17 Holiday Food And Drink Bars For Easy, Serve-Yourself Hosting

One of the hardest things about holiday entertaining is making sure that all of your guests are happy with the food choices. Accommodating friends and family can be tricky when you have to consider vegans and vegetarians while also ensuring that some gluten-free options or dishes are acceptable for those with allergies and medical issues. Religious practices and weight-loss plans can also dictate what some guests can eat.

Food bars are a brilliant way to take some of the stress out of holiday gatherings. Once you prep all the components, the guests do the work of combining everything to their own tastes. (Plus, there's no need to worry about who likes onions or who's on which diet.) Choose a food theme that suits the event, whether casual or a little more fancy, and let your guests serve themselves. Everyone is sure to enjoy their dish or drink when, technically, they made it themselves.

Chili is such a wonderful winter warmer, and it's easy to make two pots if you want to have both a vegetarian and meat version. (For a chili bar, you might consider making vegetarian chili and keeping spiced ground meat separate as a topping.) Keep your chili warm in a slow cooker, stack up some bowls, and let guests help themselves. Popular toppings include shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, cilantro, and avocado slices.

Keep your chili on the mild side, and let those who like it spicy control the heat level with a selection of hot sauces and slices of jalapeño. Hunks of fresh cornbread and crunchy corn chips pair well with hot chili, but you don't need to provide much more. For adult parties, plenty of cold beer is the perfect companion to a chili bar, or fill an ice bucket with Mexican Coke and Jarritos for non-alcoholic sipping.

For gatherings with kids involved, it would be tough to find a bigger crowd-pleaser than macaroni and cheese. You can bust out your best-baked mac and cheese recipe, but younger folks will be plenty happy with the boxed variety, especially when they're allowed to add their own toppings. For the young crowd, set out dishes of kid-friendly toppings like mini sausages, chicken tenders, crushed Cheetos, and extra cheese.

There are plenty of ways to elevate mac and cheese with toppings for a more adult palate. Colorful vegetables like spinach, kale, and roasted red peppers make the bowl look pretty while adding flavor, and for those who like it cheesy, provide selections beyond the typical cheddar, such as feta, gouda, and grated Parmesan. Meat lovers will appreciate meatballs, crumbled bacon, or smoky pulled pork BBQ. For tasty garnishing, green onions, candied jalapenos, salsa, and truffle oil are fun choices for creative mixing and matching.

Holiday eggnog is such a special component of the season, as it's one of the consumable items you don't usually have at any other time of the year. An eggnog bar makes it even more special, and you can set one up as the main part of your event or even set one up on the side for an event with other food and drink. (It's a great way to make use of a bar cart if you have one.)

Homemade eggnog is fantastic, but store-bought is just fine, and you can pour it into a pretty pitcher for serving. No one needs to worry about whether the eggnog has alcohol in it because drinking guests can add their own. (Choose one of the best rums for mixing with eggnog.) Provide cinnamon sticks and candy canes for stirring, a variety of whipped creams, and cinnamon and cocoa powder for dusting.

Everybody has their own favorite components when it comes to snack mixes. Some people go all-in for the rye chips, while some eat around them. Others gravitate toward pretzels, while some are all about cheese-flavored snacks. Putting together a snack mix bar lets everyone assemble the snack mix of their dreams. Keep it nut-free if you have concerns about possible allergies, but go to town with a selection of chips, snack crackers, and pretzels.

You can provide bowls for mixing, but paper bags (small lunch-type bags or popcorn bags) keep things neater for children and are more portable. You can even let them choose their snack mix before an event, and they can tote it along. DIY snack mixes are also a good plan before kids watch a movie; each child can have what they like best. Tip: include a few sweeter items, like caramel popcorn, but steer away from candy, or it will empty faster than the savory items.

For easy adult entertaining, especially in the daytime, consider a mimosa bar. Mimosas, like Bloody Marys, consists of only two main ingredients but allow for plenty of customization. All you need are champagne, a selection of juices, and a selection of fresh fruit for garnishing. The classic mimosa pairs champagne with orange juice, and while technically, a cocktail made with anything else probably has a different name, no one will complain. (Champagne and cranberry juice, for example, is called a poinsettia.)

Break out your prettiest stemware, plus some pitchers or carafes for the juices. Good mimosa bar selections include fresh orange juice, cranberry juice, pineapple juice, homemade lemonade, mango juice, and pear nectar. Slices or chunks of fruit can include peaches, kiwis, strawberries, or whatever is pretty and in season. Consider popping small berries like blackberries and raspberries in the freezer, and they'll help keep drinks cool while also looking beautiful.

Even the biggest foodie snobs like pasta. It's another type of food that allows for endless customization, and it's easy to prepare in large amounts. You can cook one type of pasta (such as spaghetti) or prepare some choices if you want to be more elaborate. (A gluten-free option would be useful, too, such as a chickpea-based pasta.) You can prepare as many sauces as you like, but guests will be happy with a choice between alfredo and a red sauce if you want to keep things more simple. Jarred pesto can provide another easy sauce option.

For additional toppings, let guests assemble their pasta bowls from meatballs, cooked shrimp, grilled chicken, grilled veggies, Parmesan cheese, and chili flakes. While a pasta bowl is a meal in itself, you can always toast up some buttery garlic bread to make it more complete. No one will go home hungry!

For more upscale gatherings, a bruschetta bar is a super way to keep things sophisticated without going into a ton of trouble. Toast slices of crusty bread right before the gathering (French or Italian, or any dense bread you like), and let folks arrange their own toppings. With the right components, bruschetta can look like a work of visual art, so don't be surprised if your guests are sharing their creations on Instagram all evening.

For the best bruschetta bar, make sure there are plenty of spreadable components, such as tapenade, hummus, softened goat cheese, or pesto. For toppings, provide a selection of ingredients with contrasting colors and flavors, like cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, and avocado slices. Salty meats and creamy cheeses are must-haves. Don't forget the finishing touches. Sea salt, chopped nuts, poppy seeds, and fresh herbs make everything look even more delicious while also amping the flavors.

Waffle bars are a good choice for brunch gatherings or as breakfast for overnight guests, especially during the holidays. Waffles can be toasted just before serving and placed on a platter, or you can let folks do their own toasting with toasters on the serving table. You might consider cutting waffles in halves or quarters, which allows guests to try an array of different toppings on each piece of waffle. 

Fresh fruit, whipped cream, butter, and a selection of syrups are popular waffle toppings you should have on hand, but don't forget those who prefer a savory dish. Chicken tenders would be an appreciated addition to a waffle bar for those who like chicken and waffles. Consider adding a spicy hot honey as a topping option. Cheese, bacon, and green onions make great savory waffle toppings, too. If you're up for scrambling some eggs, some of your guests might like making a waffle breakfast sandwich.