{"id":21758,"date":"2011-12-13T14:57:47","date_gmt":"2011-12-13T20:57:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/artofmanliness.com\/?p=21758"},"modified":"2021-06-06T22:29:23","modified_gmt":"2021-06-07T03:29:23","slug":"holiday-party-dinner-menu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta.artofmanliness.com\/culture\/food-drink\/holiday-party-dinner-menu\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Throw an Awesome Holiday Party–Part III: A Simple and Jolly Dinner Menu"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Rib<\/p>\n

So far in this four-part series on throwing an awesome holiday party, we discussed choosing a party type\/theme <\/a>and then moved on to covering the ins and outs of executing things like the drawing up of the guest list and the sending out of invitations.<\/a><\/p>\n

Now for those of you who are still stuck on step one and are having trouble deciding what kind of party to host, today I’d like to sway you towards choosing the sit-down dinner option. Why? Well from a guest’s perspective, you seldom come away from a party that consists solely of hors d\u2019oeuvres feeling truly satisfied. Don\u2019t agree with me?  Allow me to jog your memory…you stand around all night, eating cream cheese-filled concoctions, cocktail napkin in hand, while you dodge the occasional awkward conversation, wondering if that spinach and artichoke dip that came out 30 minutes ago is ever going to be reheated.  Sound familiar?<\/p>\n

Moreover, hosting such a party can be very expensive and time-consuming.  Each appetizer typically contains 10 \u2013 12 unique ingredients–many of which will only sit in your spice rack unused.  And let\u2019s not forget about prepping and serving.  Taking on such a challenge is like trying to serve eight or ten individual meals to your guests.  In other words, it\u2019s just not worth the hassle, or the expense.<\/p>\n

So instead I advocate hosting an actual dinner party.  Your guests will be impressed when you serve an entire meal–all the while saving you time and money by choosing a themed dinner that includes consistent ingredients and a viable prep schedule.<\/p>\n

Indeed, in my opinion there\u2019s no better way to celebrate the holidays than by hosting a holiday dinner party for a group of your best friends.  Armed with great food, cold drinks, festive tunes, and the sometimes creative costume (or ugly sweater), spending time with the people you love is what makes the holiday season special.<\/p>\n

Yet I realize the idea of hosting a sit-down dinner can seem intimidating for a lot of men. Beginners wonder if they can pull it off, and those of you who’ve hosted such a bash before know that a good time doesn\u2019t come for free.  In fact, quite a bit of hard work, planning, and expense can go into hosting such affairs.<\/p>\n

This is where I come in.<\/p>\n

Throwing an outstanding holiday party can be a piece of cake–so long as you have a game plan.<\/p>\n

First, don’t plan a dinner menu that includes anything you haven’t made before. Your guests shouldn’t be your guinea pigs. Even when you’re following a recipe, things can go wrong the first time you try your hand at a dish, or it may turn out that the recipe that looked good on paper, doesn’t taste very good on the platter. Always give all the dishes you plan to serve at a party a private practice run first.<\/p>\n

Second, with regards to prep and shopping–do not procrastinate.  Make a list of all the ingredients you\u2019ll need and go shopping the day before, checking off every item on your list.  When you get back home, put away and prep your ingredients, double crossing off your ingredient list to make sure you have everything on hand.  This will allow you to feel confident and not rushed when the big day arrives.  Also, in the rare event that you find that you missed an important ingredient, you still have time to make another run to the store.<\/p>\n

Doing all of your prep work the day before also ensures that you spend your party enjoying the company of your guests.  I\u2019ve learned this lesson the hard way, with many a holiday party spent solo in my kitchen with a cast iron pan and a whiskey on the rocks.  Trust me, it doesn\u2019t look good to cook and drink alone–nor is it proper etiquette to host a party and not spend time with your guests.<\/p>\n

The meal I suggest below makes use of some other key cooking tips when it comes to entertaining for large groups:<\/p>\n