Tis the season to entertain – whether it’s an open house, a cookie swap, or a family gathering, our homes can become quite busy during the holiday season. While I love to prepare a huge feast, teaching doesn’t allow a lot of spare time to prepare a big dinner. But, throughout my years of hosting events, I have discovered many ways to entertain beautifully, without exhausting yourself. One of my favorite ways is a buffet where your guests contribute a covered dish to accompany your menu, but I also enjoy serving food in the more casual, but beautiful style of a “grazing table”. 

While the term “grazing table” doesn’t sound so pretty, these tables laden with snacks and treats are so easy to assemble plus can be as elaborate or simple as you would like! It’s a great way to elevate your party. When I think of a grazing table, I often think of illustrated scenes from A Christmas Carol and the ghost of Christmas present where he is generally seen lounging around a table laden with food. While today’s economy doesn’t quite allow for that exhorbitant display, you get the picture of what’s in my mind.

So, what is a grazing table, and how do you set it up?

First, a grazing table is honestly nothing more than an elevated charcuterie board. It is more diverse and includes plenty of sweet to accompany the savory. With a grazing table you create a tablescape by creatively and artfully arranging meats, cheeses, crudites, fruits, vegetables, flowers, and dishes. It’s a relaxed and fun way to serve your guests without having to cook a full meal. It’s also casual enough guests can venture back and forth to grab a bite or two without over fixing a plate. A grazing table is perfect for nearly any event since they include a bite of something for anyone attending. These delectable tables work well with open houses, cocktail hour, viewing the big game, girls’ night in, or for a houseful of teenagers.

Second, have a table. Ok, so maybe that’s a bit cheeky, but you do need a serving station. You can use a buffet, a countertop, smaller end tables, or the entire kitchen or dining room table. Think outside the box for your set-up if you would like to leave your table free. You can even choose multiple locations for a set up and divide the sweets from the appetizers. There are many ways to lay out your spread, but for a semi-casual evening, I lay parchment or wax paper directly on my space and arrange a smallish centerpiece. You don’t really need a big centerpiece as you can include elements of the centerpiece around the table.

Centerpiece ideas for Christmas include, fresh greenery, cranberries, unscented candles, peppermint sticks or Christmas wrapped chocolates. Pomegranates, oranges, unshelled nuts, and apples make great centerpiece accessories as well. Tuck in a few fresh roses, ribbon and ornaments that match your home decor. The possibilities are endless, and you can carry the theme throughout your entire table.

My centerpiece on this table was nothing more than washed, fresh greenery arranged down the center of the table with ornaments, candy canes, votive candles, and pinecones tucked in. I set the dishes on top and in the greenery but didn’t let it overpower the food. Normally I would add some height to my table, but this more rustic themed table fit well in the location of the girls night. I love using candles throughout our home, but especially on tabletops, so unscented votives are a must have on my list.

Third, choosing food to fill the table depends on your guests. Are you hosting a cookie swap? Choose a combination of sweet and salty bites.

Hosting a caroling party? Turn your table into a huge hot chocolate and coffee bar. 

Inviting friends and family over for a tree trimming? Add foods that cover the various elements of a dinner party from appetizers to dessert. 

These tables are easy to adjust for a theme, age group, and budget. The one thing to remember is that you are keeping things simple. Stick to a combination of savory and sweet but choose bites that go well together. Also, think of your guests and their palettes. While plates are definitely required, silverware is not. 

You can arrange the food on wooden boards, directly on the table, or a combination of both. For this Girl’s Night In table I created, there were several elements for serving, which did leave dishes to be washed, but I used disposable plates and serving utensils which kept those dishes to a minimum. No host or hostess wants to be up late washing dishes after everyone goes home!

Finally, here are some easy ideas for a simple grazing table: Fresh fruit, nuts, pepperoni, salami (really any type of cured meat … uncured if you want to avoid unnecessary nitrates), small pickles, assorted cheeses, bread sticks, chocolate covered pretzels, cookies, crackers, chopped fresh veggies, caprese salad picks, and olives. To that add dips and mustards, and you’ve created a beautiful tablescape laden with colorful and tasty food. As long as you have a table filled with various flavors and textures, you can’t really go wrong.

Have you ever created a grazing table for an event? I would love to hear what all you included to serve your guests. 

Do you think you would put together a table for anything you have coming up? I would love to see and hear all about your ideas!