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    Home » Blog » Gatherings

    Published: Dec 29, 2017 · Modified: Apr 25, 2024 by Rezel Kealoha · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    How to Host an Open House New Years Party

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Hosting an Open House Party

    Since starting this blog in April, I've hosted a few parties and have gotten in the grove with thinking of party themes, what food to serve and how to decorate.  So I am sharing some tips with you to help make your party planning just a little smoother.

    Rezel Preping Cheese Gigantic Cheese Platter
    Photo by: Carolina Vargas

    Pick a Theme

    I always start with a theme.  This can be the decor or the food or even how the food is served!  With New Years around the corner with little time to plan I find that doing an open house during the day for a couple of hours is ideal.  When you do an open house there needs to be cocktail food on had that will last out on the table for a long time.

    The perfect solution to that is a cheese board with a variety of food.  An end to end cheese board with many options creates a way for your guests to get involved in creating their own food and for you as the host you can use the day before to prep (or even buy) the food you will be serving.

    Rezel Kealoha Tablescape
    Photo by: Carolina Vargas

    A great thing about a huge cheese platter like this is that it makes your guests be creative and create their own cocktail bite.  For example I had eggs, smoked salmon, capers and cream cheese so that they could create their own version of a smoked salmon canape.

    Gigantic Cheese Board
    Photo by: Mariel Villaluz Henry

    Don't forget to add in some color to your platter by providing some roasted seasonal vegetables and salad greens for guests that would prefer a lighter bite.

    Gigantic Cheese Board
    Photo by: Mariel Villaluz Henry

    I also made an easy vegan cheesy dip where you throw everything in a bowl, microwave and pour in a serving dish.  It's called bread dip, as originally you are supposed to hollow out a big loaf of bread and pour the dip inside and use the left over bread to scoop the dip.

     

    Rezel Kealoha Tablescape

    Vegan Cheesy Bread Dip

    An easy vegan cheese dip that will fool even the most hard core cheese heads.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 20 People
    Author: Rezel Kealoha

    Ingredients

    • 500 G Kite Hill Cream Cheese
    • 500 G Vegan Shredded Cheadar Cheese
    • 1 Can Creamed Corn
    • 1 Bunch Chives cut into small pieces
    • Salt and Pepper

    Instructions

    • Place all the ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and mix until fully incorporated.  Place in the microwave in one minute increments stiring in between each minute until the cheese is fully melted.
    • Pour into a serving dish and lay out some crackers and bread.
    Did you enjoy making it? I would love to see it! Tag me on Instagram @rezelkealoha with the #rezelkealoha!
    Gigantic Cheese Board
    Photo by: Mariel Villaluz Henry

    A variety of fresh seasonal fruit is always a good idea to add some freshness with all the cheese options.  With the jam I served some red wine caramel sauce that just goes so well with funky cheese.

    Setting The Tablescape

    For the table I kept it simple and kept the focus on the abundance of food.  I just used a some rustic white plates with black napkins and used mixed metal flatware to bring in some metallic touches.  Keeping it beautifully simple is key to stress free hosting.

    Rezel Kealoha Tablescape
    Photo by: Mariel Villaluz Henry

    A nice touch were these inspirational cards I found at Target.  Each guest received a different one to give them little reminders of how the right words at the right time can mean so much.

    Rezel Kealoha Tablescape
    Photo by: Carolina Vargas

    Drinks

    Drinks are so important at a party and to cater for guests arriving at different times during an open house is to fill a bar cart booze and condiments.  A Mimosa Cart filled with bottles of Champagne on ice and different juices, fruits and herbs to mix in is a great way to do that.

    Photo by: Mariel Villaluz Henry

     

    Mimosa Cart
    Photo by: Mariel Villaluz Henry

     

    Mimosa Cart
    Photo by: Mariel Villaluz Henry

    Sweets

    A great way to get your guest to contribute and to take a load off your shoulders is to ask them to bring a dessert.  Just clear a space for a few chocolates, cakes and cookies and everyone can just mingle in between all the different food areas and with each other.

    Mimosa Cart
    Photo by: Carolina Vargas
    Chocolate Platter
    Photo by: Rezel Kealoha

    Enjoy The Party

    Once you have all the food and drinks laid out it's time for you to enjoy the party.  That is the beauty of having a platter and a drink cart... Your guests just serve themselves and keeps you out of the kitchen!  Enjoy what you have put together and celebrate with friends and family!

    How to Host a New Year Open House
    Photo by: Mariel Villaluz Henry
    This post would not be possible without my friendors and sponsors I have listed out below.  Thank you for collaborating with me and helping me put this post together. 

    Photography

    Carolina Vargas

    Mariel Villaluz Henry

    Florals

    April Baytan Designs

    Dessert

    Just Bake Because

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    Kite Hill Foods

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    Hi! I'm Rezel and I am here to guide you on how to use those Filipino ingredients you have in a fresh new way. As a fellow home cook, the focus is easy to make recipes with lots of Filipino flavor. You will find a mix of reimagined Filipino Recipes along side traditional recipes on our site.

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