Holiday Menu Ideas

It’s the best time of year! The holidays are in swing, and if you’re planning a last-minute holiday or New Year’s Eve party, you might be stressed trying to come up with ideas to have a fun and original gathering. Rest assured! Catering By Design has 23-plus years of experience delivering exceptional holiday menu ideas to please any crowd.

Holiday Catering Menu Ideas

This time of year is all about being merry and bright, but if you are responsible for hosting a holiday party for your office, friends or family, it’s easy to get your tinsel in a tangle. Catering By Design has plenty of holiday party catering ideas, providing you with the right options for your event.

1. Create Your Own Holiday Buffet Option

Buffets are always popular at work functions, venues and even backyards. The setup is convenient, cost-effective and less labor-intensive for the host. Guests can select what they love from the array on offer. Some holiday party buffet menu ideas from Catering By Design include:

• Salad: Select between a seasonal green salad drizzled with vinaigrette or baby greens with fresh strawberries, feta and candied walnuts tossed in an apple cider vinaigrette dressing.
• Entree: Depending on your crowd, choose between pork loin smothered in a fig and port wine sauce, a Virginia baked ham with orange glaze, slow-roasted turkey with made-from-scratch gravy and cranberry sauce, or something unique like honey garlic glazed salmon.
• Sides: Amplify your main with a choice of cornbread stuffing, redskin mashed potatoes, homemade mac and cheese, green bean casserole or roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon and a balsamic glaze.
• Dessert: Go for traditional pecan pies or red velvet squares with cream cheese frosting and red sugar crystal dusting. Peppermint cheesecake is also a crowd-pleaser — or you can opt for the gift of choice with an assortment of miniature desserts.
• Beverages: Select between a refreshing lemonade or sweet or unsweetened iced tea.
• Additional upgrades: Upgrade each course with another option for a nominal fee, and add a holiday punch for extra festive cheer!

Explore more holiday dinner menu ideas.

2. The Holiday Hors d’Oeuvres Selection

Holiday hors d’oeuvres provide bite-sized appetizers, giving your guests a variety of flavors and fostering socialization around a shared plate. These appetizers can be a prelude to a formal dinner and are also ideal for a holiday cocktail event. Some ideas include:

• Carved turkey on Hawaiian rolls served with cranberry aioli
• Selection of cheeses with assorted crackers and fruit garnish
• Bacon-wrapped chicken bites
• Roasted red pepper chicken dip with crostinis and pita points
• Miniature beef Wellingtons
• Petite crab cakes with lemon aioli
• A dessert station with assorted mini desserts, raspberry cheesecake and red velvet and key lime dessert shooters

3. The Holiday Brunch Menu

Holiday brunches provide a relaxed, elegant dining experience, combining the best of breakfast and lunch. Brunches offer you flexibility in food choices and, with being between two meals and sections of the day, cause minimal schedule disruption.

Consider a selection of scones, maple pepper bacon, fruit salad, country ham on cheddar biscuits and sausage-egg-cheese casserole.

Contact Us for Affordable Holiday Raleigh Business Catering

Catering By Design has been the go-to source for all holiday catering for Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill for over two decades. Contact us today and ask about our holiday party catering ideas, specials and delivery service.