I love serving food at parties that can be made way in advance so that I can be relaxed and enjoy hanging out with guests. One crowd pleaser that can be made days ahead of time is a Chili Bar.
One key point is that it’s important to make your set up feel special in order to elevate the chili to something special.
6 Super easy steps:
- Make chili or buy it at a fav take out place. Try NQM Beef & Bean Chili Recipe – it’s fantastic!
- Decide on what toppings you’d like to serve with it, prep them ahead of time and store them in your serving dish covered in saran wrap.
- Lay out bowls, individual mini pots (like those shown here) or mugs.
- Display soup spoons and napkins in a cute glass, vase or container.
- Warm chili in a large crock pot. I LOVE my All Clad 6.5 Quart Slow Cooker because it’s larger capacity than most, cooks really evenly and as has programmable timer settings.
- Serve with a side like corn bread or tortilla chips.
Toppings to consider:
- hot sauce like Franks or Tabasco
- grated cheddar cheese
- finely chopped onion – white for classic, red for tex mex or chicken
- thin sliced green onions
- sour cream
- avocado
- jalapenos (pickled &/or raw)
- limes
- crumbled queso fresco
- fresh cilantro
- salt and pepper
Featured Photo by Nicole Vaughn