what to feed your holiday houseguests
3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners!
This past weekend George and I hosted two of our dearest couple friends and their seven kids for our sixth annual Sexy Santa weekend. “Sexy Santa” because the first year we did it someone suggested that we make all of our Secret Santa gifts *sexy.* The sexy gift theme did not stick (although the husbands try their hardest) but the name sure did.
The weekend was so much fun. There were also a whole lot of mouths to feed! When you have family or friends visiting from out of town — especially for the holidays — there are so many meals to plan for. You need to think through not only the special holiday dinner, should you be hosting one, but every other breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and enough snacks to make sure no one’s going hungry on your watch!
In case you’re hosting over the next few weeks, I’m sharing three days’ worth of my favorite meals to feed a crowd. These meal themes are great no matter the occasion — not only for holiday houseguests. Bookmark them for any time you have guests over, whether they’re staying for the weekend or just dropping by for a meal.
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The key here is to keep things simple and delicious. You’re not going for elaborate meals with a million ingredients — you want to stick with effortlessly impressive food that’s easy to throw together.
Dinners:
Soup party! Since houseguests usually roll in around dinnertime, this makes a great first-day meal that can be kept warm over low on the stove (or on the “keep warm” setting in a slow cooker) and eaten whenever people arrive. You only need to make one soup, but making two is pretty exciting. You can cook the soup(s) weeks in advance of when you’re entertaining, then thaw them in a pot when it’s time to eat. If you have time to prep a soup ahead, good soup (pictured above) or winter stew would be great. If you’re cooking the day of, I’d go for good mood chicken and bean soup or green chicken tortilla soup, which involve less chopping. For a veggie option, there’s creamy but cream-less tomato soup or butternut squash soup!
Bo ssam: This is a fixture during our Sexy Santa weekend, we make it the Saturday night of the weekend every time! A big ole piece of meat that can cook low and slow while you go about your day is such a smart move when you’re hosting. It’s also ideal because guests can build their own bowl or lettuce wraps based on their taste and dietary preferences. Cook my slow-roasted pork butt and serve it up bo ssam style with the sauces, coconut rice, and fixins laid out here. If you have What To Cook the book (on sale at most retailers!), you can follow the bo ssam recipe instructions on page 238!
Pasta night: Pasta’s another great move to feed a crowd. Ragu with noodles would be my pick — it’s so incredibly easy and impressive. They’ll go wild, you’ll feel like a star. Pasta alla vodka’s another winner. If you have a lot of naked-noodle-loving kids in the house, boil some extra noods to toss with butter or olive oil.
Fancy dinner: If you’re hosting houseguests and a special holiday dinner, be sure to follow the plan of action in one of my easy-but-fancy meal plans to the T! It will take the stress out of that meal. Here’s the link to this year’s, or you can browse all of them here.
Lunches:
Sheet-pan sliders: Take a pack of King’s Hawaiian rolls and, without separating them, slice the whole dozen in half horizontally using a serrated knife. Spread a condiment or two on the bottom layer of the buns (I usually go with Dijon and mayo) and another condiment on the top layer of buns (I like a jam or jelly here!). Add a layer of meat on the bottom bun (like ham slices, turkey slices, shredded rotisserie chicken, etc.) followed by a layer of cheese (Brie, Cheddar, American, Gouda — whatever!) then add the top bun. Brush melted butter on top of the buns and sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning. Bake tented with foil at 375°F for 10 minutes, then uncovered for another 2 to 5 ish minutes, until the cheese is melted and the top buns are lightly golden. Let them cool for a few minutes then slice and serve!
Another idea: You can follow the same approach but make messy meatball sliders!
A bowl bar: Cook a few elements and set them out family-style for people to build their own bowls! You can follow a recipe like beef bulgogi bowls, or just wing it with what you’ve got or are in the mood for. Here are the elements that I like to include and some ideas for each:
A grain: farro, quinoa, brown rice, coconut rice
A protein: pan-seared chicken breasts, bulgogi beef, oven-roasted tofu cubes or chickpeas
Some simple veg: pre-shredded carrots, thinly sliced cucumbers or red bell pepper, roasted butternut squash or sweet potatoes (toss in oil, salt, pepper, roast on 425°F for 25 to 30 mins)
Mixed greens, arugula, kale, or romaine (mixed greens and arugula are nice because no washing/chopping!)
