Are you the type that doesn’t host parties or get togethers because it seems like too much trouble? Maybe you are overwhelmed by all of the prep work and dread the cleanup afterwards. Perhaps you have no idea where to begin when planning a party and give up before you even start.

I have great news for you! It doesn’t need to be complicated.  No one expects to go to a party at someone’s home that seems as though it was hosted by Martha Stewart.  Guests expect food, drinks, and fun! If you can deliver on those three things you are set.

 

Three Day Guide

This three day guide aims to take the guesswork and stress out of throwing a holiday party. You and everyone else are already busy during most holidays, so there is no reason why having people over should be a major undertaking.

Send out your invites a few weeks in advance and forget about your party until a few days before.  This guide provides you with a pre-made, printable shopping list, printable to-do list,  printable cleaning plan and step by step instructions to create the recipes that you will serve to your guests.

Start by looking over the whole plan, so that you know which tasks should be completed on which days.  This way you will feel comfortable with the game plan and can get your family on board. Make note of how many guests you have coming and how many children if any. The menu can easily be made even more kid friendly by adding peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chips and salsa. If you don’t have any picky eaters coming leave the menu as is.

After you have finalized the guest list you can make your shopping list. Use the printable shopping list to make note of the things that you need to buy. Simply add quantities or cross items off the pre-printed list as you check through your refrigerator and pantry. If you need to buy any decorations you will need to add them to your list. Check out the pictures and notice that each picture is staged the same way with different decorations for each holiday. Work with the colors associated with the holiday and pick up cheap decorations from the dollar store or use what you have on hand.

Follow along with the to-do list and check items off as you complete them. Feel free to give your family tasks to make the prep go faster. When the day arrives think about what little things that you can do to make your home more inviting, such as lighting candles, playing music in the background and fresh towels in the bathroom.

Printable Checklists, Shopping Lists, and Recipes

The Recipes

Cocktail Meatballs

Ingredients:

4 lbs frozen meatballs (cocktail size, about 4 oz.)

1    32oz. jar grape jelly

2    12oz. bottles chili sauce

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Empty entire jar of jelly into a sauce pan and heat on medium high heat until melted, whisking occasionally.

Remove from heat, add both bottles chili sauce and whisk to combine.

Put frozen meatballs in slow cooker and pour sauce over meatballs turning to coat.

Cover with lid and cook on high for 2 hours, then turn to warm. Serves 12

Parmesan Bites

Ingredients:

2   cans crescent roll dough

1   8oz. package cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese (softened)

1   Cup of grated parmesan cheese (the kind in the can)

1   Cup diced red bell pepper

1   TBSP dried parsley

½  tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients except crescent roll dough and set aside.

On a lightly floured surface unroll 1 package of dough.

Pinch all cut edges together and roll with a rolling pin into a rectangle.

With a pizza cutter or knife cut dough into 12 rectangles. Place a dollop of filling onto the middle of each  rectangle, roughly a heaping tsp.

Roll dough around filling and place seam side down on counter. Press lightly with fingers to flatten slightly.

Once all are formed and roughly the same size cut each rectangle in half to form 24 squares. Press open edges together with your fingers or a fork to prevent filling from leaking out when baking. Repeat with second package of dough. Place on greased cookie sheet leaving room to grow and bake according to package directions. Serves  10-12

Breaded Zucchini

Ingredients:

3  medium zucchini

¾  Cup seasoned bread crumbs

¾  Cup grated parmesan cheese

¾  Cup flour

1 Egg

Salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut the ends off of each zucchini and cut in half. Slice each zucchini section length wise into 5-6 slices.

Place sliced zucchini onto wire cooling racks place over paper towels or baking sheet with raised edges. Once all zucchini is lined up on racks sprinkle lightly with salt and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes flip zucchini over and sprinkle lightly with salt and let sit for another 30 minutes. Salting before cooking will draw out the moisture helping to prevent a soggy finished product. After the second 30 minutes is up gently pat dry with paper towels and set aside.

In a bowl combine bread crumbs and parmesan cheese and set aside. In another bowl add flour and in a third bowl beat the egg with a couple table spoons of water.

Take each zucchini slice and dredge with flour then dip in egg and then coat with bread crumbs. Place each slice onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip each zucchini slice over and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Upon removing from oven lightly sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with ranch dressing or warm marinara for dipping. Serves 8-10. To make gluten free and low carb replace bread crumbs with ground almonds mixed with Italian seasoning.

Fruit & Cheese Board

Apples (crisp, such as honey crisp, pink lady or gala)

Grapes (red, green or black)

Strawberries

Soft Cheese (Brie, Camember, Chevre)

Hard Cheese (Manchego, Grana Padano, Romano)

Blue Cheese (Rocquefort, Gorgonzola, Stilton)

Keep in mind that you can use any cheese that you like. These cheeses are simply suggestions .  A general rule is one soft cheese, one hard cheese and one blue cheese, so just choose one from each category. As you may have noticed from the pictures we had gouda in place of blue cheese because I probably would have been the only one to eat it. Add kid friendly cheeses such as Colby Jack or mild Cheddar if necessary.

