The Best Festive Dinner Ideas to Host Your First Holiday Meal Like A Pro

What are some staples that most people have in their fridge or pantry they could start with?

Pasta is a really easy way to feed a crowd. If you’ve got some Parmesan in your fridge, some lemon, you can make a really delightful pasta. It looks very fancy, but in reality it’s four ingredients and you feel like you’re in Italy.

Another thing we always have in our pantry is stuff like quinoa and farro, dried beans. I have a Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili recipe on What’s Gaby Cooking; it’s a vegetarian chili that has won awards against meat chilis. That’s really easy. You can make it, serve it with some cornbread and a lovely holiday margarita, and call it a day.

It seems like everything’s more expensive now, especially groceries. Is there a way to host a nice meal without breaking the bank?

I would avoid doing things like a Prime Rib or cuts of meat that are just astronomically expensive. Especially right now, all the prices go up [during the holidays].

I would also say that as a first time host, you should feel comfortable delegating things to your guests. You make the main course at your home and have someone else bring the salad, have someone else bring the appetizers. I’m a psychopath and I like to send people recipes on exactly what I want them to bring so I know my menu can be cohesive. I’m not afraid to ask people to bring a little something so the financial burden isn’t all on me.

Speaking of finances, you’re partnering with Kelley Blue Book to promote their “My Wallet” tool, which can be compared to a “financial pantry” of sorts when buying a car. What are the similarities between the two?

Similarly to finding your perfect holiday meal and using what’s in your fridge and not having to go out and buy everything, using the Kelley Blue Book My Wallet tool, you can customize your entire car search. You use what you actually have, your budget, what you want your monthly lease to be, all that kind of stuff. So that way, you’re only getting the results for what fits within your lifestyle, keeping it in check, and you feel confident.