December Dinner Party
A warm, elegant December dinner party menu that’s festive, comforting, and effortlessly achievable for a busy winter month.
This dinner party is all about winter warmth and easy luxury. A cozy, fireside-inspired evening where tartan linens, candlelight, and evergreen set the mood without adding stress to your already full December.
The menu is designed to feel festive and elevated while still being completely achievable, with rich winter flavors, simple make-ahead moments, and dishes that serve beautifully for a small, cozy crowd.
The Menu
Appetizers: Smoked Salmon Crostini & Caramelized Onion Goat Cheese Dip
Salad: Winter Pear Salad
Main: Baked Spinach Artichoke & Crab Pasta
Dessert: Cranberry Gingerbread Trifle
Cocktail: Firelight or Starlight (bourbon nightcap - two options)
*Only paid subscribers can access all recipes within this menu - upgrade to $5/month and join us to host the party with this set menu (and all past/future parties).
Grocery List
Be sure to check your pantry against the list before you go buying things you may not need. Download the excel sheet and adjust it to your needs, or print the PDF.
Prep Timeline
Full Timeline for EVERY. SINGLE. THING. you need to take care of to make sure this dinner goes off accordingly. Download the editable excel version below so you can adjust it to suit your schedule, or just print the PDF.
Setting The Table
Check out the PDF below for inspiration and click the picture for links to items you may want to grab! As always, I encourage thrifting, hitting up your local auctions, and getting creative with what you already have in your arsenal.
P.s. Here’s the tutorial to make the bow napkins!
Place Cards
To access the place card template - click the link, then “edit template,” and then type the names or initials of your guests into each card before saving and printing! Note that you will need to sign in to Canva (or create a free account if you don’t have one) to utilize this.
Cut down the name cards and tie them to small bells or ornamets for a festive touch.
Menu
Download the menu card below or save the picture (above) and pull it into a Word document to print! Print from your own printer on cardstock/slightly weighted paper, or send it off to print and pick it up. This menu looks best printed at 4x6”.
Spotify Playlist
December Holiday Playlist - Make sure the music can be heard, but the volume isn’t so loud that guests can’t hear each other well.
Put the playlist on repeat to cover the length of the festivities!
Budget Breakdown
The total I spent on this dinner party was $315. Removing decor, this comes out to $237, or $30 per person for food & drink (for 8 people).
Food - $186 - the crab was a large portion of this, but honestly worth it. Go for lump or special mix if you don’t want to spend on the jumbo lump.
Alcohol - $51 - Evan Williams and Jagermeister
Decor - $66 - I bought the tablecloth, navy napkins, and new candles.
Florals - $12 - one evergreen garland from Trader Joe’s did the trick!
Party/Prep Notes
I wanted to keep this as a “holiday” party and not a “Christmas party”, so I kept the tones more wintery. If you want to go full blown Christmas, do it!
This was honestly a pretty low lift party. A lot can be made ahead of time, and there wasn’t much of a rush before the party started.
I should have used decaf espresso in the one cocktail, as not all of my guests wanted to dive into the Starlight nightcap and be kept up all night (though they all tasted it and thought it was absolutely delicious). Know your guests and what you think they’d prefer!
Want to host this dinner party (or encourage someone else to host it for you/alongside you)? Share this with them and dive into the fun!