Holiday Party Hosting Tips From A James Beard Award-Winning Chef

The holidays are the perfect time to get together with family and friends, whether you want to celebrate the season or just enjoy an excuse to hang out. Whichever route you go, however, it pays to have a few hosting tips up your sleeve to make sure your shindig is a success.

Daily Meal spoke with Chef Karen Akunowicz, James Beard Award-Winning chef, restaurateur, and television personality, about the best way to host a holiday party. She says that when coming up with the perfect menu for your gatherings, regardless of whether it's a brunch or a dinner party, you'll want to focus on prep work and time saving tricks to help make hosting stress-free.

Akunowicz, who also posts on Instagram as @chefkarenakunowicz, explains that while many of us focus on the menu, there are plenty of other details you shouldn't forget either, such as adding festive music and lighting. Plus, she notes that there are other details you can incorporate to make sure that "everyone feels the holiday spirit the moment they walk through the door."

When it comes to planning a holiday extravaganza, Karen Akunowicz starts by noting that you can save yourself some stress by thinking about the prep work. For a cocktail party, she recommends supplementing tasty homemade treats with a few store-bought items, saying, "Focus on a few showstoppers (like one signature cocktail and one standout appetizer) and let the rest be simple yet elegant." For instance, you could use store-bought pre-boiled eggs for deviled eggs to save some time, or go with a simple cheese and cracker platter to avoid extra prep work. Speaking of platters, Akunowicz recommends that you should "use platters that look great but don't require constant refilling."

Beyond buying items ahead of time and using cute serving trays, Akunowicz also notes that it's best to get as much of the work done ahead of time as possible. If it's a dinner you're after, she suggests braised dishes, lasagna, and roasted veggies. Or, if you're doing a brunch, she offers the idea of "a baked frittata or a breakfast strata paired with a charcuterie board and fresh fruit." Not only do these dishes taste delicious, but you can do a lot of the work hours in advance, or even the night before, to save yourself time when the party hour is approaching.

Chef Karen Akunowicz notes that "A holiday gathering often involves additional details like coordinating themed drinks." For instance, you could make a boozy snowglobe cocktail for your dinner party to get the evening started with some festive flair, or serve a hot mug of mulled wine as an after-dinner digestif while also filling your home with cozy, spicy scents to crank up the ambiance of your evening.

Akunowicz doesn't just stop at the food, either. She mentions that you can create special treats or gifts for your guests to really tie the whole party together. For instance, one way you can do this is to focus on fun and festive favors for your guests. A small bottle of eggnog made from scratch, for instance, could be a great choice. Or, you could opt for snacks like Rice Krispie pumpkins or DIY cookie mixes in Mason jars. While these details may not be the main showstopper of your evening, they're certainly a great way to get your guests in the holiday mood and really make your party magical.