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Rate my Christmas Menu!
Hoping to get some feedback on my Christmas buffet menu. I host around 25 people all day and they are not good with change (we have literally had the same holiday menu for years) so I am trying to slowly break the mold.
Appetizers: Christmas fruit tree, Italian relish tray, shrimp scampi skewers, asparagus and cheese wrapped in phyllo, cheese fondue with baked baguette slices, pepper slices, broccoli florets, pretzels (soft baked bites or pretzel crisps?), apple slices and maybe pork cutlet bites (cooked).
maybe: cheese & nut stuffed celery, crescent rolls stuffed with mozzarella, feta and spinach, mini sausage wreath (aka pigs in a blanket)
Main: (there is no room for changing this as this is what they require, but just so you know what else is being served) baked ham with rye, Hawaii rolls and Swiss. Italian beef with rolls, giardiniera and shredded cheese. Sides are potato salad, sweet potato casserole and green bean casserole.
Desserts: pumpkin cheesecake, platters of cookies (Hershey kiss chocolate chips, role stuffed sugar, chewy lemon snowdrops, turtle cookies and whatever is left over from my cookie exchange)
Maybes: red velvet bundt cake, poppyseed cake (family favorite), oreo truffles and cinnamon sugar pecans
Party drinks: wine soaked frozen grapes and caramel apple jello shots
TIA!
Re: Rate my Christmas Menu!
To me, these aren't drinks. They're fun alki-snacks, but not drinks.
Appetizers: Sound good. Your 'maybe' list isnt needed.
Main: Sounds like a typical "sandwiches and sides" meal. You could add another side dish if you're looking to break the mold a little more. Perhaps some sort of cranberry/walnut/goat cheese chef salad?
Desserts: Yum! adding the poppyseed cake is ok since the family loves it
Drinks: I would add in some sort of hot cocoa or hot apple cider. People can drink it plain or add their alcohol of choice to it. I agree with PP. grapes and jello shots only go so far as being a 'drink'. I assume a sangria or wine will be served with dinner?
All in all, a nice menu!
There IS something to be said for tradition. My family does the same menu year after year (especially at thanksgiving!). the only thing that might change is a new side dish. Have to say, its fun looking forward to special holiday food!
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Whoa, that is a lot of food.
You're serving a complete meal, so there's no reason to go hog wild with the apps and desserts. People just won't have room for it and the food will go to waste.
For 25 people, there's no reason to serve more than 2-3 apps and 2-3 desserts. I vote for these apps: Italian relish tray, shrimp scampi skewers, asparagus and cheese wrapped in phyllo. And these desserts: pumpkin cheesecake, poppyseed cake, and whatever cookies are from the exchange that you don't have to make yourself.
Skip the alki-snacks unless your crowd is mostly under 30.
Are you perchance originally from Pennsylvania? I know it's customary there to set out a spread like the one you've listed, but it's pretty crazy otherwise. Do you entertain regularly? I ask because I'm not sure if you know how much work you've set up for yourself.
If you can pull off your original menu without going insane, I guess go for it, but there's no reason at all to put that kind of stress on yourself. The best hostess is a relaxed and happy hostess. IME, you can't be relaxed and happy when you're trying to get 8 appetizers and 10 desserts on the table along with a full meal. GL!
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Thanks for all the feedback!! I host on a fairly regular basis and have things kind of down to a science. The main dishes are so easy cuz they go in the crockpots, I can make my potatoes and green beans the night before and my mom is making the potato salad.
For the apps, I spoke with some of the fam and they are really excited for the fondue. I host an all day thing, so it's not just dinner.. we are hanging out from like 11 am-9 pm, so I like to have a buffet out that things don't go bad by not being kept the right temp!
I am scratching the maybe apps and probably the asparagus in phyllo. We're italian, and as much as we love our bread, it's just a bit much with the fondue sides and the stuff for sandwiches.
For the desserts, my mom requested my red velvet cupcakes instead (I guess she doesn't want to return my bundt pan, lol). So pumpkin cheesecake, red velvet cupcakes, whatever cookies are left and maybe a fresh batch. I think I am gonna knix the oreo truffles.. too much prep.
Those "party drinks" were just something fun. We usually get homemade lemoncello for Christmas, but our friend didn't make it this year. I think I am going to do the grapes only and maybe do the caramel apple shots for my cookie exchange. I have a fully stocked bar, a 2nd fridge filled with beer and wine.. and I usually end up making hotty toddys and white russians for people who like something different.
Nope, not from PA - Chicago! So funny the similarities though!