Christmas Catering

Glazed ham is the hero. It is the main people recognize as Christmas on sight, it slices without a carving station, and a half ham anchors a spread for 15 to 20. Build outward with a second roasted main, then festive sides: roasted root vegetables, potatoes gratin, brussels sprouts, and a bright salad to cut the richness. Finish with yule log, gingerbread, or decorated cookies.

Serve it family-style. Passing platters is what separates a Christmas lunch from a Tuesday order of the same food. If ham is carrying the meal, our Honey Baked Ham catering guide covers sizes, sides, and lead times.

Ham, in most cases. The calendar backs up the tradition: your team ate turkey at Thanksgiving five weeks ago, and a second bird lands as a repeat, not a celebration. Turkey earns its place when the office skipped Thanksgiving, and prime rib is the upgrade when the budget stretches.

Some teams want festive without traditional, which is a preference, not a compromise. A taco bar, a pasta build with two sauces, or a hot sandwich spread all carry a party, and they handle dietary restrictions better than a roast does. CaterAi builds menu options from caterers with availability on your date, so you can price a ham spread against a non-traditional one at the same headcount.

A cookie exchange runs on volunteer labor, which is why it pairs so well with catering. People bring the cookies. You order everything around them: a hot cocoa bar with marshmallows and a few syrups, plus a dessert board of brownies, bark, and fruit for the people who did not bake.

Dessert-only is enough when the celebration is an afternoon break rather than a meal. Cookies, cocoa, and good coffee at 3pm cost a fraction of a catered lunch. Add lunch only when you are holding people for an hour or more.

Hold it in the two weeks before Christmas, but not in the final two or three business days. Attendance falls hard once travel starts, and the headcount you ordered for is not the headcount that shows up. The second week of December is the safe zone for turnout. Book two to three weeks ahead, because December fills caterers’ calendars.

Budget $18 to $35 per person for a delivered family-style spread, the same band as any feast-holiday meal. Boxed individual plates cost a little more per head for the packing.

Planning the big evening event for the whole company instead? Different budget, different animal: head to holiday party catering, then browse the rest of our holiday catering menus.