Serving a Christmas Buffet Supper

Buffet style suppers are perfect for Christmas parties. You, the host, can present a beautifully decorated banquet of food with a simple menu and a few well-chosen decorations.

Start with a simple menu such as ham or turkey, roasted potatoes, sautéed vegetables, and angel food cake for dessert. You have appetizers and candies for your guests to nibble on throughout the evening.

For your appetizers and candies, you'll decorate a smaller table using the same scheme as your main table, which is discussed below. Place the appetizer table near the bar or in the main gathering room of the party. This allows your guests to avail themselves of nibbles anytime during the festivities. Don't forget to provide small plates for your guests to carry these nibbles away with them.

For the main buffet table, the one on which you'll place the main meal, use a solid color tablecloth in dark green or dark blue. Drips and minor spills are less likely to show up on these colors.

Along the back of the table, place several Christmas themed decorations, such as ceramic Santas, reindeer, and elves. Create a "line-up" of these, and alternate them. You could also use candles in silver candlesticks for a more sophisticated look, or wrap boxes in Christmas paper and create small bunches of presents.

The idea is to keep the decorative elements at the back of the table, so your guests can enjoy them without having to reach around them to get to the food.

Use serving ware and dinnerware that coordinate with the tablecloth you've chosen. To liven up the serving area, you can opt to use a bright gold table runner, or strategically placed Christmas ornaments in contrasting colors near the serving dishes.

Pick a contrasting color to the tablecloth for your napkins. Wrap the silverware in the napkins and tie the bundles with bits of ribbon.

Next to the bundles of napkins and silverware should be your plates. Both the plates and napkin bundles should be at the end of the table where you want your guests to begin. It's important to create a traffic flow, so your guests aren't standing in line in a tight space or trying to reach over each other for plates and food.

Place the food on the table beginning with the main course, in this case the ham or turkey. After the main course, place the potatoes and then vegetables. The rolls are next, followed by condiments, sauces or gravies.

As the host, you should then see to drinks for your guests as they seat themselves. Having to carry dinner and a drink often leads to spills and other awkward moments.

And that's it for your supper.

Once you've seen to it that everyone has had their supper, clear the main table and set up for dessert.

Use the same layout, with fresh plates, napkins and silver. If only a fork is needed, as in this case with angle food cake, then you needn't bundle them with the napkins.

Have several slices already on a large platter with a cake-serving spatula. Guests then needn't cut into the cake themselves. As the host, you can cut more slices as needed.

Include on the table a large coffee urn, a hot water dispenser and tea bags, and after dinner liqueurs. Arrange the coffee cups and glasses to the side of the drinks. Your guests then can have after-dinner drinks at their leisure.

It's as simple as that. Of course, you can adjust the menu to suit the occasion. Perhaps you're serving a vegetarian supper, or would prefer grilled salmon. You can serve just about any menu with a buffet supper.

You can alter the decorations to suit any occasion. Just follow the basic guidelines presented here and you can serve your guests buffet style any time of the year for any occasion.