How to Plan a Christmas Potluck Dinner Party

One way to explore a variety of different foods is to host a seasonal potluck dinner. With a little imagination and ingenuity, you can put together an exciting Christmas potluck dinner party for friends and family. The key to a successful potluck dinner party lies in careful planning and preparation. Here's how to successfully plan a Christmas potluck dinner party.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Plan a simple menu for your potluck dinner party.
   
   The best foods to prepare for potluck dinner parties are ones that require minimal pre-party preparation. No one wants to do a lot of work preparing a dish once it reaches the party destination. Plan the menu carefully and be prepared to ask the guest to bring specific dishes if necessary. Guests will appreciate not having their choices so open ended. Use a simple sign-up sheet to make sure each menu item is covered. Ask each guest to attach an identification tag to the dish he or she brings to the party so you can return your guest's pans and plates after the party.

2. Plan your buffet set up.
   
   Plan your buffet setup so people can easily access the food from both sides. This helps to prevent traffic jams. Allow plenty of room for people to navigate up and down the aisles with their plates. Be sure to have an adequate supply of dishes, plates and utensils along with extra napkins in easy reach of your guests. Serve the drinks on a separate buffet table, if possible, to keep traffic moving more freely.

3. Plan your drink set up.
   
   Serving wine along with several choices of nonalcoholic drinks should be sufficient. There's no need to have an open bar at a pot luck dinner A decorative punch bowl filled with colorful punch can add a nice holiday touch to your Christmas potluck dinner party.

4. Plan your party decor.
   
   It's important that you have enough chairs available for your guests to be comfortably seated while eating. A Christmas potluck dinner should have simple decorations that pick up the spirit of the season. An elegant Christmas tree and strategically placed candles will add a nice ambiance and make your guests feel more festive. Soft Christmas music playing in the background while people are mingling and eating adds a nice holiday touch. .

[kims3003]

on 8/14/2009 great article