It’s time to start planning your holiday events!

3 questions to answer first are:

1. Decide WHERE to host your party

2. Decide WHEN you want to host your party

3. Decide WHAT holiday catering you want for your party

The answers to these three questions will quickly and easily define your holiday event. If WHERE you have your party is more important, then contact your venue immediately and find out what dates and times are available. If the DATE is most important, it’s time to make your reservation now. There are so few dates to host a holiday party, the venue will, more than likely, already have dates and time spots blocked out, so the sooner you get your reservation situated, the better.

If the date is available but the time you wanted the party isn’t, shifting your event to a different time will still allow you to have your party where you want it. If the WHERE is most important, then adjustments to our original party plans will have to be made like deciding on a different holiday catering menu since serving your original plan of an evening holiday cocktail reception is now becoming a holiday brunch menu based on the only time that party venue is available.

If the WHEN is most important, then you’ll be in search of any venue that has that time available. And once you find the venue that does have the time slot you want, your ideal date may have to change from your original one. For example, the venue can only host your event on the first Friday of December rather than the original date you requested, the second Friday of December. The good news is that you can still have that evening reception you initially wanted. However, time is of the essence for any holiday party. Party halls and reception sites will be filling their calendars quickly.

The WHAT, the holiday catering menu you should serve, comes in to play once you’ve picked your venue, date and time. With those details, you can proceed on with the WHAT you’d like to have catered at your holiday celebration. Most professional caterers will have special holiday menus available for all kinds of holiday gatherings including breakfast, brunch, afternoon and evening receptions along with holiday dinner menus soon. Until then, you can start penciling out your menu ideas and discuss with your caterer now! Just like venues and party halls, caterer’s calendars will fill up fast too so  NOW  is the time to get started making plans for your holiday gathering and get the best deal you can.

Want a perfect holiday  
party catering menu idea for your office party?

Lately, you can find catering trends for everything – for weddings, cocktail parties, corporate events and even family gatherings. Trends include service styles, menu themes and even menu items and their sizes.  Growing in popularity for holiday catering is Breakfast for Lunch or what we’d like to call the Brunch for Lunch menu. Instead of a traditional continental breakfast or cocktail party so often served for corporate holiday parties, consider a holiday brunch reception.

Everyone loves breakfast! From eggs, bacon, sausage and potatoes to French toast, pancakes and  waffles, there are so many breakfast options you can serve!  Why not change your corporate holiday lunch to a brunch and include these favorite foods? Accompany these favorites with some fresh salads, fresh fruits, yogurt and you can create a new and different corporate holiday brunch menu sure to please.

Brunch casseroles like quiches, frittatas and stratas are a great way to incorporate eggs into a lunch menu. Add some breakfast meats, bacon, sausage or ham, some breakfast potatoes and some fabulous salads. Fresh fruit salad is a must for sure.  However you can also add a great spinach salad – either a traditional salad with mushrooms, egg and hot bacon dressing, or, add one with fresh strawberries, walnuts, pecan or almonds, drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette for more modern salad. Salad greens topped with feta cheese, dried cranberries and nuts also create a perfect brunch salad.

Don’t stop with just an egg dish, add some French toast, pancakes or waffles to the menu for the sweeter side of breakfast.  For a special touch, offer traditional syrups, jams, jellies, fresh berries or flavored butters like maple butter, for toppings. Stuffed French toast is another great item to add to a brunch menu. French toast can be stuffed with fruits, flavored cream cheeses or jams for a special treat.  Or, stuff the French toast with ham and Swiss cheese, called a Monte Cristo, for a more savory addition to a holiday catering menu. You can also use turkey and a variety of other cheeses like Gouda to create this perfect brunch menu item.

For the continental breakfast contribution to the menu, add some great muffins, savory or sweet cornbread, biscuits and scones are perfect for a brunch menu. Coffee cakes and cinnamon rolls are another good menu choice to consider adding to your brunch menu. Because there are so many varieties of each of these, have your professional caterer offer suggestions and ideas on which menu items to incorporate into your office party catering brunch menu.

Brunch beverages should include some great coffee, flavored teas and fruit juices. Punches also are a perfect beverage choice, served with or without alcohol, and there a hundreds of punch recipes that will complement your menu. Alcoholic beverage options commonly served at a brunch include the Bellini, Mimosa and Bloody Mary. How many people you’re hosting will determine how many options you should plan on offering.

For something new for the holidays, try brunch for lunch and let’s get started!