The holiday season is upon us once again. It’s that time of the year when we all get to sit back, celebrate as we reflect on the past year so we can plan for the coming year.
What makes the holidays even better is the corporate holiday parties that are in full swing during this time. Employees and employers alike get to put all business on hold momentarily so they can unwind after a long year of hard work.
As you may expect, an essential part of corporate events is corporate holiday catering. The quality and quantity of the food and refreshments served at a corporate holiday event, whether big or small, can make or break the event’s success.
However, event planning for many people can prove to be quite a challenge. With so many elements to think about, such as taste preferences, allergies, and proper food amounts, the person responsible for planning the special event quickly becomes overwhelmed.
To help you make the party a success, we’ve curated a detailed list of holiday party catering ideas, whether it’s an event for 10 or 100 people.
1. The Bird Is Served
First on the list, and probably the star of the show, is the bird, more so the turkey. Turkeys are a staple in American households during Thanksgiving, but they can also be served as the year winds down.
However, most people will have likely had their fill of turkey during Thanksgiving. As such, ask your caterer if they can provide another type of bird such as chicken or roast goose accompanied with a great side dish such as mashed potatoes.
2. Serve Salads and Soups
Feel free to provide soups and salads alongside the main dishes you’ll be serving. This way, you’ll have provided some light and hearty meal options as compared to the heavy main dishes served. It also helps ensure your guests are satiated, and there’ll be lower chances of food running out.
You can consider a few good belly-warming soup ideas, including pumpkin soup, sweet potato soup, potato and leek soup, classic tomato soup, or even butternut squash soup.
As for the salads, you can go with popular options, namely green bean salad, sweet potato salad, apple walnut salad, roasted butternut squash and apple salad, coleslaw and arugula, and roasted carrot salad.
3. Holiday Finger Snacks
You can also have your caterers provide some delectable finger-sized snacks for your guests. Get snacks such as cheese balls, meatballs, brie pastries, and latkes to add a little variety of food for the party. Your caterer should have a more diverse list of finger-sized snacks that are sure to wow your guests.
4. Vegetarian Suited Meals
With people being more and more conscious about their eating choices, you should consider the meal plans of those who do not eat animal products.
There are many ways your caterer can alter typical festive meals for your vegetarian or vegan guests. Some examples they can prepare and serve your guests include a whole roast cauliflower, coconut creamed spinach, candied yam, vegetarian lasagna, and stuffed mushrooms.
These vegetarian-friendly meals will be done in seconds once served with the proper preparation techniques.
5. Everyone Loves Pie
What are the holidays without a generous slice (or two) of pie? Have your preferred catering vendor indulge your guests in a selection of delicious, holiday-themed pies. Some of the most popular pies that your vendor can consider include pumpkin and apple pies.
You can also choose the non-conventional route while sticking to the holiday theme by providing pies such as chocolate and peppermint. You can find these and more options with your caterer or your local bakery. If you are undecided about which flavors of pie you should go with, you can always ask around the office to find out people’s preferences.
6. Festive Themed Cocktails
There are various cocktails you can provide during your holiday party. You can provide hot, cold, or even frozen cocktails.
Some of the old-fashioned cocktails that are sure to get your party attendees in the festive spirit include the classic eggnog and boozy punch. More unconventional examples include champagne cocktails, pumpkin, espresso, cranberry martinis, and the classic Manhattan.
You could even engage your caterer further to create a specially-themed cocktail, just for the occasion.
7. Bring Out the Sweets
Of course, we couldn’t leave sweets out of this list.
Treat the party guests to various types of festive-themed, freshly baked cookies. You could opt to go with popular holiday cookie flavors such as buttery shortbread, gingerbread men, peanut butter blossoms, or sugar cookies with royal icing.
Take things a notch higher and spruce up your cookies with some beautiful décor. After all, we eat with our eyes first before doing so with our mouths. You can also treat your guests to some tasty, colorful candy canes.
You can also opt to send the attendees home with take-home goody bags containing some melt-in-your-mouth sweets to share with their families.
To Sum It Up
No matter the size or style of your company’s holiday party, you should consider engaging the services of a food catering company like Corky’s Catering.
Having been in the business for the past four decades, Corky’s Catering has a wealth of experience in providing top-quality catering services, be it at home, at a wedding, or for corporate. We have a team of expert party planners who can provide your party with a vast range of meal options that will satisfy everyone’s tastes.
If you need help with your corporate holiday party, we will create a menu that perfectly complements the season to make the event an overall success.
Reach out to Corky’s Catering by giving us a call on (630) 526-6418, so we can discuss your corporate catering preferences and budget for the catered event. Once we know what you need, all you will have to do is sit back and let us do the heavy lifting so you can send your guests home with smiles on their faces and bellies full of good food.
