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Christmas holiday celebrations last far longer than just a couple of days. Christmas is a whole season filled with multiple gatherings, events, and parties. As magical as the holiday season is, it can be exhausting to juggle it all as a parent.
Whether you are hosting, required to participate in a school event, or bringing a dish to a friend or family member’s shindig, these 10 Christmas party food ideas are sure to be a hit. There’s a smorgasbord of ideas from appetizers to desserts. We even threw in some Christmas cocktails to keep spirits bright.
Holiday Appetizers and Sides
Cranberry Sauce Meatballs
Having some hearty appetizers for Christmas on hand at your gathering is a good way to keep people full for a whole evening of festivities. These cranberry sauce meatballs from Taste of Home will satisfy guests for the entire party. As an added bonus, this recipe can be made in a crockpot so it saves precious oven and burner space.
Christmas Cheese Ball
This retro holiday appetizer is making a strong comeback. It’s the perfect answer to the dilemma of what to bring to a Christmas party because it travels so well. It can stand alone or be part of a larger cheese board. This recipe from Delish is a great starting point. Let your creative juices flow and customize it with your favorite flavors of the season.
More from CafeMom: 19 Celebrity Holiday Recipes We Actually Want To Try
Baked Brie Bites
The holiday season is all about indulgence, so try these baked brie bites from Food Network star Ree Drummond. Ree, who you might know as the Pioneer Woman, is a master of Christmas party food. This recipes combines the sweet and savory elements with cranberries and pistachios in addition to the brie.
Christmas Salad
One way to help out a host is to bring a salad or a side dish. For salads, remember to hold off on the dressing until about 15 minutes before you are going to serve it. (Otherwise it might get soggy.)
Salads are another customizable dish to showcase all your favorite seasonal flavors. Here’s a delicious recipe from the blog Dinner at the Zoo that uses mandarin oranges, candied pecans, pomegranate seeds, and feta cheese. Leave out any ingredient that isn’t your cup of tea and add whatever makes you happy.
Green Beans
Green beans are a tried and true Christmas side dish that is easily transportable. Elevate the dish past the classic casserole by following this recipe from Southern Living. It uses a slow cooker, preps in about 20 minutes, and cooks for about three hours. The secret ingredient is bacon.
Holiday Drinks
Holiday Punch
This is a festive Christmas mocktail for guests who don’t drink. This holiday punch from the Pioneer Woman only uses cranberry juice, raspberry sherbet, and ginger ale. It comes together in just five minutes and is fun for the whole family.
Naughty or Nice Cocktail
Christmas cocktails have the ability to make everyone merry and bright. This libation pays homage Chris Kringle’s naughty or nice list. It was created by renowned Seattle-based bartender Jamie Boudreau and uses chardonnay, pinot noir, cognac, and maraschino liqueur. You can top it off with either ginger ale or ginger beer.
More from CafeMom: 10 Christmas Cocktails That Will ‘Sleigh’ Your Holiday Party & Keep Everyone Jolly
Holiday Desserts
Gingerbread Bundt Cake
Christmas desserts are a fantastic way to end the festivities on a sweet note. Bundt cakes, a wonderful addition to your dessert table, evolved from a German pastry called Gugelhupf. There is no single recipe for them — instead, it is all about the shape. In 1950, Nordic Ware copyrighted the pan used to create these donut-shaped cakes and invested in advertising to popularize the dessert. Give this classic dessert a Christmas spin by trying this gingerbread variation from the kitchn.
Cannoli Bites
Francis Ford Coppola’s classic film The Godfather isn’t exactly a Christmas movie, but it did teach us an important lesson that can be applied to holiday parties: “Leave the gun, take the cannoli.” The only issue with this sweet treat is the mess. It crumbles and gets powdered sugar everywhere. Cooking on the Front Burner has the perfect solution: make them mini. These bite-size cannolis would even please Don Corleone.
Bourbon Balls
This adult truffle packs a punch. It’s one part Christmas dessert and one part Christmas cocktail in a delicious bite. Pro tip: Using a decent bourbon will help the flavors come through. Several recipe variations exist for this sweet indulgence, so don’t be afraid to experiment and discover your favorite. Spicy Southern Kitchen shared both the chocolate variety and the vanilla wafer version, so this is a good place to start.
