9 Do’s and Don’ts for hosting a crowd at home over the holidays
Before we dive in to this very juicy post, I want you to know about a free resource that I created for you that goes along very nicely with this blog -
How to Plan a Holiday Dinner for 10 Guests.
In this reference guide you will receive a breakdown of catering formulas I learned throughout my career for serving a complete dinner. I include sample menus and a fill-in-the-blank worksheet for you to use as you plan out your own menu.
Go from un-sure of what to serve, to feeling excited and confident about creating thoughtful menus this holiday season that will impress your guests. Print this short reference guide and use it multiple times all season long.
When I used to work in the catering industry before my kiddos came along, creating new and fresh crowd-pleasing menus was literally my job.
It was always interesting to attend the events and watch which items guests devoured versus which items were usually leftover. Because I did both the menu planning and worked the parties, I developed a pretty good sense of popular menu items and food quantities. It took a bit of practice and some failed attempts, but eventually I got menu creation down to a science, and I would crank out multiple creative menus on a daily basis.
Because the holiday season is right around the corner, I wanted to divulge some of my top do’s and don’ts for serving a small crowd at home. I am covering some of the most popular topics and questions that I often get from clients to help you stress less and have fun creating and cooking!
Allergies and Diets
DO poll your crowd before a gathering and ask about allergies.
Allergies and dietary preferences are two completely different things. Allergies could potentially cause someone harm if ingested or even just nearby. Normally folks with dangerous allergies will alert you beforehand but it is still always a good practice to ask.
DON’T create a separate meal for someone with an allergy, just leave the allergen off of your menu completely.
If one of your guests has a nut, shellfish, or other dangerous allergy – do yourself a favor and just leave that ingredient off of your menu completely. For example, don’t create two salads - one with and one without nuts.
You don’t need the stress of worrying if this guest will accidentally have an episode during your dinner party because you weren’t careful enough.
DON’T worry about accommodating everyone’s dietary preferences.
In general, try to hit the big ones – vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, and dairy free. But don’t worry about Aunt Susie who is “Keto” this week or Uncle Don who doesn’t like mushrooms. As long as you create a thoughtful spread that covers a variety of foods, all of your guests will find something that they like.
Choosing Your Menu Items
DO get creative - that is part of the fun!
Choose a theme, brainstorm menu items that you love from your favorite restaurant, or dream up items that you would be so thrilled to learn to cook. First just write all of your ideas down, you can finalize the menu later.
DON’T plan a menu with all new recipes that you have never tried to cook before.
You need to balance out your menu with recipes that you are super familiar with and a couple of new ones you would like to try.
In general, I say, don’t try to cook more than 1 or 2 completely new recipes and absolutely incorporate a few recipes that you know like the back of your hand. It will make your life much easier.
DO delegate some items out.
If some guests ask if they can bring something – say yes! Choose an area that you aren’t particularly excited about like appetizers, sides, or dessert and asks guests to contribute.
Deciding on The Details
DON’T set unrealistic expectations.
I used to be notorious for this (and sometimes I still am). If you are a mom with little kids running around, the chances of you creating a stellar 4 course menu for 10 guests is pretty slim. Be realistic about the time you have to spend on planning, prepping, and executing. Make decisions based on what you know will work, not what you wish could work.
DO add a personal touch.
I call this a “Wild Card”. Choose at least one menu item that is completely representative of you.
DO have fun with decorating.
This can be as elaborate as setting a beautiful tablescape or as simple as making a small flower arrangement for your buffet. Whatever you decide to do, make sure it is something you enjoy doing and have fun with it. Your guests will notice the tiniest thing that you spend a lot of creative energy on.
Something I calculated recently that was a bit of a shock to me is that I have worked in the food and beverage industry for nearly 20 years! I’ve done everything from running food in a mom-and-pop restaurant to creating elegant menus for weddings for a DMV Caterer.
If any of these places ring a bell to you (all in Maryland), I’d love to hear!
University of Maryland Concessions, Loews Movie Theater Concessions, Savannah’s Bar and Grill, Ledo’s Original Restaurant, Royal Mile Pub, Marriott Hotels, Catering by Uptown, & La Prima Catering.
Needless to say, the food industry, particularly in events and entertaining is something that I have grown to love and appreciate. Food could arguably be considered the most important element of any celebration and it’s definitely one part of the event planning process that you should pay extra special attention to.