By Gregory Fast, At-Home Entertaining Expert
Rentals & Dishware: Special Event Rentals | Photos: Lisa Marie Photography
There is a lot of pressure put on hosts over the holiday season. A time meant for gathering, celebrating, and creating memories can also feel like stress and work. I’ve found that hosting a few different ways through the holidays with a combination of larger and smaller groups can make the season feel more manageable and enjoyable. I’m sharing three of my favourite ways to host this holiday season that are sure to impress your guests without overwhelming you as the host.
1) Hosting a Bountiful Holiday Brunch
The holidays are busy, and that’s why I love hosting a brunch. It allows for a relaxed gathering earlier in the day, offering your guests a beautiful way to celebrate without conflicting with evening cocktail party plans. It can also be a more family-focused occasion. I like to keep my brunches relatively light and festive, leaning into classic holiday colours like green and red for a traditional yet vibrant look. Using your kitchen island or table to create a spread makes it easy to prepare in advance. I like using tiers to create elevations while mixing in holiday greens.
Preparation is key for a holiday brunch. I always make sure most of the food and setup is ready to go before guests arrive. The idea is to balance a casual vibe with the feeling that everything is thoughtfully prepared. A self-serve spread of fresh breads, smoked salmon, cold cuts, cheeses, and freshly squeezed orange juice allows guests to enjoy their favourites without too much work on your part. I love finishing the spread with easy but impressive elements like poached eggs to keep the experience feeling gourmet.
Of course, no brunch is complete without a cocktail. This season, I’m serving Blood Orange Mimosas. It’s a bright twist on the classic mimosa – the vibrant colour and tart flavour of fresh blood oranges are a perfect match for the season. Adding a splash of elderflower liqueur brings a floral note that complements the citrus and prosecco beautifully. It’s a festive way to start the day!
Blood Orange Mimosa Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 oz freshly squeezed blood orange juice
- 1/2 oz elderflower liqueur
- 4 oz prosecco
- Garnish with orange twist or rosemary sprig
Instructions:
- Pour the blood orange juice and elderflower liqueur into a champagne flute.
- Top with prosecco and garnish with a sprig of rosemary for a festive touch.
2) Hosting a Holiday Dinner
Whether you’re hosting Christmas dinner, a New Year’s Eve celebration, or just a festive gathering, there’s something special about sitting down with a group of friends and family for a thoughtful and intimate meal. I love hosting dinner parties for 6-12 people, where the focus is on good food, great conversation, and a beautifully styled tablescape.
All great hosts know to bring the energy when answering the door; welcoming guests with a cocktail and an appetizer sets the tone for the evening. Planning ahead is crucial: think about the menu, the design, and even the conversations you might have. Consider a theme or colour palette to bring a cohesive look to the event. For example, a winter white backdrop with bold colours like oxblood and pomegranate feels festive and elevated, yet timeless. Consider renting tableware and linens from Special Event Rentals to sprinkle in with your existing china to help achieve a polished look without overloading your own supply.
For the menu, I suggest preparing a mix of dishes you can make ahead and a few simple items to cook while guests are enjoying their appetizers. If you’re feeling pressed for time, don’t hesitate to incorporate a few gourmet store-bought items to keep things simple. The whole process needs to be fun for you as a host as well.
One of my favourite appetizers for a holiday dinner is a Cranberry Brie Puff Pastry Bite. They’re extremely easy to make, festive, and taste delicious without being time-consuming. The combination of tangy cranberry, creamy brie, and flaky puff pastry is always a crowd-pleaser.
Cranberry Brie Puff Pastry Bites Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 1/2 cup cranberry sauce
- 4 oz brie cheese, cut into small squares
- Fresh rosemary for garnish
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Cut puff pastry into small squares and place in greased mini muffin tin.
- Add a piece of brie and a small spoonful of cranberry sauce to each square.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the cheese is melted.
- Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary and serve warm.
3) Hosting a Baking Day
One of my favourite holiday traditions, passed down from my mother, is hosting a cookie baking day with friends. It’s a fun, relaxed way to spend time together before the holiday rush while also stocking up on beautiful treats to share with family and friends. I love to invite friends over, each bringing their own ingredients and 1-2 cookie recipes to bake throughout the afternoon.
If you’re planning a baking day, it’s helpful to have a few things in place: a clear schedule, a double oven or convection if possible, great wine and a light lunch. Turn on the Christmas music as the smell of fresh-baked cookies fills the air. It’s one of the most festive ways to spend a December afternoon.
At the end, we divide up the cookies, which can be frozen or shared over the holiday season.
My personal favourites are my mother’s Belgian Jam Cookies, a buttery, shortbread-like cookie filled with jam and topped with icing. They’re always a hit and perfect for gifting.
At the end of the day, the holiday season is all about connection and celebration. Whether you’re hosting one of these three ways or bringing your own traditions to life, the key is to make it special and meaningful for you and your guests. With a little preparation and attention to detail, you can create events that your friends and family will remember long after the season has passed.
Belgian Jam Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb salted butter
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Seedless raspberry jam
- Icing sugar icing
Instructions
- Using a mixer, cream butter.
- Add sugar and egg and beat until light.
- Add vanilla.
- Sift dry ingredients and add gradually.
- Roll out thinly on a floured board; cut with a star-shaped cookie cutter.
- Bake for about 10 minutes (do not brown) in a 350° oven.
- Cool on a wire cookie rack.
- Once cool, spoon or pipe in raspberry jam.
- Ice tops with icing sugar and cream mixed together to spreadable consistency.
- Garnish with silver sugar balls or festive sprinkles.
