If you are planning to host a New Years Eve
party this year, you might want to consider making the party a
pot luck event. Most people consider potlucks for picnics and
parties for other occasions but a potluck is rarely considered
when throwing a New Years Eve party. However, there are a number
of advantages to hosting this type of event. Some of these
advantages include reducing the amount of work required by the
host of the party, ensuring the guests all enjoy some of the
food provided and cutting down on the amount of leftovers the
host has at the end of the evening. This article will examine
the logistics of hosting a potluck New Years Eve party.
A potluck is a good idea for a fun New Years Eve party. Some
hosts may be hesitant to ask their guests to contribute a dish
for the party but there are a few ways to make the potluck a
great deal of fun. One way to do this is by implementing a theme
for the party. The host can take the responsibility for
preparing the main course and then assign each guest to bring
another part of the meal to the New Years Eve party with the
stipulation that the dish they bring should fit with the theme
of the party.
While a potluck New Years Eve party greatly reduces the
responsibility of the host in terms of food preparation, it is
important for the host to remember she is still responsible for
coordinating the meal. The host should take care of ensuring all
of the elements of the meal are provided. This is important for
preventing each guest from bringing a dessert and none of the
guests bringing savory items such as the main course, side
dishes, salads or appetizers. One way the host can do this is to
indicate on each guest’s invitation which type of dish they
should bring. The guest may assign 2-3 people to bring side
dishes and 4-5 people to bring appetizers, 4-5 people to bring
side dishes, 4-5 people to bring salads and 2-3 people to bring
desserts. This will help to ensure there is a variety of item in
each category.
It is also important to consider food service when planning a
New Years Eve party. This logistical matter is especially
important if guests will be providing items which must be served
hot. The host might want to consult with the guests to determine
what they will be bringing to contribute to the New Years Eve
party and how the food should be served. If it is necessary to
serve the item hot, the host should plan ahead to make
accommodations to reheat the item or keep the item hot if the
guest arrives with the item still hot. This is important because
dinner will not likely be served immediately when guests arrive.
Beverages should also be carefully considered when planning a
potluck New Years Eve party. One way to deal with beverages is
for the host to supply all of the beverages. This is a good
solution because alcoholic cocktails are particularly popular
for New Years Eve parties and the host may prefer to plan on
providing a few signature cocktails throughout the evening and
will want to ensure they have the ingredients necessary to
create those categories. While the host may want to provide all
of the alcoholic beverages, she may allow a few guests to bring
non alcoholic beverages as their contribution to the pot luck.
Finally, when planning a New Years Eve potluck it is important
to ensure guests are aware of any dietary restrictions which
should be considered when making the food for the party. For
example if the host is aware that several guests require special
diets such as diets for diabetics or diets for those with high
blood pressure she want to make sure guests who will be
preparing food for the party are also aware of these
restrictions. The host may also want to ensure at least one main
dish item is vegetarian in case any of the guests do not eat
meat.
