Hosting a holiday party can feel like balancing tinsel, mistletoe and the weight of everyone’s expectations. While you can’t dictate your aunt’s unsolicited advice or your neighbor’s over-the-top holiday lights, you can nail the menu. Avoid common missteps and serve surefire hits to make yours the standout party of the season.
Why some foods flop — and others shine
Too often, holiday party food falls into one of two camps: Dishes people expect but don’t necessarily like and those that require too much effort or risk for too little reward. The best choices for a great guest experience are foods that balance flavor, ease of eating and visual appeal. The best party foods allow guests to fill up while mingling and enjoying the company of the other guests.
The top 10 offenders — and their appetizing alternatives
To keep your gathering festive and free of faux pas, here are 10 foods to avoid. Swap them with crowd-pleasing alternatives that will have your guests asking for the recipe, rather than making excuses to leave early.
Fruitcake
The elephant on the dessert table needs to be addressed right off the bat: Fruitcake. Despite its long history as a holiday staple, it’s no secret that fruitcake is widely disliked, even disparaged. In fact, a recent survey by Crestline found only 25% of Americans claim to enjoy this dense, sugary relic of holidays past.
What to serve instead: Ditch the candied fruit bricks for something with more modern appeal. Sticky toffee pudding or a rich chocolate yule log offer seasonal charm without the divisiveness.
Super spicy foods
As much as some people love heat, a holiday party isn’t the time to play with fire. Overly spicy foods can alienate guests who prefer milder flavors - and cause a few too many sprints for the water pitcher.
What to serve instead: Opt for mildly spiced dishes that still bring flavor, like chili-lime popcorn or jalapeno-cheddar puffs. These pack a punch without overwhelming sensitive palates.
Raw onion-laden dishes
Nothing kills the vibe faster than raw onions. It’s not just their sharp bite but their unfortunate ability to linger on your breath that makes them a mingling mishap. Save the raw onion-heavy salads or garnishes for an occasion when guests aren’t sharing air space and trying to be charming at the same time.
What to serve instead: Caramelized onion tartlets or onion jam with crostini offer the depth of flavor without the pungency. Plus, they feel fancy without much effort.
Messy finger foods
Holiday attire is often festive — and unforgiving. Messy finger foods like sticky barbecue wings or ribs might taste amazing but leave your guests struggling with sauce-streaked fingers and stained sweaters.
What to serve instead: Clean-eating alternatives like Thai turkey meatballs on toothpicks with a rich peanut dipping sauce or jalapeno popper bites provide all the flavor without the mess. Savory empanadas are easy to eat with your hands, especially if you make them small.
Complicated DIY foods
Make-your-own taco bars or sushi roll stations sound fun in theory but tend to create bottlenecks and awkward pauses at a party. These can be fun party themes at other times of the year, but most guests just want to celebrate during the holidays, not make their own meals.
What to serve instead: Pre-assembled appetizers like stuffed mushrooms, bruschetta, caviar-topped deviled eggs or puff pastry bites let guests grab and go. This leaves them free for more merry-making.
Dishes requiring 2 hands
Unless your party includes a sit-down dinner, don’t ask your guests to fumble with food that requires two hands to eat. Foods like steaks requiring a fork and knife, messy tacos that need two hands for stability or crab legs requiring major maneuvers to get the food into your mouth are no-gos.
What to serve instead: Stick to finger foods and manageable bites. Creative sliders or phyllo cups filled with savory or sweet fillings will win you praise.
Overly trendy dishes
From charcoal bread to edible glitter, trendy dishes are often more gimmicky than delicious. While these foods might look beautiful on Instagram and entertain the masses on TikTok, they can fall flat in real life, leaving guests confused or unimpressed.
What to serve instead: Opt for classic dishes with a modern twist. A seasonal charcuterie board featuring winter cheeses, candied nuts and festive fruits is always a hit.
Basic veggie trays
The sad, limp grocery store veggie tray is a visual letdown, and it rarely gets more than a polite nibble. Even adding a bowl of creamy, herby ranch dressing for dipping won’t make it appealing.
What to serve instead: A vibrant crudites board with colorful vegetables, roasted beet hummus or whipped feta spread makes a healthy veggie platter. This will feel less like an afterthought and more like an intentionally indulgent and nutritious offering that guests will appreciate.
Shrimp cocktail
Shrimp cocktail might once have been the height of holiday sophistication, but it’s a tough dish to pull off at a party. The cold shrimp can quickly lose their appeal, turning rubbery and unappetizing if left out too long. Keeping them fresh and chilled throughout the night isn’t just tricky — it’s a hassle that can leave you scrambling to refill ice or risk serving shrimp past its prime.
What to serve instead:Warm shrimp scampi dip, shrimp cake sliders or Cajun shrimp skewers offer the same seafood flair with a more inviting twist. No one will miss that flabby shrimp cocktail.
Hosting without headaches
Throwing a holiday party doesn’t have to mean reinventing the wheel — or the menu. By avoiding common party food pitfalls and embracing creative yet crowd-pleasing alternatives, you’ll set the stage for a festive gathering filled with joy, laughter and full bellies. Because if there’s one thing your guests should be leaving with, it’s good memories — not a fruitcake no one wanted.
• Robin Donovan is the author of more than 40 cookbooks and the founder and creator of All Ways Delicious, a food site loaded with easy recipes for the best dishes from around the world. Her writing and recipes have been featured in major media outlets including MSN, Buzzfeed, Cooking Light, PopSugar, Chicago Sun-Times, Fitness, Parade, San Jose Mercury News and many others.
Get more recipes and dinner ideas from The Washington Times food section.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.