5 Easy & Delicious Christmas Party Food Recipes
So, you have the responsibility this year? You are the one hosting the family Christmas party? Or maybe you are having some work friends around for a mini-Christmas do at your house? Okay, time to get party planning!
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One of the key parts needed for a good Christmas party is the food. Yes, you can go ultra-traditional and keep it all turkey and mince pies. But why not go for something different, delicious Christmas party food recipes that aren’t what you always make for party season. No problem, here are five ideas!
What to think about when planning a Christmas party
While the food and drink you serve are definitely key parts of the party, you do want to do some high level planning before you dive into your menu options. That way, you know what you need, what you are going to do, who’s coming and more. Here are the key things to think about when planning a party.
- How much do you want to spend? Having a budget is a good idea to stop yourself going a little nuts with those extra dishes or fancy decorations. It might be important if you are holding the party for your employer as they will want to account for costs.
- Who is coming? The guest list is important to know how much food and drink you need but also things like how many place settings if you are sitting to eat, how much cutlery and crockery and even how many seats.
- Are you having a theme? Christmas is the theme but there are sub-themes within it you can use to decorate and even theme food and drink. You might want to have a 1920s theme, a traditional look or even something very modern.
- Do you want music? Depending on the type of gathering, you might want to set up a Christmas play list on your stereo or use a voice speaker to act as DJ for you.
5 easy Christmas party food recipes
Once you have the basics of your party planned, you are ready to start tackling the food. There are loads of Christmas party food ideas but a lot of them can end up being a little bit like Christmas dinner. So how about some easy Christmas appetizers for your guests that are a little different?
Spicy Chicken Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce
This spicy chicken dish is ideal for your list of easy appetizers or even as Christmas snack ideas for other occasions.
Prep time: 10 minutes (+ marinating time)
Cook time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: 4-6 (2-3 skewers per person)
Additional equipment: 12 9” wooden or metal skewers
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded to ½” thick and cut into 1” strips
- 3 T. soy sauce
- 2 T. sesame oil
- 1½ T. hot sauce
- 1 T. pure maple syrup
- 2 T. fresh lime juice
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 T. fresh ginger piece, finely minced
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Peanut Dipping Sauce:
- ¾ c. low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/3 c. peanut butter
- 1 T. soy sauce
- 1 T. pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 T. fresh lime juice
- 1 t. garlic powder
- ¼ c. fresh cilantro, chopped
- ¼ c. roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Put the wooden skewers in water to soften
In a large mixing bowl, add the soy sauce, sesame oil, hot sauce, maple syrup, lime juice, ginger and garlic then season. Add the chicken strips and cover. Store in the fridge for at least two hours, turning halfway through.
Make the peanut sauce by combining the stock, butter, soy and maple sauces, cayenne pepper, lime juice and garlic powder in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, stirring regularly until combined and thickened, around 5 minutes. Remove and add to a container. You can top with fresh cilantro and roasted peanuts.
Thread the chicken strips onto the skewers under the grill on a medium heat. Keep turning until browned and cooked through, 5-7 minutes per side.
Remove and serve with the dipping sauce.
Bacon Water Chestnuts with Spicy Mustard Dip
Water chestnuts are a seasonal favourite and are given a modern twist with the spicy mustard dip.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30-35 minutes
Serves: 4-6 (approximately 24 appetizers)
Ingredients:
- 8 strips centre-cut bacon
- 1/3 c. gluten-free soy sauce
- 3 T. honey, preferably local
- 2 8-oz. can water chestnuts, rinsed and drained
- ¾ c. Greek yogurt
- 2½ T. Dijon mustard
- 1 T. hot sauce
- ¼ t. cayenne pepper
- 2 T. fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Cut the bacon lengthways into strips until you have 48 equal pieces.
Mix the soy sauce and honey in a medium mixing bowl. Add water chestnuts and turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, turning once or twice.
Preheat the oven to 400F / 200C and put a metal rack inside a large backing tray. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Drain the chestnuts but keep the marinade. Wrap each one in a strip of bacon one way then do again in the opposite direction. Use a toothpick to keep the bacon in place and add to the cooking rack.
Drizzle the marinade over the chestnuts and cook for 20 minutes. Brush with more marinade and return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes.
While cooking, mix the yoghurt, mustard, hot sauce, cayenne pepper and parsley in a small mixing bowl. Season and place in the fridge until the chestnuts are ready.
Serve the water chestnuts straight from the oven with the sauce to dip.
Pecan-Crusted Goat Cheese Logs
Cheese fan here! Although goats’ cheese isn’t my favourite, this dish definitely looks worth trying. Here’s a quick tip – a normal knife can squash the cheese so get some fresh dental floss and use that to cut the round slices (just make sure it isn’t flavoured floss!)
