For those who love to entertain but don’t necessarily want to throw a fancy dinner party, hosting a casual holiday open house is a great alternative. Your home is already decorated with festive décor, so all you’ll need to do is set the date, invite your family and friends, and plan some tasty treats for everyone to enjoy.

As open houses are less formal than other holiday parties, one of the keys to success is to keep it simple when it comes to the menu. Serving a variety of appetizers will keep your guests pleased and will give you more time to mix and mingle with your guests since all you will have to do is simply restock as needed throughout the event.

Also, Delish suggests planning a menu where most items can be prepared in advance. For instance, you can make a large quantity of spiced nuts several days before your open house event with gourmet nuts from Hickory Farms.

A meat and cheese platter makes for hearty munchies that guests will enjoy snacking on. Our Party Planner Gift Box has everything you need for such a spread: Beef Summer Sausage, Turkey Summer Sausage, cheeses like smoked Gouda and farmhouse cheddar, and sweet hot mustard.

Vegetable and dip platters are another easy appetizer for holiday open houses. We love this presentation with the dip placed inside a cored pepper instead of a bowl. The red and green peppers will add an extra touch of holiday color to your tablescape.

Photo via Mundo Chica

If you do want to serve a few warm appetizers, consider a cheese melt with breadsticks. Our Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese is always a great choice, but you can also spice it up with our Jalapeno Cheddar Blend or Parmesan Herb Blend for an extra burst of flavor.

Photo via Country Living

Sweets are another holiday open house staple. Trays filled with treats like Holiday Petits Fours, Peppermint Snow Mint Cookies, Artisan Fudge, and Famously Thin Peanut Brittle will make any guest with a sweet tooth happy.

Photo via Glorious Treats

Of course, no holiday gathering is complete without a variety of drinks. That’s the Spirit recommends offering one or two festive cocktails, as well as coffee, tea, cider and wine.

What are some of your go-to appetizers for holiday open houses? Leave a comment below to share with us, or share on the Hickory Farms Facebook page.