Holiday {Entertaining}: Delicious and Affordable Tips for a holiday party

This is the season of holiday parties.  Perhaps you are in the festive spirit yourself and are planning a party yourself.  Maybe you are a gifted domestic diva like Ms. Martha Stewart, or maybe you are like me and love the concept of entertaining, but get a little overwhelmed with the details.
Whether you are hosting a party for 5 or 15, you can keep your sanity and serve delicious eats with just a little bit of planning.  Know your audience and what they like to eat as well so you know that they will enjoy the food (e.g. a plate of crudités when the party members are mostly male are usually not a big hit).

Here is my plan for a delicious and affordable holiday menu:
1.  Serve filling bites
This is where carbs and proteins come in handy whether you are only serving appetizers or a full sit down dinner.  Good quality French bread or crackers with great dips like a classic hummus are always nice.    Small skewers of chicken or black bean sliders (something blogger buddy Kim deliciously prepared when she had 30 people over!) serve up a great protein filled punch.

2. Have decadent touches
Consider adding one luxurious ingredient to an otherwise regular dish.  Why not add porcini mushrooms to a stew?  Or add truffle salt and/or truffle oil to mashed potatoes.  One of my favorite recipes (and a party hit) is for wine mushrooms which I'll have to post soon.  Ok I don't only eat mushrooms.   Cheese plates with a twist (how about baked brie) or composed of a fun variety of cheese would be a fun touch to your party.  Even if you're just making pasta, tossing in something like lobster is decadent and you don't have to use much of it to make it grand!

3. Get great frozen/prepared foods
I admit to stressing myself out and almost always insisting on making everything myself.  But prepared foods, like mini quiches or chicken bites can be delicious and easy.  Or you can go the semi-homemade route.  Buy ingredients like puff pastry dough, a decadent touch that can be filled with a variety of savory and sweet ingredients easily (and with a budget in mind!)

4. Don't feel like you have to serve too many dishes
It will cost you more time and money to make too many dishes so keep it simple.  Have your basic food groups covered - starches, meats, dairy, and vegetables and adjust accordingly to your diet as well as that of your partygoers.  Double up on one recipe if you're sure it will be a hit (hmm like maybe Carrie's peppermint bark which I've really wanted to try out!)  You may get some food additions from family or friends anyway so don't worry about providing all the variety yourself!

How do you affordably entertain?