How to Host The Best Holiday Open House
Win Christmas: Host the Best Holiday Open House!
If you’re anything like most of us, your home is at it’s absolute best when it is decorated for Christmas. Now is the time to use it! Holiday Open House here you come…
Why not host the Best Ever Holiday Open House?
An Open House is a party with no required time for the guest to be there – on the invite, it should give a period of time that your home will be “Open”. (We usually do 3 until 6.) The Holiday season is a busy one, so a casual get together on a Sunday afternoon or a Thursday night can be just what everyone needs to relax and share a cup of cheer with family and good friends.
Social Distancing?
The Open House is perfect for this! Stagger the guest list, and make sure the garage is cleaned out or the patio swept off. Set up crock pots full of soup at strategic locations, and put the sammies on individual paper plates. Let your friends and family wander throughout the house and outside areas with a red solo cup. Festive and safe!
When our boys were little, we hosted an Open House on the Sunday afternoon between Christmas and New Years – when there was one! Each of the boys invited two or three of their good friends plus the rest of that family. Some of our friends and their families were included too.
We called it a Family Holiday Open House to let everyone know that the whole fam-damily was invited.
It was a great time to catch up and have some fun – for everyone, including the hosts.
And that’s the key – YOU have to have a great time, or else no one will.
I love to entertain, but only because I have a few tried and true “rules”. I still get a little freaked out immediately before the party (Will ANYONE show?) but we have a guide make it much easier!
Ta Da: The Best Entertaining Strategy Ever!
Because, really, people are coming to your Open House to see YOU, not watch you run around frantically. So plan, prepare and RELAX. The best Holiday Open House is on the way.
Of course we’ve included a menu to make it easier. I’ve found that people really aren’t looking for the most gourmet meal you can prepare. Good food, especially good comfort food is usually a huge hit. All the food on this menu can be prepped and put out right before your guests arrive. Then they can decide when they want a bite or a plate of food.
Put the soup in crock pots. Buy the best, cheapest Crock Pot (affiliate links follow – see disclaimer for details) here, if you don’t have one. If you don’t have TWO, borrow one.
Make the soup in advance.
Both of these soups are better if they sit overnight – so you can even make it the day before. Make sure the soup is nice and hot, then turn the crock pot to warm. We don’t need any scorched soup! If you’re looking for something a little different, try Cajun Wedding Soup (it’s a crowd pleaser!). The Chicken Fiesta Slow Cooker Soup is super easy – it’s a dump and go soup. If you still have a hankering for something different, check out our 70+ Soup Roundup.
Quarter the Sandwiches for easy eating~
Use a good bun or bagel for the sandwiches. Even hearty bread. Get some fancy toothpicks, and put 4 in each sandwich before quartering them. Everyone loves a bite sized sandwich. I like to include a vegetarian option too – that way everyone can find something to eat.
Buy a barrel of Cheese Balls from Amazon or a warehouse club.
These are always a huge hit with both the kids and the adults! Serve them in a large serving bowl (the dollar stores usually have a nice selection) or get a multi-purpose wooden salad bowl . I usually put out these darling Mini Popcorn Boxes so everyone can carry their cheese balls with them. The boxes are even red to go with the holiday decor!
HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE MENU
RECIPE LINKS
Mini-Wedge Salad on a Stick
Potato Leek Soup
White Chicken Chili
Cranberry Mayo
Honey Mustard
And if you don’t have the time (or inclination) to make cookies, buy them! They’re everywhere, and no one really cares where they came from. If you want a super easy candy addition, try our Fab-u-Las White Chocolate Nutty Caramel Claws. They’re fantastic, but they aren’t cheap. Please, please try our adult pleasing Rum Balls to get things moving. The options are endless!
Serve the punch in a pitcher for easy serving, or buy this punch bowl and make a real splash~
Cranberry Vodka Punch
Ingredients
- 4 cups Chilled Cranberry Juice Cocktail
- 2 cups Chilled OJ
- 2 cups Vodka, plain
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 2 tbsp Grand Marnier or other orange liquer Triple Sec works too
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- Fresh Cranberries (for Garnish)
Instructions
- Combine all drink ingredients in large pitcher or punch bowl. Stir well. Allow to refrigerate at least two hours for flavors to blend.
- Serve in glasses over ice. Float cranberries in glasses.
Notes
Plan, plan, plan!
Get plenty of hot cups and plastic spoons for the soups, and little plates and napkins for everything else. The Dollar Store has a great selection. Get Red Solo Cups for the drinks. (Naturally.) Put out a garbage bag so everyone can help with clean up as they go along.
We use drink tubs – this “Cheers Galvanized Tub” is super cute and practical – I like to have one for beer and another one for water and pop. Put out a recycling bag too!
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