Take a platter or cutting board and place cheeses in the top corners and bottom middle. Place a pile of one type of fruit next to one type of cheese. You can make labels for the cheese with card stock and markers or let your guests play Russian Roulette with the cheese (my favorite). Place a cheese knife with the board or slice cheese prior to placing on board. Three cheeses and fruit serves 8-10.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Squares

Ingredients:

2   8 oz. packages cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese (softened)

1   16 oz. package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough

½ Cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs (room temp)

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ Cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or non-stick pans).

Beat sugar and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl.

     

Once smooth add eggs and vanilla and beat well to combine. Make sure the eggs are room temp, because cold eggs will stiffen the cream cheese.

Stir mini chocolate chips into batter. Grease a 9×13 baking pan.

     

Place cookie dough into the pan and press into a single layer with greased fingers.

   

Pour batter over cookie dough and spread into a smooth layer. Bake for 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool for 30 minutes on the counter then chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving. Cut into 24-32 squares. To cut neat squares dip a knife into hot water for each cut.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares

Ingredients:

1   8oz. package cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese (softened)

1 Cup pumpkin pie filling (not pumpkin puree)

2 large eggs (room temp)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1   16oz. package refrigerated sugar cookie dough

Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or non-stick pans).

   

In a large mixing bowl combine cream cheese and pie filling, mixing until smooth.

   

Then add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Make sure the eggs are room temp, because cold eggs will stiffen the cream cheese.

   

Place cookie dough in a greased 9×13 pan and press into a single layer with greased fingers. Bake cookie dough for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and pour batter over crust. Bake for 30 minutes or until center is set. Cool on counter for 30 minutes and then chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. Cut into 24-32 squares. To cut neat squares dip a knife into hot water for each cut.

Sangria

Ingredients:

1 bottle fruity red wine (slightly sweet)

1 liter pomegranate sparkling water (unsweetened)

1 Cup red grapes (halved)

2 Oranges cut into wedges (or 4 clementines)

2 small or medium apples or pears thinly sliced

In a pitcher squeeze orange wedges and  pour wine over fruit and refrigerate 8 hours to overnight. Just before guests arrive carefully transfer wine and fruit to a punch bowl or drink dispenser and pour chilled sparkling water in and gently stir to combine. Serves 8-10. To make kiddy mocktail replace wine with cran-pomegranate juice. To make more festive for Thanksgiving and Christmas add some cinnamon sticks and whole cloves or try mulling spices. To make for a summer party replace red wine with sweet white wine or rosé.

Things to Consider

If the weather is cold consider lighting a fire in the fire place. If there is snow make sure your walk and steps have been shoveled and salted. In wet or slushy weather  leave door mats or boot trays by the door for any guests that wish to remove their shoes. Go the extra step and offer wool socks for guests to wear during the party. Do not ask your guests to remove their shoes. This makes some people very uncomfortable. If they offer and you prefer that they remove their shoes tell them to do so.

During the party try to be mindful of the temperature and open windows if it gets stuffy or warm and be willing to turn up the heat if guests are chilly. You could also ask one of the guests who you know will be mindful of the temp to do this for you.

During the Party

Remember to replenish food, drinks and supplies before they run out, so guests don’t have to go looking or ask. You want to make this easy and comfortable, so that people want to come back for future parties. If possible sneak into the bathroom partway through the party to see if it needs a quick wipe down or new toilet paper. Definitely check the bathroom if kids are there. You don’t want another guest to go in after a seven year old boy missed the toilet and left the towel on the floor.

As the party is going you can be cleaning up here and there offering to take guests plates and cups.  Once or twice do a quick walk through and pick up any abandoned plates or cups. Don’t make people uncomfortable by continually asking to throw away their trash. The bulk of the cleaning will take place after the guests leave, but there is no reason that you can’t do a little during the party.

As guests leave get their coats for them if you took them at the beginning of the party. If possible you should clear out your coat closet before the party so guests can hang and retrieve their own coats. The old toss it on the bed trick won’t work unless the path to the bedroom is also clean and said bedroom is clean. The cleaning plan is only for the rooms your guest will see, so it may be easier to take five minutes to remove a bunch of your family’s coats from the closet and put those on a bed instead.

Parting Gifts

Keep a basket of favors by the door if you plan to give favors. A great idea would be to give recipe cards with the recipes from the party printed on them tied with a pretty ribbon. You can use the printable recipe cards included with this guide or create your own. Candles, chocolates, cookies, small bags of coffee or mini hand sanitizers with mini tissue packs all make great favors. Put each in a clear plastic bag and tie with ribbon and you have a favor. Try the dollar store for little things to give to your guests. Remember that your guests won’t be expecting anything, so you can ditch this idea to save time or wow your guests with a little treat. Either way is totally fine.

Printable Recipe Cards

Don’t Forget to Clean Up After

After all the guests have left grab a garbage bag and quickly go through each room picking up any garbage. If necessary spray and wipe any spills and vacuum or sweep up any crumbs. Package any leftovers and put into the refrigerator. Toss any disposable serving utensils or trays and pop the rest into the dishwasher or wash by hand. Clean up should only take about a half hour especially if you have help.

Then pat yourself on the back for a job well done! Having people over does take work, but with a good plan you can do it over and over again without overwhelm or stress.

Happy hosting!