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The following post was written by Tara Berger, Stylist and Founder of One Stylish Party, an entertaining blog and online party boutique featuring designs and inspiration for entertaining in style.
‘Tis the season for gathering together with close friends and family for safe, but festive, holiday dinner parties! As someone who loves to entertain, I’m always looking for unique, flavorful dishes to serve guests at this time of year, and Heinen’s makes it so easy!
Heinen’s is truly a one-stop-shop when it comes to seasonal entertaining. Whether its groceries, cocktail ingredients, dessert or even floral centerpieces, Heinen’s has everything you need to host a festive holiday dinner party.
Cocktails
On the evening of my party, guests were greeted with a festive holiday cocktail made with Heinen’s limited time, Italian-imported Vin Hunter Prosecco and a splash of pomegranate juice. I decided to get creative with the presentation and served the cocktail in a round Christmas ball ornament placed inside a martini glass and garnished with a sprig of rosemary and sugared cranberries.
Main Dishes
When it came time to plan the menu for the party, I took full advantage of Heinen’s Prepared Foods and Meat Department, which allowed me to serve a gourmet meal to my guests with very little time spent actually cooking in the kitchen. To ensure there was something for everyone at the party, I decided to serve two main dishes, including Heinen’s Blue Cheese-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin (from the Meat Department) and Heinen’s Garlic Grilled Shrimp (from the Prepared Foods Department).
The pork tenderloin came pre-stuffed with blue cheese, wrapped in bacon and tied together with rosemary. I seared the tenderloin on each side in a cast iron skillet for 3-5 minutes, then roasted it in the oven for 25-30 minutes at 350˚F.
Then it came time to prep the Garlic Grilled Shrimp, and since this is a ready-made item, all I had to do was simply warm it up on a sheet pan in the oven and serve.
Side Dishes
My side dishes included Heinen’s Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Onion Marmalade and Green Beans Amandine, both of which came from the Prepared Foods Department at Heinen’s. Everyone kept saying how the flavors of the sides complimented the dinner so well. Little did they know, all I did was heat and serve!
Dessert
Of course, no dinner is complete without a sweet treat! I wanted something indulgent for dessert, but also not too filling, so I decided to serve Mama Jo’s French Silk Pie, which is locally made in Amherst, Ohio and can be found in Heinen’s Bakery Department.
Decor
I wanted the party to have an elevated and sophisticated look, so I landed on a rich hunter green color scheme with pops of gold and copper, and a few faux fur details. The tablescape included a velvet floor length table cloth, a fresh cedar garland centerpiece from Heinen’s Floral Department, taper candles, gold rimmed chargers, classic dinnerware and leopard print accent plates.
In addition to the tablescape, I decided to add a few cozy details to our sunroom, including a decorated Christmas tree and a styled bar table that allowed guests to refill their cocktail at their leisure throughout the party.
Heinen’s truly made planning my holiday party a breeze. Not only was my shopping made easy, but I especially loved that I was able to serve a gourmet meal, while spending less time in the kitchen and more time mingling with my guests. If you are hosting a holiday dinner party this year, be sure to shop your local Heinen’s for the best selection of seasonal groceries, prepared food items, delicious desserts and gorgeous florals!
Photography: Brittany Gidley Photography, Styling: One Stylish Party, Food, Wine and Florals: Heinen’s
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