When you think of hosting a party over the holidays, you probably imagine fancy balls where everyone’s draped in green-and-red taffeta, galavanting through a meticulously decorated Christmas tableau—spilling coupes of martinis while Derek Foreal passes around plates of… sausages.
“It’s the holidays,” you think. “I must get dressed up! There must be place cards, and the apps must be passed.” But let’s be real: it’s 2025, and you and everyone you know is frickin’ exhausted.
Holiday hosting doesn’t need to be a big production. The goal is simple: make your people feel welcome and cared for. Light a few candles, set the table nicely, and let everyone—including yourself—take a breather.
Keep things merry and manageable this holiday season with these holiday hosting hacks, tips, and time-savers.
Cook Within Your Comfort Zone
Going out to eat is expensive right now, so if you can serve your guests some excellent food that they probably wouldn’t make themselves, that’s a really special thing. But you also want to match your ambition to your ability.
If you’ve never cooked for a big group of people before, this is a great time to try out a new recipe… so long as it’s super straightforward. Go for something tried-and-true or test it out beforehand if you’re nervous. Look for short ingredient lists, minimal active cooking time, and dishes you can prep ahead. (Might we recommend this chef-curated list?)
But if you’re a seasoned host who loves to cook? Experiment away if trying new things brings you joy and you have faith that you can pull it off. If the dish is excellent, you’ll get to gloat, and if it stinks, you’ll get to order a pizza (with extra sausage, obvs). Either way, it’ll become part of the communal experience.
The point is: set yourself up for success by choosing recipes that match your bandwidth. A lot of holiday hosting chaos comes from different family cultures colliding; the food should be a source of pride and connection, instead of stress because you bit off more than you could chew.
Balance Your Menu Across Three Courses
Going all-in on a heavy, labor-intensive main like boeuf bourguignon? Keep the apps simple—think radishes with butter and sea salt, or something delicious you can dip (like these pretzel bites with beer cheese). Dessert can stay chill, too: a bar of dark chocolate with fresh berries does the trick. Whisk up fresh whipped cream if you’re feeling fancy.
If the main meal is easy, though, like a tray of baked ziti you made yesterday (or a tray of baked ziti you ordered from the store), then step it up with a crowd-pleasing appetizer, like a perfect cheese board or Buffalo chicken dip.
As our girl Ina says, supplementing with store-bought is fine, but aim for at least one homemade touch. Even something easy-peasy—like whipped ricotta with olive oil, Maldon salt, honey, herbs, and lemon zest alongside some fresh bread—feels special and unexpected. And always err on the side of more food than less—too many leftovers is ALWAYS preferable to running out.
Cook Ahead
If you know you’re hosting a crowd, go ahead and cook ahead. This is not cheating; it’s self-preservation, and future you will be deeply grateful. Appetizers like Chicks in a Quilt—our take on pigs in a blanket—come together easily and, even better, freeze beautifully for reheating later. Got a breakfast crowd? A chicken-sausage quiche can be made the day before and also freezes like a dream.
Sheet-pan dinners are another simple, effective way to feed the masses something worth celebrating without clogging the dishwasher, while crowd-pleasers like Melty Cheddar Mac & Cheese are tailor-made for a table full of hungry folks. You don’t get extra points for cooking everything day-of—only more dishes.
Set Your Table Before Everyone Arrives
Give your guests the restaurant experience. Do the whole etiquette thing—put the fork on the left, use cloth napkins, and call it a day. Swing by a thrift store for a few candle holders that cost a couple of bucks, then grab some hand-dipped, colorful tapers. Pull out the Waterford crystal if you’ve got it!! Add a small bouquet of grocery-store flowers in a simple glass at the center of the table.
Little touches like these take almost no effort, but they go a long way in making guests feel welcome, relaxed, and genuinely cared for.
Anticipate Your Guests’ Needs
Smooth hosting is all about setting expectations. Think through the small stuff ahead of time: Where will people put their jackets? Are you a shoes-off or shoes-on household? Where can someone stash a purse? Does your bathroom have a clean hand towel—and enough toilet paper? Do you care about coasters? Handling these little details in advance limits day-of questions for both you and your guests.
As for dietary restrictions: don’t moan about those, either. Accept them with care, grace, and generosity, and try to design a menu everyone can enjoy together so no one feels left out. And if someone’s a high-fat carnivore solely because an unqualified influencer promised it would cure their eczema, you have my blessing to let them bring their own sticks of uncultured butter.
Set the Mood
Skip harsh overhead lighting and use lamps in the corners and candles on the dining table instead. Light a thicc (unscented) one on the coffee table for extra cozy ambiance. And don’t forget the bathroom: light a (scented) candle in there, too. It’ll make the john feel festive—and John, your kooky uncle, more comfortable if he ends up spending any time in it.
Music matters, too. Skip the same staid holiday playlists unless you want your home to feel like a CVS. You don’t have to go festive at all, but if you do, make it joyful and unexpected—like John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together (1979).
Cook With Your Guests
People always get drawn to the kitchen like epicurean moths anyway, so just let your guests hang out while you cook. Better yet, let them be part of the process. Hand someone a knife and tell them to get chopping—this is where the best gossip comes out. Ask specific, open-ended questions like, “What are you doing for New Year’s Eve?” or “Are you excited for the Stranger Things finale, or are you one of those bores who thinks it’s a derivative pastiche?” Or, if you’re feeling brave, just ask, “Are you happy?”
Really spend time with your guests. That’s the whole point.
Cook Smarter, Not Harder
Keep a little secret weapon or two in your cooking arsenal—something you can toss in to give dishes a boost without adding more work. Think a great spice blend, a clever shortcut, or one ingredient that quietly does a lot of heavy lifting.
Take the humble chicken sausage. Keeping a few on hand can do wonders: Classic Roasted adds a protein punch to salads or charcuterie boards; Melty Cheddar brings extra depth to cheesy dips or breakfast tacos at brunchtime; and Italian Herb unleashes a subtle hit of basil, Calabrian peppers, and other goodness in pasta dishes. Minimal effort, maximum payoff.
Consider an Activity
An activity like a cookie-decorating station can be a lifesaver in two scenarios: one, you’re hosting lots of children; and two, you’re bringing together groups of people who don’t know each other well. Bake gingerbread or sugar cookies (or just buy a few boxes), then lay them out on a table with a plastic tablecloth, colored frosting, and plenty of sprinkles. It keeps kids busy and gives any awkward grown-ups an easy conversation starter.
Don’t Worry About the Cleanup
Don’t cut the evening short by trying to get a jumpstart on cleaning; cleanup is for tomorrow. Your job is to make sure everyone has a good time (including you), and prematurely tidying up signals that the night is winding down. If someone insists on helping, let them—especially if you don’t have a dishwasher—but make it clear they don’t have to.
Instead, offer an after-dinner drink. Pour small glasses of an interesting amaro like Averna or a little bourbon as a final treat after dessert. The people you invited came to see you and to spend time together. So, you know, hang out with them.