You can also swap around the recipe to get the flavours you like. Change the pecans to walnuts, almonds, peanuts or pistachios. Use herbs or dried fruit like cranberries or even go for a semi-sweet option and drizzle with chocolate ganache.
Servings: 1 4” goat cheese log
Total Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 4 oz. goat cheese log, chilled
- 2 T. honey
- 2/3 c. pecans, toasted and finely chopped
- assorted crackers and crudités, to serve
Preheat the oven to 350F / 175C. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove and leave to cool.
Drizzle the goats’ cheese with honey, ensuring it is all covered evenly. Pour the pecans onto a plate and gently roll the cheese in them until coated.
Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Pop in the fridge until 5-10 minutes before serving.
Garlic Parmesan Shrimp with Roasted Garlic Dip
Shrimp might seem more like a summer food but there’s no reason it can’t feature as Christmas party food, especially with a tasty garlic dip.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45-50 minutes
Serves: 6
Roasted Garlic Dip Ingredients:
- 1 large garlic head
- 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
- ½ c. sour cream
- ½ c. Greek yogurt
- 2 T. lemon juice
- 1 t. organic lemon zest
- 2 t. ground cumin
- Optional: ½ t. cayenne pepper
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Garlic-Parmesan Shrimp Ingredients:
- 3 T. extra virgin olive oil
- 3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 t. Dijon mustard
- 1 t. ground cumin
- 3 T. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1½ lbs. jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1½ T. lemon juice
- 1/3 c. fresh parsley, minced
Will also need:
Preheat the oven to 400F / 200C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the dip by slicing a thin sliver from the head of garlic so the cloves are exposed. Drizzle this with olive oil and put it in a piece of aluminium foil. Wrap it tight and pop it in the oven for 40 minutes until tender. Set aside to cool.
While the garlic cools, combine the minced garlic and olive oil with mustard, cumin and Parmesan cheese. Season then add the shrimp and toss to combine. Put the shrimp on the baking tray and cook for 6-8 minutes until pink – be careful not to overcook or they will be tough.
While the shrimp cooks, add the garlic cloves to a blender with the rest of the dip ingredients and blend until smooth. Season and add to a serving bowl.
Remove the shrimp from the oven, season with lemon juice and sprinkle with parsley then serve with the dip.
Southern Italian Antipasto
This is more inspiration if you decide to create an antipasto platter for your Christmas party. The great thing about antipasto is that you can use whatever you like, and it can be served after your guests have enjoy the warm dishes, alongside them or as a standalone treat if people are just popping in.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: n/a
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
- 1 large ball burrata cheese
- 4 oz. Provolone cheese, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 oz. hot sopressata, thinly sliced
- 3 oz. sweet sopressata, thinly sliced
- 4 fresh figs, quartered
- 4 oz. fresh ricotta cheese
- 3 T. walnuts, chopped
- 1 6-oz. jar roasted red peppers, sliced
- 1 4-oz. container marinated and seasoned mixed olives
- 1 8-oz. jar artichoke hearts, drained
- 1 lbs. red seedless grapes, split into 3 or 4 bunches
- Fresh basil and rosemary sprigs, for garnish
Optional: Crusty Italian bread, thinly sliced. Substitute gluten-free bread or crackers, if desired.
Start by adding the burrata at the centre of the serving platter and arranging the Provolone cheese, sopressata and fresh figs around it
Add the ricotta cheese to a small bowl and add it near with some walnuts on the other side.
Put the serving dishes of peppers, olives and artichoke hearts around the other items.
Add the grapes and herb sprigs then a plate beside with the crusty bread.
3 types of eggnog for your party
Now there are loads of ideas for the kind of drinks you can serve for your party. Christmas cocktails are brilliant, or you could just offer a favourite red and white wine. If you want a little tradition with a modern touch, you could offer eggnog – but not just any eggnog. Here are three variations to try.
Advocaat
This is a Dutch drink that uses egg yolks, real vanilla and sugar with a sugary liquor called Advocaat that is a bit like brandy. It is topped with whipped cream and eaten with a spoon so is often a bit of a dessert. You can buy it in the store, ready prepared if you can’t find the spirit to buy.
Spiced Chocolate Eggnog
You can make this one alcohol free for the kids or add something like cognac or brandy for the adults. Make normal eggnog then add ground vanilla beans, cinnamon and chocolate.
Bourbon nog
Definitely for the adults, you use whipped egg yolks, double cream, sugar, vanilla and a little cloves. Mix it with your favourite bourbon and top with a little cinnamon.
Fun and tasty Christmas party foods
These Christmas party food ideas show that you don’t have to be limited to turkey and mince pies for your Christmas event. Make something different, enjoy new flavours and find something you can add to a new list of Christmas favourites!
What’s your favourite Christmas party food? Tell us in the comments below!
