Non-Dessert Ideas for a Holiday Potluck

some simple, festive foods you can bring to a party

Hello! Chances are you’re going to more gatherings than you would prefer this season, but, well, that’s just how it goes sometimes. I hope you make meaningful, even surprisingly sweet, connections.

Speaking of sweet, I love dessert as much as anybody, but endless arrays of cookies and incredible baked goods don’t always make my body feel great. If a treat isn’t rare, it’s not a treat! So, if you need a little inspiration of what to bring to or serve at your next party, here are some ideas! Prettier versions are linked to with more detailed instructions 😉 but around here we emphasize what’s doable in my current season of life, with my current budget, and with my current skills. “Doable” is a very liberating word.

Even if you’re not going to a holiday party, these were all a big hit with my kids!

Holiday Mocktail + garnish

We love making fancy drinks on our weekly day of rest and on special occasions. For this punch, we combined cranberry juice, orange juice, apple cider, and ginger beer. Whether you make a huge punch bowl or individual mocktails, simply adding some cranberries and a tiny sprig of rosemary makes it instantly more classy. Punch recipe here.

Prosciutto-Mozzarella Candy Canes

Fold slices of prosciutto into narrow strips, then wrap around string cheese. Keep going; here we used about five sticks of mozzarella and less than one $4 package of prosciutto from Trader Joe’s. With a sharp knife, slice each string cheese into three pieces, and arrange into a candy cane!

I couldn’t find this online and I think I made it up; please send pictures if you try it!

Christmas Tree Snacking Platter

Triangular cheese slices make for a great star, and making simple layers of whatever you have into the shape of a tiered triangle will make for a festive, fresh-tasting snacking platter for your guests (or children.) You can google “Christmas charcuterie” and find plenty of inspiration online; here’s a gorgeous one.

Red and Green Pizza

This one is best for if you’re serving the meals in your own home. We used pizza sauce, roasted broccolini, and drizzles of pesto. But just use whichever ingredients you feel like to make red + green pizza; maybe you can even set up a Build-Your-Own-Personal-Pan bar and let guests make their own! You could even make a cute little pizza wreath.

Christmas Tree Focaccia

If you’re trying to make Christmasy focaccia art, rosemary makes for good trees. Here we used rosemary and cranberries, which I don’t necessarily recommend because some bites tasted really bitter 😬 You can use storebought pizza dough if you don’t feel like making your own focaccia dough. Here is a prettier version.

I would love to hear what your go-to side dishes are. This is something I hope to get better at each year!

Warmly,

Hope from Family Scripts

P.S. Yes, we are having some treats at Christmastime. Oreo Truffles are my absolute favorite!