Before you finalize your party menu, consider some of these food bar setups to make your celebration a little more festive. Note: This can get very creative, so it might be fun to have a contest for the craziest concoctions. What to stock:
apple cider hot chocolate mulled wine cinnamon (sticks and ground) garnish fruit (cherries, berries, and apple slices) spirits (bourbon, rum, whiskey, cognac) liqueurs (Irish cream, cinnamon, coffee, orange, raspberry) whipped cream peppermint sticks/crushed peppermint cinnamon candies caramel syrup chocolate syrup chocolate shavings/curls chili powder marshmallows crushed malted candy star anise sprinkles edible glitter
Simple upgrade: Add baked good accompaniments like pirouette cookies, gingerbread, and apple cider doughnuts. RELATED: Hot Chocolate Charcuterie Boards Are Our New Favorite Thing To make sure the cheese is nice and melty, have your favorite cheese sauce simmering in a crockpot that people can spoon over the chips. (You can also use pans with sterno beneath it to keep the cheese, meat, and other fixings hot.) What to stock:
tortilla chips melted cheese sauce refried beans meat options (think brisket, pulled pork, spicy chicken, or taco meat) salsa (go with various temperatures!) guacamole or diced avocado sliced black olives scallions diced tomatoes more shredded cheese sour cream cilantro pickled jalapeño
Simple upgrade: Want to crisp up the chips and cheese for your nacho base? Create individual plates of chips with cheese, and bake them in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, until the cheese is hot and bubbly. What to stock:
eggnog (homemade is even better!) rum bourbon whiskey brandy nutmeg cinnamon (sticks and ground) whipped cream caramel syrup
Simple upgrades: Rim your eggnog glasses with crushed gingersnap cookies, cinnamon sugar, or crushed red-hot candies. You can also offer some fun eggnog-themed desserts, like eggnog-cherry fudge or eggnog cupcakes. RELATED: 7 Festive Cocktails That Start With Store-Bought Eggnog What to stock:
maple and fruit syrupschopped fruit (berries, bananas, apples, and pears are all great)Nutella and/or peanut butterfruit jams or pie fillingchopped candy or nutsice creamwhipped cream
Simple Upgrades: Offer different flavors of waffles, such as pumpkin, chocolate, pecan or red velvet (perfect for Christmas!). What to stock:
apples on popsicle sticks or skewers caramel sauce Nutella honey melted dark chocolate mini marshmallows graham cracker crumbs toffee bits chopped nuts mini M&Ms shredded coconut granola mini chocolate chips cookie crumbs sprinkles
Simple upgrades: Don’t think the kids (or grownups) will down a whole apple? Offer apple slices for easier dipping—just don’t forget to dip the slices in salt water or lemon water to keep them from browning. What to stock:
ice cream (several flavors)cookies (larger format, in several different flavors—think chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal, ginger, and lemon)hot fudge saucecaramel saucemarshmallow fluffmaraschino cherrieschopped nutscrushed Oreossprinklesmini chocolate chipswhipped creambananastoffee bits
Simple upgrade: Buy (or make!) waffle bowls for serving up sundaes. Note: For younger guests or those who don’t drink alcohol, consider offering sparkling water or seltzer to mix with the juices. What to stock:
sparkling wineseltzer or sparkling watera variety of juices: cranberry, pomegranate, orange, peach, pineapple, and strawberrygarnish fruit (orange slices, raspberries, strawberry slices, pineapple wedges)fresh herbs (basil, mint, and rosemary)
Simple upgrade: Offer an array of liqueurs to craft more potent cocktails—such as elderflower liqueur, Chambord, creme de violette, cognac, and Grand Marnier. What to stock:
mac and cheese shredded barbecue chicken brisket chorizo sausage crumbled bacon steamed broccoli roasted tomatoes peas roasted mushrooms chives basil rosemary parmesan cheese pesto sauce garlic breadcrumbs hot sauce
Simple upgrade: Go for some luxe ingredients—think lobster or crab. What to stock:
cheesecake slices or squares hot fudge caramel sauce sliced strawberries chopped pretzels peanut butter sauce cherry or apple pie filling pineapple sauce chopped pecans crushed Oreos blueberries
Simple upgrade: Add some flavored cheesecakes like pumpkin cheesecake or lemon cheesecake. What to stock:
hard-shell and soft tortillastaco meat options (spicy beef, shredded chicken, pulled pork)black beansshredded cheesecotija cheesesalsa (both traditional and mango)sour creamguacamoleshredded lettuce and diced tomatoescilantrogreen onions
Simple upgrade: Serve chili as well—you can use many of the same ingredients to upgrade the chili.
