Make hectic Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners easy and enjoyable with my top tips for holiday hosting! Plus, check out some of my favorite traditional holiday recipes to bring more fun and yum to your holiday meal.
5 Ways to Make Holiday Hosting a Breeze
Offering to host a family holiday meal is a beautiful gift to give your loved ones. Yes, it’s a lot of work. But it’s also all about creating memories and bringing your loved ones together in a special and unforgettable way.
I consider hosting a labor of love. And my tips for holiday hosting will help you impress your guests, with so much less stress. Happy holidays and enjoy!
1. Make a Plan
Plan your menus, invites and overall timeline a few weeks in advance so you know what all you need, when it needs to be done by, and who exactly you’ll be hosting.
Be realistic with your planning and make sure you’re not overcommitting to things like an ambitious menu with several complicated recipes, too many people to fit comfortably in your house or around your dining table (if you want everyone to be able to sit at the table), too tight of a timeline to realistically prep and serve an enjoyable meal with your work schedule, etc.
Make your grocery list, or better yet, shop online and schedule it for a pick-up or delivery a few days before the holiday so you’re not fighting the crowds at the grocery stores this time of year.
2. Prepare in Advance
As much as possible, prepare in advance. Most recipes can be made hours and even days in advance. Next to each item on your menu, note how far in advance you can make the dish and how long it takes to make it. Then sort your menu accordingly so you’re making the items that take the most time to prepare as far in advance as possible.
You’ll be so thankful and less stressed on the day of if you have most of it already prepped and ready to be served, cooked, warmed, or garnished.
Pro tip: incorporate several no-cook items into your menu, like a festive charcuterie board or no-bake appetizer, a green salad, and dessert bites. The easy-to-prep and no-cook dishes are sometimes the most impressive.
3. Get Festive!
This will make it so special and more memorable for everyone! Serve seasonal foods in festive shapes or make themed treats to fit the holiday. Serve your signature dishes and drinks with a festive touch to them. Decorate your house so it feels festive. Set the dining table and buffet area with festive runners, placemats, name cards, menu markers for each dish, candles and any coordinating tableware to really set the scene and make it extra special.
4. Delegate
Ask for help with the tasks that you’re comfortable letting others do. You’re most likely hosting loved ones and they usually want to help (and if they don’t want to help, they just need to be told to. ;)) So give people things to do! Most people want to bring something or do something to help.
Delegate things like dessert, drinks, and appetizers. Let people help with cleaning dishes while you’re doing the final prep for the meal so there’s not a huge pile-up of dishes afterwards. Definitely ask others to help clear the table and do the dishes after the meal (older kids are great for this!).
5. Be Flexible
It’s okay if the meal is not served right on time! Your guests are blessed to get to enjoy the fabulous feast that you’ve worked so hard to prepare for them and I guarantee you no one is going to starve if you’re running behind.
Take your time and serve the meal at its best since you’ve worked so hard to bring it all to the table. You probably had appetizers set out anyway so they can continue to graze on those if they’re that hungry.
Bonus Tip
Enjoy! – last but certainly not least! Relax and enjoy it all as much as your guests will! Be present and cherish these moments with your loved ones. Then book yourself a massage afterwards. 😉
A Sample Thanksgiving Menu
This is a sample of what I might serve when hosting a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
Appetizers: A simple but adorable Pumpkin Cheese Ball is always a hit, and so easy to make in advance. If I want a warm appetizer, this Pecan Pie Baked Brie is festive and simple. And we always have a jar full of SuSu’s Cereal Snack Mix for easy munching while prepping for the big feast.
Main dish: Of course, there’s the turkey. But if you want an alternative, these Honey Herb Roasted Chicken Drumsticks are so easy and delicious.
Sides: A fresh green salad like this Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad makes a great complement to hot veggie sides like Green Bean Bundles and Roasted Sweet Potatoes.
Breads: Classic Dinner Rolls never miss, but if you want to try something new, Pumpkin Biscuits are a wonderful seasonal addition to the holiday table.
Desserts: I love to keep a mix of traditional Thanksgiving flavors, but with a twist. These Pecan Pie Thumbprint Cookies and a Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Tart are a great way to do that. And if you really want to satisfy everyone’s pie cravings, my One-Pan Mini Thanksgiving Pies allows you to bake the three most popular Thanksgiving pies all at once.
Drinks: Seasonal drinks like this Apple Cider Sangria are perfect to make ahead because they only get better as they chill.
A Sample Christmas Menu
This is a sample of what I might serve when hosting a traditional Christmas meal. Everyone has their own traditions, but trying something new is always fun!
Breakfast: We start the day with something hardy and filling like Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole, and of course something sweet like Cinnamon Sugar Cruffins or a festive Cinnamon Roll Wreath.
Appetizers: Christmas appetizers are so fun. For a no-cook, easy and adorable start, I love my original Candy Cane Caprese Board, or this gorgeous Charcuterie Wreath Board. The kids just love a Santa Hummus Snack Board.
Main dish: Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas at our house without Roasted Beef Tenderloins.
Sides: We’re happy to stick with delicious family traditions like this Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole, Fresh Green Bean Casserole and Cornbread Dressing.
Breads: Christmas Tree Dinner Rolls are so cute, so festive and such an easy way to add more merriment.
Snacks: It’s a long day, so keep ’em satisfied with snacks throughout like this irresistible Christmas Crunch Mix, these adorable (and healthy!) Grinch Fruit Skewers or Rudolph Celery Sticks.
Desserts: We love to share family recipes like, Grandma’s Pecan Pie along with a festive Candy Cane Cake and super easy Holiday Cookie Bars.
Drinks: Get very merry with a glass of my Cranberry Cheer Cocktail, and The Best Homemade Hot Chocolate for all the kiddos!
I hope these tips help you plan and pull off stress-free and enjoyable holiday meal. As always, follow along on Instagram for new recipes and more. If you’re on Facebook, be sure to join my Friends of The BakerMama group to connect and share all the fun and yummy recipes of mine that you make! 
I just love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the ideas I share. Enjoy!
xoxo,
