Help! Hosting the in-laws on Christmas Eve!?!
PS: I have a 10 week old baby, so I don't have a ton of time to slave in the kitchen...
Answers: My husband and I have invited his mother, sister and brother-in-law, and grandmother over for an afternoon get together on Christmas Eve. We are planning to serve some appetizers and pastries..and drinks (annnd drinks, lol). I just get frustrated because I'm known as the "Martha Stewart" of my friends and tend to go all out when I host events, the only thing is that my in-laws could care less if I get a store bought cold cut platter and throw a loaf of bread on the table and say "help yourselves!" What are some good things to serve without going over the top?? Any apps, desserts, or drink recipes or ideas are much appreciated!!!
PS: I have a 10 week old baby, so I don't have a ton of time to slave in the kitchen...
If it's an afternoon tea and they have had their lunch, then just serve some scones, butter, jam, English clotted cream and tea or coffee (or both). Since they don't appreciate the finer things in life, dont waste your energy on them.
stuffed mushrooms, scallops and bacon... buy some frozen appetizers to save some time..
Set out 2 cakes and 2 pies, honey baked ham, macaroni salad, your favorite green veg! loaf of bread and rolls. then you have part of Christmas day dinner left from the day before!! For an appetizer serve cold boiled shrimp it will be a big hit and is easy and takes very little time.
Save an empty milk gallon jug and make Toasted Almonds!!!
Amaretto, Kahlua and milk! or White Russians use Vodka instead of Amaretto
Finger sandwiches (cucumber and dill cream cheese, cheddar cheese and chutney, BLT and basil mayo, turkey and avocado, turkey and cranberry sauce, fontina cheese and garlic pimentos, peanut butter and bananas and hazelnut spread)
Scallops wrapped in bacon
Blanched asparagus wrapped in prosciutto
Fingerling potatoes with garlic aioli for dipping
Roasted red pepper hummus with pita chips
Spiced nuts
Sweedish meatballs (I make mine with cocktail sauce and grape jelly)
Spinach dip in a bread bowl
Crackers, cut baguette, or toasts with hummus, olive tapenade, bruschetta or baba ghanouj from the grocery store.
Good-quality cornchips with guacamole (store bought or by mixing avocado/lime juice/salsa together). If you're feeling very welcoming, make some mango salsa, too.
- 1 diced mango, large
- 1/2 a red onion, diced
- 1 minced jalapeno
- 1 tablespoon minced cilantro
- Salt, pepper, a squeeze of lime juice
- Mix, let sit 20 minutes, serve
Garlic bread, either pre-made or by using garlic butter and parsley on a stick of French bread.
Tartlets of some sort - tomato are good and easy by pureeing flavoured, tinned tomatoes; or quiche, with eggs, bacon, mushrooms, spinach, etcetera, and pre-made tart shells if you haven't time to make ones.
If you enjoy it, a plate of pre-made sushi rolls. You can make them yourself fairly easily, but they're a lot of time, and require special ingredients like a mat, seaweed sheets, and sushi rice.
Assorted nuts in dishes.
Cooked jumbo shrimp with cocktail sauce and lemon.
For sweets, just put out a tray of really good chocolates (truffles are good), or maybe some candies like pralines or pates de fruits.
Home made Minestrone soup. Make it the night before (It actually tastes better if you make it the night before) . Serve it with some beautiful fresh crusty bread, and some sort of anti-pasto style platter with cheeses, dips, cold cuts and salami on the side that your guests can just help themselves from.