It’s the most exhausting time of the year. When family and friends gather, homes are filled with the warmth of their love for one another. But sometimes their love is overshadowed by the pressure to create the most fabulous dinner for them. Cooking for a crowd is not only hard work, but it’s also expensive on the wallet. The solution: Host a holiday potluck party.
Getting Started
If you are new to the holiday potluck party concept, here are the basics. Potlucks are great because the more people you invite, the more food you have; hence, the saying “the more, the merrier.” In its simplest form, a potluck is a dinner party where each guest brings a dish. That sounds easy, right? It is, as long as you take some time to plan, so read on to learn more.
The Key to the Perfect Holiday Potluck Party
Planning is the best way to make sure your holiday potluck party isn’t a dietary disaster. Here’s how:
- Ask each guest to bring a different component of the meal. For example, one guest can bring an appetizer while another brings dessert. Some attendees can bring a beverage, side dish, salad, soup or even part of the main entrée.
- Take it a step further with technology. Simply create a spreadsheet and add spaces for your guests to put their name and the dish they want to bring. This helps avoid too many chips, sodas and cookies. You can even include checkboxes for food that is gluten-free or vegan. We don’t want to leave out anyone with specific dietary restrictions.
- Explore the culinary possibilities. Also, it doesn’t have to be limited to traditional holiday cuisine, like turkey and stuffing. Your guests can bring a special family dish or specialty.
- Think outside the box. Why limit your guests to bringing only food dishes? You can suggest someone bring margaritas or snacks such as chips or popcorn. Or, how about dessert for the kids?
The possibilities for hosting a holiday potluck party are enormous. Take advantage of your loved one’s labor for a change. Kick your feet up, and enjoy one of those margaritas your guest brought for you.