A few great store-bought sauces and/or dressings like pesto, tzatziki, Bitchin’ sauce, ginger dressing, or balsamic vinaigrette
A salad plate: I love making two delicious salads and serving them with a loaf of good bread and butter. It feels very chic-Italian-lunch-vibes, and people can choose one or both to pile onto their plate. A few salads that’d be good for this situation: mob wife salad (pictured above), farro fattoush, lemon-parm chicken, kale, and quinoa salad, or one or all of the salads from this vegetarian market plate.
Breakfasts:
A make-ahead egg casserole: Here’s a perfect one! It makes a huge serving so can typically supply two days’ (at least!) worth of breakfast.
A bagel bar: Buy some fresh bagels and set them out with a few cream cheese flavors and some sliced avocado and flaky sea salt.
Continental breakfast: Fresh berries, store-bought pastries, and some juice. You could also add yogurt and granola and/or scrambled eggs and sheet-pan bacon to the spread.
Snacks & kids’ food:
I also suggest arming yourself with very easy store-bought apps like a veggie tray, chips and salsa, and — because ‘tis the season! — cream cheese and pepper jelly with crackers. I love setting out a few blocks of good cheese with some crackers, olives, jam, and Dijon for a very low-lift cheese board. Option to add some salami (our team is still obsessed with this one) or another charcuterie meat, too.
We had a ton of kids in the house this past weekend so I stocked up on hot dogs, dino nuggets, and yogurt to feed the picky eaters of the bunch. Was glad I did, they all got devoured!
Something sweet:
It’s always nice to have a little something sweet to offer after dinner. Stock the freezer with ice cream and grab some hot fudge to drizzle on top! Or bake some Monster cookies ahead of time (use M&Ms in whatever colors fit for the holiday you’re celebrating).
One last note: lots of people really truly WANT to contribute food via takeout or a nice meal out to thank you for your hospitality. Let them! Cancel one of these lunches or dinners and let them treat you.
What other meals are your favorites when feeding houseguests?
Every week we take a spin through the What To Cook recipe archives to see what we were cooking this time in years past. Here’s what’s on the menu this week!
1. sheet-pan orange teriyaki steak and broccoli, 2024
A fast, flavorful dinner that tastes like takeout — but fresher! Skirt steak marinates in a soy-orange-ginger situation (overnight if you can!) and broils alongside sesame-tossed broccoli. Meanwhile, the marinade gets boiled into a glossy teriyaki sauce to drizzle over everything. Serve as DIY bowls with rice!
2. harissa bolognese spaghetti squash, 2023
Cozy comfort food with a veggie-forward twist. Spaghetti squash soaks up a smoky, creamy harissa bolognese and gets baked under a blanket of melty mozzarella and Parm. It’s hearty like lasagna but lighter, and delivers rich flavor, sneaky veggies, and excellent leftovers.
3. lemony chicken orzo soup, 2022
Here’s another great choice for a holiday season Soup Party! This is a cozy twist on avgolemono — silky, lemony chicken soup thickened with eggs for that luscious texture, but bulked up with orzo, beans, Parm, and a heap of greens.
4. one-pan roast chicken and squash, 2021
A whole chicken and a whole squash roast together on one sheet pan — then the squash mashes up with roasted garlic, goat cheese, balsamic, and chicken drippings (!!). Cozy, impressive, and so so delicious!
Our friends at Aura want to send one lucky WTCer a Stone frame to either keep for yourself or gift this season! To enter to win, comment on this post in the next 24 hours! We’d love to hear about your holiday plans — are you traveling, are you hosting houseguests, are you having a cozy celebration at home?! The winner will be chosen at random and notified this time tomorrow, 12/11, via comment and Substack DM.
PS, congrats to Kalee (@kalee573954), the winner of last week’s holiday book giveaway!
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Bagels & continental breakfast photos via Getty images.
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Staying at home & hosting the fam this year- at 36 wks preggo send helpppppp
I loooove having a houseful of people to feed! One thing I love to make is a giant pan or two of loaded nachos for people to pick at while we catch up. I’ve also made your white chicken chili from the book several times on very short notice, using my instant pot!