If your Christmas season plans include entertaining a mixed crowd of all ages, consider building the party around the Dr. Seuss perennial classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Kids appreciate the fun and the Grinch-themed food, and adults also enjoy the playful holiday party theme.
Since its 1966 debut, the animated version has been a seasonal favorite with its humorous update of the surly Dickensian "Bah, humbug," and in recent years two full-length feature films have kept the franchise fresh and familiar.
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Whether you just serve appetizers and desserts or a meal, choose food mentioned in the story or green food to keep with the theme of the Grinch Christmas party.
Carve some roast beast
While the Whos in Whoville are shown reveling in their Christmas preparations and feasting, there isn't much Whoville food mentioned by name—with the exception of the "roast beast" entree. While a hearty roast is a fine sit-down meal, it isn't especially well suited for the party environment.
Instead, set out a tray of cold, thinly sliced beef, and surround it with a variety of rolls and bread for sandwich making. Offer a range of condiments and garnishes, especially pickles. Being both green and sour, they're impeccably Grinch-y.
Tip
For extra Grinchiness, puree parsley and green onions and stir them into your mayonnaise.
Spoon out some Who pudding
Who pudding is also mentioned by Dr. Seuss, who obligingly neglected to go into any detail about what it included. This gives you complete liberty to make any pudding you choose.
Fill a traditional boiled pudding with a variety of dried fruits, for example, and serve it with custard sauce. For an easier alternative, make a bread pudding studded with candied citrus, raisins, chopped figs, dried cranberries and blueberries, or anything else colorful. Layer a clear bowl with trifle to make a festive and attractive presentation.
Tip
Alternatively, give each kid a bowl of vanilla pudding and a table full of colorful additions from which to choose.
Go green with Grinch food
Green is the color of Grinchiness, so when it comes to finger foods and party treats, green is your touchstone. Don't forget to check your cookbooks for St. Patrick's Day ideas, which share their color theme with Grinch day snacks.
Spinach dip and guacamole already come in an appropriate color and are good choices. Use green food coloring to tint a batch of Rice Krispie treats with marshmallows, and press them into a specialty Grinch cake pan as a mold. Some other sweet options include:
- Cupcakes with green frosting
- Grinch cookies made of sugar cookies with green food coloring or topped with green icing or sprinkles
- Green and white candy canes
For the grownups, make green appetizers such as canapes with pesto or green-olive tapenade. For the kids, offer green "Grinch ketchup" and green-tinted plum or sweet and sour sauce for their selection of finger foods.
Mix up some Grinch-y punch
One of the great party staples is a large bowl of punch, which saves the hosts a great deal of fetching and pouring. To keep it in tune with your Grinch theme, make a large green variation on the concept of an ice cream float.
Fill your punch bowl with your favorite lemon-lime soda, and then scoop in a quart or two of lime sherbet depending on the size of your bowl. You'll need lots of room in your bowl for the beverage to foam up without overflowing. It makes a green Grinch punch with an impressive layer of kid-friendly green foam at the top.
A Grinch-themed party is fun for kids and adults alike. Opt for green versions of your favorite party foods, such as cupcakes, cookies and punch to keep with the Grinch theme. You can also draw inspiration from the story and offer roast beast and Who pudding.