Christmas is just around the corner which means it’s time to put out another spread for the holidays. This year I am going to Georgia to spend time with my mom. It’s going to be a small and intimate holiday with just the two of us. But we are still going to eat well and we are going to make it look nice honey.
My mom is not the best with hosting so I am going to have to haul all my serving ware down to Georgia. But I live for this stuff and I am so excited. I love serving fancy cocktails and cooking for my family and friends. I would have to say my favorite part is plating everything and pulling out my glassware.
If you’re like my mom then you probably have no clue where to start when it comes to shopping for serving ware. Today’s post will hopefully help you begin to build your collection. Even starting off with some of these items will get you ready to host a dinner party or an evening of drinks and apps with your friends.
I get most of my serving ware from HomeGoods. Unfortunately you can’t really shop with them online so I can’t link any of the items that I currently have but I am going to link some basic items from other stores that are affordable. All the options below are great to get you started and to help give you an idea of what to look for. You can also get all of these items from Amazon, World Market, At Home, TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, West Elm, Wayfair, William-Sonoma, etc.
1. Small serving tray
This is literally a must have. Great for plating small apps like wings or stuff mushrooms. I also love using this to put out breakfast meat because it’s the perfect size.
2. Large serving platter
These are great for making fruit or veggie platters look nice at home. I like to cut up my own fruit and plate them that way I can pick and choose which fruit and make sure everything is fresh. But you could easily buy a premade platter and lay it out on your own platter at home.
3. Large serving bowl
This is perfect for chips, popcorn, or salad. This is one item that I deem a must have because I use this every time that I have guests. 9 times out of 10 I am serving chips and french onion dip or chips and salsa/guac and a large bowl is perfect.
4. Small serving bowls
These smaller serving bowls are great for sides items like mash potatoes, string beans, corn, etc. You can really put anything in them as long as it fits the bowl size.
5. Dipping bowls
I use these for dipping sauces, salad dressing, nuts, salsa/guac, french onion dip, etc. Anything that is in a bottle you put into one of these small bowls so you achieve that cohesive looks. Trust me it looks so much better than a bunch of mismatched containers on the counter.
6. Charcuterie board
Everyone needs a charcuterie board. These can be really inexpensive or can run you a pretty penny. They have a variety of options at HomeGoods that start around $12 so I would recommend starting there. These are great to put out a cheese/meat spread but you can also use them to really put out any type of food arrangement.
7. Cheese knives
If you have a charcuterie board then these are a must have to go along with them. Pretty self explanatory based on the name. Just put them out with your cheese board.
8. Oven to Table Bakeware
This is one of my favorite items because it saves you from washing an extra dish. Oven to table bakeware is simply a dish that is able to go in the oven to cook your meal but also cute enough to put on the table to serve your food out of. This saves you from having too cook something in a one of those awful tin baking pans and then plating it on a platter.
9. Serving utensils
So you have all these nice platters, bowls, boards you also need nice serving utensils for people to get their food.
10. Pitcher or Carafe
This is perfect for water, sweet tea, or lemonade. Or you can use it for a pitcher of margs or sangria for a happy hour at home. The carafes are good for a mimosa bar for brunch on Sunday.
These are the items I started off with and frequently use when I am hosting at my place. I am hosting a wine night tomorrow and will probably use my charcuterie board to put together something for my friends and I to snack on. Please remember you don’t need to spend a lot to get any of these items. Find a budget that works for you and stick with it. I would suggest getting everything in white to start off. That way whether you are shopping at different stores or buying different brands everything matches and is cohesive. Hopefully after reading this you are ready to host a small or even large dinner party at home. Your friends will soon be calling you the hostess with the mostest.
This was so helpful! I’m going to get everything you listed right nowwwwww