We recently entertained 26 people for dinner with friends who live in our canyon. The size of our party is limited by parking spaces available in the snow covered canyon and the size of space in our home to entertain. Our Christmas dinner party is smaller than those we held when we lived in the East but I think is even more enjoyable. The smaller party gives us the opportunity to spend time with each guest in the course of the evening.
Planning the evening and the menu is a critical aspect of every entertainment for a large group of people. We served from a buffet and made sure that cutting food with a knife was not needed for any item. People sitting in a chair or on a sofa are not comfortable balancing a plate on a knee while cutting beef and having a conversation.
The menu we planned worked well and several items might be additions to your party that will please your guests.
Our Christmas Dinner Menu
Hors d’ oeuvres
Brie en Croute
A Seven Layer Bean Dip
Tapenade
Entrée’s
Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Swedish Meat balls
Hickory Smoked Ham thinly sliced with small hard rolls freshly baked
Tiny Polish dill pickles, horseradish sauce and Dijon mustard as condiments
Desserts
Mango Mousse
Sweet potato Cheese Cake
Chocolate Brownies
Notes:
There are links to a number of the recipes that have been previously featured in Buck Cooks
The Olive recipe given in the link was expanded for the party to include some Feta cheese, cilantro, sun dried tomatoes and capers. We served it surrounded by small slices of a crusty artisan bread
The brownie recipe is one that is not ready to be released yet by the in-house baker(not me) She uses several different chocolate types and combines ingredients when I’m not around.
The desserts always disappear completely. The cheesecake and mousse are reportedly raved about by guests in their drive all the way home.
