Christmas time is coming, and with it comes a flurry of festivities, fun, and fantastic food! Whether you plan to walk away from this year's office Christmas party with the top prize in the ugliest Christmas sweater contest, or you intend to have a cheerful family Christmas party surrounded by your loved ones, you won't want to miss out on these great ideas for Christmas party food.
Finger Foods and Appetizers
What's a party without plenty of fun finger food? Don't be skimpy on the appetizers. Next to dessert, they are secretly everybody's favorite part of the party table! Following are a few favorite Christmas time finger foods to decorate your party table this year:
Say cheese! – What Christmas party table is complete without a cheese ball or two? Don't forget a tray filled with a delightful array of fine cheeses to suit every palate.
Crackers – Of course, you must also have an equally appetizing assortment of crackers for the cheese. Crackers and cheese don't have to be plain and simple. In fact, sometimes the cheesy appetizers challenge the desserts for the most appealing dish on the Christmas table!
Bacon-wrapped anything – Face it, almost everyone loves bacon. Wrap it around an olive, a piece of cheese, or even another piece of bacon and you have a winning appetizer!
Festive Desserts
Festive desserts are the star of the party. While appetizers and finger foods rank up there, they will never quite win over those sweet tooths in the crowd who live for the dessert table every Christmas. From delectable candies to luscious chocolate-cherry lava cakes, here are a few Christmas dessert favorites:
Fudge – Chocolate and peanut butter fudge or traditional favorites, bu try mixing it up a bit with candy cane fudge or butterscotch.
Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake – Spice up the holiday with this traditional cake flavored with ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and molasses.
Cherry Delight – Always a favorite, cherry filling on a cream cheese cloud and graham cracker crust is a must!
Chocolate Lava Cake – Whether you add tangy cherries or leave the chocolate to speak for itself, this cake will have all the chocoholics raving.
Christmas Beverages
The season offers so many fabulous options for delicious drinks! From soothing hot cocoa to spiced apple cider or peppermint tea, the creative concoctions are almost endless! If kids will be nearby, you may want to skip the more adult drinks, but if only adults will be in attendance, you may consider asking each gust to bring their favorite holiday spritzer or cocktail. Candy cane martinis and eggnog could be just a couple of favorites of the night. Following is a list of holiday quenchers suitable for all ages:
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Peppermint or Cinnamon tea – Great hot or iced!
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Hot chocolate or cocoa – Always a warm, traditional favorite.
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Apple cider – Hot apple cider warms the soul, but it's great cold too.
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Italian sodas – Try using holiday flavors like pomegranate or cinnamon with cream and carbonated water for a holiday treat everyone will love!
Kids' Party Food
Kids and parties are almost synonymous, but sometimes the two equal up to a mess! Make clean-up this year a little easier with a table of kid-friendly food that is simple for their little fingers to grab and gulp down before trotting off to the rest of the fun. Try these ideas for a kid-friendly Christmas party that will leave their tummies full and their places at the table a little less messier;
Sandwiches – Instead of requiring kids to deal with cutting up meat or using utensils, why not make it simple and supply them with simple sandwiches. Try using pita pockets to cut back on the mess. Not only will less fillings fall out, kids will love stuffing the pockets full of their favorite lunch meats and salad topping.
Raw veggies and fruits – It may be Christmas, but that's no excuse for kids to get out of eating their vegetables. While the adults may enjoy green beans, cooked corn, or a variety of vegetable casseroles, these things can be hard for little hands and mouths to handle.
Cups with lids – While toddlers will have no problem with using sippy cups, slightly older kids will certainly not want to drink out of a baby cup. Make sure to have a colorful supply of cups and lids with straws for the kids at the party. This will cut down on spills and tears.
Cookie Time!
No Christmas party should be without cookies. In fact, no part of Christmas itself should be without cookies! Try having a separate table specifically for cookies at this year's party. You could even ask each guest to bring their favorite cookie with an accompanying recipe for those who may want to try baking them themselves later. Following are just a few of the more favorite Christmas cookies:
Iced sugar cookies – who doesn't associate iced sugar cookies with Christmas? Whether you bake and decorate them at home or get them from a bakery, these delicious beauties are a must at Christmas parties!
Russian tea cakes – Some may call these Mexican wedding cakes, snowball cookies, Italian wedding cookies, or butterballs. These delicious delicacies go t a number of names, but no matter what you call them, they are simply a delicious mouthful of sugary delight!
Snickerdoodles – Always a favorite at any time of year, these cinnamon-sugar cookies will be a hit at any party.
Thumbprint cookies – A traditional Christmas favorite, these small cookies may be filled with jelly, jam, chocolate, or any variety of tasty treats.
Gather 'Round
Have you ever roasted chestnuts on an open fire like the song? How many of us quote and sing this carol every Christmas but haven't even got a clue what a roasted chestnut tastes like? For a cozier Christmas party, why not get out the cast iron skillet, light up the fireplace, and roast a few chestnuts? Here are a couple of other ideas for gathering around the fireplace for your cozy Christmas party:
Cozy up around a crackling fire with steaming mugs of hot chocolate, hot apple cider, peppermint tea, or your favorite flavored coffee. Share memories of past Christmases, favorite gifts, or sing Christmas carols.
Make it a s'mores Christmas party! Assign everyone a specific s'mores ingredient to bring to the party and sit around the fireplace roasting marshmallows and building these delicious treats! Wash them down with hot cocoa or peppermint schnapps and enjoy the fun!
Don't forget to have someone bring the roasting sticks!
