Boards, Bites, And Bevs: What To Bring To Your Next Holiday Gathering

It’s that time of year again and the next couple of months are sure to be filled with all things food, friends, and festivity! And if you can’t tell by the alliteration and exclamation point in that last sentence, I love the holidays. 

While many of you may share my enthusiasm, some of my friends have expressed dread about social events this season. They explained that every invitation comes with an expectation to contribute to the food spread, which makes these gatherings more stressful than enjoyable due to the creativity and budget required.

Coming up with a couple of dishes is relatively easy at first, but by mid-December — after Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving, and a few white elephant parties — we may find ourselves exhausted, broke, and otherwise out of ideas.

However, staying within a college student-friendly budget shouldn’t mean sacrificing the joy of bringing a dish everyone will love. It also shouldn’t cause unnecessary stress. With that in mind, I’ve compiled a few ideas for what to bring to your gatherings this season, so your focus can be devoted to what is most important: enjoying time with your loved ones. 

Charcuterie Boards 

Charcuterie boards have a reputation for being sophisticated, fancy, and … expensive, which is not surprising considering they’re an international amalgamation of humanity’s greatest edible hits. Traditional boards can include anything from delicate French cheeses to Japanese pickled vegetables. The options are boundless (and boundaryless). 

Many partygoers this season might fail to consider making a board of their own because they assume it’s out of their price range, but I have excellent news. Not only is there probably a Trader Joe’s near you, but a quick browse of their website will lead you to a collection of affordable products the store recommends for your next cheese board. 

TJ’s has set the standard for fun products at an unbeatable value, and the fact that they’ve gone the extra mile to highlight their picks for your next board should be reason enough to head there as soon as that joyous Evite hits your inbox. 

For those of you seeking a bit more inspiration, a hypothetical board could include this Cracker Assortment, these Garlic & Black Pepper Almonds, Medjool Dates, Spanish Manzanilla Olives with Pimento Paste, and some festive Cranberry Ginger Chutney to round everything out. 

If you’re looking for extra variety or find full-size cheese blocks overwhelming, Whole Foods Market offers a selection of smaller pieces of their larger cheeses. It’s perfect for those of us who want to sample a range of cheeses while also being able to pay our rent this month. 

Holiday Punch 

When deciding what to bring to a holiday party, many people immediately think of food and naturally opt for an appetizer or dish. But what do you do when you’re three garlic knots in and suddenly craving something sweet and bubbly to quench your thirst? 

This year, you won’t have to worry about finding that perfect drink—because you’re saving the day by bringing the punch!

Not only is this a cost-effective addition to any holiday spread, but a quick Google search for holiday punch recipes will give you more options than there are elves in the North Pole. I guess it’ll be up to you to decide which one reigns supreme.

Whether you are looking for a boozy punch or not, you are sure to find something delicious, but if you want to take a jab at creating your own, a great place to start would be with a fizzy base (lemon-lime soda, sparkling apple cider, etc.), a combination of juices to sweeten things up (cranberry, orange, and pineapple are classics), some fresh fruit to add pizazz, and ice and a cute mint sprig to top things off. 

Festive Snack Mixes 

I’d like to say I’ve matured enough to prefer classy holiday snacks, but truth be told, if approached with a silver platter of some ornate, bacon-wrapped delicacy, I’d rather save my limited stomach space for the nearest holiday-themed snack mix.

At many parties, however, I do not have the option to feast on chocolate-drizzled popcorn, parmesan-encrusted pretzels, and candied pecans in one handful because no one brought the snack mix.

Perhaps we’re all trying to convince ourselves that the fancier something is, the better it must be. Or maybe we feel the need to prove to relatives we only see once a year that our refined palate reflects our past year’s success—or that we finally deserve a spot at the adult table. So we choose the bacon-wrapped morsel in defeat. 

But perhaps everyone really just wants snack mix and I’m projecting. Lucky for you, you can be sure the snack mix will be present at the party this year because you’ll bring it, and beyond being able to customize it to perfection, you can ensure no one has an existential crisis over their choice of snacks at the party (thank you). 

You can’t go wrong with any combination of snacks for your mix, but a great place to start would be the Pioneer Woman’s Garlic Parmesan Pretzel Mix for a more savory rendition, or Chex’s classic Muddy Buddies Party Mix for a more traditional, sweet variety. 

Whether you bring the punch or the snack mix, your contribution to holiday gatherings is sure to impress, simply because you put in the effort to create something special for those you love. Plus, with the money you save, you might even treat yourself to something nice—you deserve it.

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