Holiday Entertaining Guide by Half Past Seven

Your Holiday ENTERTAINING GUIDE

thanksgiving lunch

Whether you do a Thanksgiving lunch, a mid-afternoon meal, or a true dinner, the internet (and family traditions) probably have you covered on the ‘main event’ of this holiday. So instead, we’re suggesting some ideas for the day before (or day of) lunch. Whether it’s on Wednesday or Thursday, this meal can sneak up on you if you’re hosting a crowd.

Playlist

All your guests will know these hits - regardless of their age!

Cocktails

Bloody Marys! A holiday calls for a boozy lunch and there’s nothing better than this classic Make it easy and go with Zing Zang It’s available at almost every grocery and does all of the work for you (minus the vodka) If you want to keep it streamlined, you can stop there. If you want to make a moment of this, set up a serving station with a variety of toppings and accouterments in separate bowls. We love to offer celery, lemons, limes, olives, and Tabasco! Serve these in our clear Signature 7 water glasses!

Outfit

Keep it casual! I’m likely wearing this with jeans (but we’re also loving this elevated athleisure look)

Seasonal Flowers

Don’t stress over a big arrangement. Either use what you’re planning to have to display at Thanksgiving dinner or grab several pumpkins and display at the center of our table (we love white, and remember odd numbers typically look better).

min out checklist

If you’re making soup, make the night before so all you have to do is reheat

If you’re making the pitas, this should take you less than 15 minutes

Prep your bloody Mary bar and pour the mix into an Hourglass Pitcher

Pull out an ice bucket (we love our Navy Tortoise ice bucket) and fill it with ice

Pull out all your glassware, plates, and finish setting the table if you haven’t already

Pour yourself a bloody Mary

lunch recipes

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

1 lb dried black beans

*presoaked, see note

4 strips bacon, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced (about 1 5 cups)

1/2 serrano pepper, thinly sliced

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1 [32-ounce] carton chicken broth

2 bay leaves

2 tbsp lemon juice

Greek Chicken Pitas

Ingredients

1 whole rotisserie chicken, pulled

1 carton Cherry tomatoes, halved

8 oz jar Kalamata olives, halved

8 oz crumbled feta cheese

2 avocados, halved

A bunch of basil

Whole wheat pitas

Garlic Expressions dressing (or similar or olive oil)

Instructions

1 In a large pot over medium heat, add bacon pieces and cook, stirring, until they are lighty browned on the edges, 3 to 4 minutes.

Presoak the beans *see note: Rinse the beans and pick out any stones. Add beans to a large bowl and fill with water until covered by 2 inches Leave to soak overnight Drain and rinse before cooking.

Add the onion, serrano, salt and pepper and continue to cook, stirring, until the onions are tender, about 4 minutes

Add the garlic powder, oregano, cumin, chili powder, paprika and toast the spices, about 1 minute-- stirring constantly to be careful not to burn-- to bring out the flavor.

Add the beans (drained + rinsed), the broth, and the bay leaves Bring contents in the pot to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a low simmer, cover, and cook until the beans are tender, about 2 hours-- stirring occasionally.

When the beans are tender, transfer 1 5 cups of the soup (make sure you don't have the bay leaves in there) to a blender and blend until smooth. Add pureed beans back into the soup for some texture Stir in the lemon juice Taste, add more salt if desired

Serve black bean soup as is OR you can top with a dollop of sour cream and chopped cilantro I also love to serve mine with hot sauce and fritos!

Instructions

Mix all ingredients and douse in dressing 1 Warm pitas in the oven 2

lunch recipes

Award Winning Chili

Ingredients

1 lb 80/20 ground beef

1 lb ground pork

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

4 large garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp cracked black pepper

1 (13.5-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (13 5-oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (13.5-oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes

1 (19-oz) can mild red

enchilada sauce

½ c mild chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

2 bay leaves

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp Tapatio hot sauce

Green Chile Stew

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 lb pork roast

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly cracked back pepper

1 med yellow onion, diced small

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp ground cumin (optional)

1 [16oz] jar of hatch green chiles (I use Medium spicy)

1 lb Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 bay leaf (optional)

Instructions

Pre-heat a large Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat Add the beef, pork, onion, peppers, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon, until browned, 8-10 minutes.

Add the beans, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, chili powder, cumin, bay leaves, sugar and cayenne and hot sauce, if using Add in just enough water to cover beans (about 1 to 2 cups) and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for at least 1-2 hours, up to 8 hours for the best flavor.

Adjust salt to taste Divide chili between bowls and garnish with cilantro, green onions, sour cream, cheese, and avocado, if using

Instructions

Cut pork into 1/2-inch cubes and season with salt and pepper.

Turn the Instant Pot on to the 'saute' function and add the olive oil When the oil starts to shimmer and the pot is hot, add the pork and brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per side Set browned pork on aside on a clean plate 2.

With the Instant Pot still on the saute function, add your onions, garlic and cumin Cook until onions begin to soften

3. When the onions are softened, hit the 'cancel/keep warm' button on the Instant Pot Add the browned pork back into the pot along with the cumin, jar of green chiles, potatoes, chicken broth and bay leaf. Stir to combine 4.

Secure the lid on your Instant Pot and make sure that the valve on the top is facing towards 'sealed ' Press the 'Meat/Stew' button and set the time to 35 minutes Walk away from the Instant Pot and let it do its thing Complete recipe here