Holiday Entertaining Shortcuts and Creative Tips

It’s that time of the year friends! We are now in full-on holiday mode and I’m looking forward to great times with friends/family and fun holiday gatherings.  I thought I would share a few of my favorite holiday entertaining shortcuts, creative tips and yummy food ideas that can really help you save time when entertaining.

Today’s post is sponsored by Michael Angelo’s.  All opinions are my own. 

1) Keep It Simple 

Keep it simple!  I know that’s easier said than done when it comes to hosting a gathering in your home but if you can go into your party planning telling yourself to keep everything simple and easy, it will help so much in keeping the stress level down as you prepare and during your gathering.

I like to set everything up that I can a couple days ahead of a party to make sure that I have everything I need, which includes making my shopping list and setting up the bar and buffet with serving pieces (without the food). This also helps me think through how everything will work the night of the party and this is usually when I catch issues, which gives me plenty of time to work out the details. It’s such a big stress reducer for me to get all the prep work a couple days ahead of time.

2) Maximize Space

Whether you’re setting up a holiday buffet or simply setting out food on your kitchen island, you can maximize space by use serving pieces like multi-tiered serving stands and large cake stands.

Having a bunch a large platters can take up a ton of room quickly and tiered serving stands and large cake stands will make a big impact when it comes to conserving space during a gathering.

A quick trick with tiered serving stands is to get the stands that use plates so you can switch out festive colored/patterned plates for the different seasons.

3) Keep the Food Easy and Good

Serving food that you can either make ahead or better yet, great food that is pre-made can save a lot of time when it comes to holiday hosting.

Michael Angelo’s new Calzones are a fantastic option, especially for entertaining because these Calzones are not only super convenient and affordable but they are so good and everyone loves them!  All you have to do is bake and serve.

 

We love all three of the Calzone flavors but my favorite is the Primo Supreme. So good!

  Michael Angelo’s Calzones are one of those rare meals that kids and adults both love, which doesn’t happen often in our house.  I especially love that the ingredients read like a grocery list, not a trip to a chemistry lab! The marinara sauce is made with vine-ripened tomatoes, olive oil, chopped onions and garlic and each Calzone features Parmesan that adds a sharp, crisp flavor, and Mozzarella that just melts in your mouth. 

Also, if you’re worried about nitrates, the pepperoni, sausage and bacon found in Michael Angelo’s Calzones are free from nitrates or nitrites and the dough is so good and made with kitchen-friendly ingredients: yeast, flour, water, salt, olive oil & sugar. So even though the Calzones are pre-made, you would never know it because they are so fresh and yummy! 

If you want to find the store nearest to you where you can buy the new Michael Angelo’s calzones, you can search here.

 

4) Make it Easy for Guests to Help You

There are several ways that your guest can be of big help to you when hosting a party, which is another great way to save time. If you set up a self-serve bar/beverage station with everything your guests will need to make a drink, you don’t have to spend time making drinks for your guests throughout the party and your guests won’t hesitate to help themselves.

I also add limes, lemons and other garnishes on a cutting board on my bar with a knife and let my guests cut what they need. These little tasks can add up time-wise and making it easy for your guests to help you will always save time in the long run!

Another great way your guests can help is to ask them to bring something to the party. Most guests are uncomfortable coming to a gathering empty-handed, so asking them to bring something like their favorite sweet holiday treat can be a huge help! The best part is that you won’t need to worry about making desserts and your guest will love it because it’s fun to sample everyone’s holiday favorites!

5)  Enjoy Yourself

If you can keep your gathering simple, prepare/set up what you can ahead of time and keep the food easy and good, you have the perfect recipe for saving as much time as possibly and creating a stress-free holiday gathering!

Thanks for stopping by today and Happy Holidays friends!

Cheers!

Cyndy

 

 

Sponsored by Michael Angelo’s

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Michael Angelo’s. The opinions and text are all mine.