Easy Holiday Entertaining: Simple Wine and Food Pairings

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HolidayPairings #CollectiveBias The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older.
There are two ways you can handle holiday entertaining: you can either spend hours in the kitchen making appetizers and desserts, or you can take the easy way out with already made options.  I usually like to go with the latter, especially when I’m pressed for time, which is usually the case.

The holidays can be stressful, but taking the right precautions can help ease the stress.  I’ve found that these tips have helped ease the stress of holiday entertaining:

Always Plan Ahead
The closer you wait until the holiday, the busier everywhere it gets.  If you know you’ll be hosting for ah holiday get together, shop for what you need as soon as possible because the stores will only get more crowded or sell out.  This will also save you time in the long run from having to make multiple trips to get everything you need.

Have a Guest Count
When you know how many people to expect, you’ll know exactly how much food you’ll need to prepare. Knowing how many guests you’ll have will eliminate the need to over cook in fear of running out of food.  Plus it will save time in the kitchen.

Choose Your Dishes Wisely
If your family has traditional recipes that are made each year, that’s fine, but consider how many things need to be homemade vs. store bought.  Desserts and appetizers are perfect examples of a free pass out of the kitchen. With options like the Pepperidge Farm Chocolate Cookie Collection and the  Pepperidge Farm Cracker Trio, you’ll have ready to eat snacks in minutes that are just as good.

Make One Pot Meals
Rather than dirtying all the dishes in the kitchen and taking up stove space for multiple ingredients for one recipe, plan to make a one pot dish that is easy to make and can feed lots of people.  Pasta is always a great option and the Barilla Pronto Pasta is the perfect one pot solution that eliminates the need to pre-boil or drain the pasta.

You can never go wrong with a plate of assorted cookies and crackers.  Paired with some cheese and Pinot Grigio, you really can’t go wrong!  If you’re hosting lots of guests, Pinot Grigio is a safe wine of choice that most people like and the Robert Mondavi Private Selection is one of the best, in my opinion!

If you’re looking for an easy one pot pasta for all your guests this year, you should give this one pot tomato basil pasta a try.  It’s one of the easiest things you can make in 10 minutes.

And that, my friends, is how you host literally the easiest holiday get together!  To make it even easier, you find find everything featured above at Walmart, so you won’t be running around town making multiple trips.  You can even find a great selection of super premium wine at a great price.  That may be my favorite part!

For more holiday entertaining ideas and to locate wine tasting and pairing events at a Walmart near you, be sure to check out this Simple Entertaining Hub.