This time of year it’s highly likely that you’ll find yourself playing hostess for a holiday party or two (or three!).  Even though it’s super fun, we all know holiday entertaining can be a stressful concept any way you slice it. When you throw in the fact that you’re a vegan and the majority (or in my case, all) of your guests are omnis, it can make menu planning for a crowd seem even more challenging.

The good news is, it doesn’t have to be! Relying on some of your favorite everyday recipes, thumbing through your cookbooks and spending a little time perusing recipes online are all surefire ways to net yourself tons of fantastic ideas that will please any crowd.

To get you started, here’s my menu from a casual afternoon gathering I hosted this weekend for my mom and a small group of her friends. By sticking to familiar recipes and keeping things simple, I was able to pull off a successful holiday shindig for ten. The food got rave reviews and I know they weren’t just being polite because they ate every last bit (I almost didn’t even get to try the Bruschetta)!

Holiday Party Menu

Finger Foods:

Bruschetta with Tomato & Basil
Spicy Mixed Nuts
Black Bean Dip with Chips & Fresh Veggies

Entree

Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato & Vegetable Soup

Dessert

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Snickerdoodles

Beverages

Water
Iced Tea
Pomegranate-Champagne Punch

A few of these recipes have already been featured on the blog. Over the next several days, I’ll be posting the rest. Let me know if you need one in a hurry though. I’ll send it your way!