and other such last minute activities.