Easy Christmas Party food: please share your top tips with Lidl #SchoolofChristmas: chance to win one of 5 £50 vouchers NOW CLOSED

[ZaneMumsnet]

Ahead of the festive season the Lidl team at #SchoolofChristmas would love to hear your top tips for tip top Christmas party food - what lessons have you learnt for hosting parties at Christmas that you can share with Lidl and MN?

VDd28

Please share your tips which can help make hosting a Christmas party (for kids or adults) a dream - whether an amazing recipe, short-cut, or your nod-and-a-wink trick to ensure you get to spend less time in the kitchen, and more time enjoying the party.

Everyone who posts their tip on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where 5 Mumsnetters will each win a £50 Lidl voucher.

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

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Sausage rolls can be homemade in advance and popped in the freezer to cook on the day

Keep everything simple and get the whole family involved in bringing something along for nibbling on, taking the strain off yourself and the kids love making things in the run up to Christmas

Making a bruschetta out of your left overs always goes down really well at our partys, We safe on waste and everyone enjoys it too :) x

Me and the children always make a keepsake Christmas tree ornament made out of salt dough of their hand prints, Our Tree has now 12 different hand prints of my children's ranging from baby to my eldest.

Its always a talking point when people come in and the children enjoy making them its our little Christmas family tradition that I did as a child and now ive passed on to mine :)

I make the soup the day before, and take up all guests offers to bring something!

quick and easy, mini quiches, bridge rolls, samosas, salad, french sticks, cheese board and the cheese and pineapple on sticks

We put all the drinks outside as it is colder than our fridge

Buy it all and save yourself the hassle, as you might have realised, I am somewhat lazy, it leaves more time for drinkypoos!!

get someone else to it. mother in law does a great job :)

Don't skimp on the wine, but mulled apple juice is nice for the non-drinkers.

Preparation is key!!!
Also, have a back up plan! I always try to make everything myself, however, accidents happen. Mince Pies get dropped and food gets burnt when you're trying to do it all! I also make sure I have some quick and easy party food backups from the supermarket too. If all else fails just get the cheese and crackers out! :P

we like to stock up with plenty of buffet food from Lidl makes life and xmas a lot easy and less stressful

Buy in the food and use the balcony as a drinks fridge.

I'm a lazy party host & I tend to buy everything instead of making it ~ or suggest a bring a platter of food if it is a large group to cater for ~ those with food allergies are always happy to make suggestions / bring own.

get the mulled wine going all day in the slow cooker so you have it on hand for all the guests.

Use different coloured elastic bands (or loom bands) around wine glasses to help identify whose is whose so you don't keep running out of glasses.

Really simple starter / canape idea is using good quality granary bread, spread with cream cheese mixed with horseradish and topped with smoked salmon.

Make mini samosas ahead of time and freeze them as another snack / canape idea.

And finally Non food related but a fun one:
Have a naff secret santa - where everyone brings a naff present that they want to get rid of and its really great fun seeing who can bring the worst gift!

generally everyone gets really sick of fancy food so simple tasty and wholesome works best

During the festive season we have loads of people who are popping in to see us for an hour or so and people who come to stay for far too long a few days.
I prepare joints of meat in the slow cooker as that always goes down well.
I stock pile delicious cheese and prepacked deli meats in the fridge.
A cupboard full of posh crisps, crackers, biscuits, olives, part baked rolls.

I always enjoy myself more if we are prepared in advance, it's worth cooking as much as you can and don't serve too much stuff that needs last minute cooking or attention.

Get the whole family to help, once guests arrive they seem to like to be given tasks to do too, helping to lay the table etc or maybe our guests are just scared of me

We also use paper napkins and disposable plates if we are really busy, it helps to cut down on the washing up, I know it's not very environmentally friendly but I'm very good the rest of he year.

By everything from Lidl's, taste's great and won't cost you a fortune and put out your leftover meats so people can make their own sandwiches

I make a lot of list and make all my party food home made, it takes a few days but you can frezee then ready for the party day

Have plenty of dips and crudites available so guest have a chance to nibble something healthy. Then buy a few special canapes that will make the occasion extra special.

It's all about preparation. And lists. I love lists!

I'm also a believer in pre-prepared food. People are coming to spend time together and not expecting gourmet cooking.

Lidl's mini stollen - make sure you buy three times more than what you thought you'd need though!

Electric steamers are a godsend when you're cooking a big meal; potatoes in one layer, carrots/ sprouts in another. Food doesn't go mushy and over-cooked if everything else is running late, you don't have to keep an eye on it, and it frees up hob space for gravy, bread sauce etc

Make your own cranberry sauce, do it a couple of weeks before and freeze ready for the big day. It tastes so much better than shop bought. You just need fresh cranberries, fresh orange juice and brown sugar. Cook for 5 or 6 minutes until the cranberries start popping. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

I prepare all veg the night before. I invested in a steamer so there is more room for cooking other stuff on the hob! A fun twist on party food is christmas cookie cutters... cut sandwiches and pizza into fun festive shapes.

Make sure you are well prepared. Make lists and check off what you have bought, so you don't forget anything.

Bake in advance and freeze. Use paper plates and dishes no washing up!