We’ve Got Easy Christmas Entertaining Covered to the Last Bite

The holidays are crazy-busy as we get ready to swap gifts and share some of the most delicious food of the year with family and friends.

We’re all shopping, cooking, decorating and traveling, getting ready for big holiday parties. The Old Mill can simplify the season with easy Christmas party food ideas,  recipes and the right gifts for everyone on your list.

Use our Tennessee goodies to whip up holiday appetizers and beverages for parties this season. We’ve done the heavy lifting — all that’s left for you to do is pour, stir, and arrange a few ingredients already prepped in The Old Mill kitchens, and let the festivities begin.

Let’s start with a signature party cocktail. It has to be festive and pretty in the glass. Our mixology experts at Old Forge Distillery have concocted a selection of unique seasonal libations they’ll be serving in the cocktail bar and tasting room that will transform into a “Whiskey Wonderland” beginning in December. Welcome your guests with a Rosemary Maple Bourbon Sour: Simply pour 1 1/2 ounces of Old Forge 10-year-old Bourbon, ½ ounce sour mix, and 1 ounce of Bourbon Maple Syrup over ice in a rocks glass, stir, garnish with a sprig of rosemary, and serve!  Or, warm them up with hot cider brewed with our Mulling Spice Mix and spiked with Old Forge Distillery’s Apple Pie Moonshine . Serve with a tin of Bourbon Pecans, Spiced Almonds  or an oversize bowl of our house-made Pork Rinds — classic or in fun flavors like Nashville Hot Chicken and Ancho Honey.

Treat non-imbibers and kids to steaming mugs of hot cocoa in one of our special Yuletide flavors: Red Velvet, Salted Caramel, Crème Brulee, to name a few. These packets make great party favors and stocking stuffers, too!

Now you’re ready to direct your guests to the smorgasbord you’ve laid out for them. If you’re in the Pigeon Forge area, stop by our bakery and The Farmhouse Kitchen to stock up on ingredients for easy Christmas party food: fresh-baked breads and pastries, cheese straws, homemade pimento cheese, and other grab-and-go spreads and nibbles.

Or head to our website and let us deliver some Old Mill flavor to you wherever you are.  Choose from dozens of our gourmet dip mixes in flavors such as Artichoke-Spinach, BLT, and Cranberry-Walnut to mix with sour cream or mayo for easy appetizers to serve with chips, sliced vegetables, or fruits. Be sure to have a jar of our Christmas Jam — made in small batches with fresh pears, cranberries, and holiday spices — ready to pour over Boursin cheese or cream cheese to serve with crackers for another quick but elegant party food.

Or opt for The Old Mill’s tried-and-true Pepper Jellies  — both red and green — as festive to look at as they are to eat.

Pull together a beautiful charcuterie board in no time by pairing your favorite salamis and meats with our Pickled Okra, Christmas Pickles, and Black-Eyed Pea Relish. Add crackers or bread sticks, sliced Tennessee cheeses, perhaps a dollop of Watermelon Rind Preserves or Moonshine Jelly  for a real Smoky Mountains celebration. For slightly more effort, tuck slices of ham into bite-size biscuits baked with The Old Mill Biscuit Mix. For something more rib-sticking, whip up a quick batch of chili using our Chili Party Pack — you’ll just need to add your choice of beans, meat, and a big spoon!

We’ve got you well covered on the sweet stuff. Our Hummingbird Cake will make a regal centerpiece on your vintage cake stand (or one of the beauties made here at the Pigeon River Pottery). You can pick it up at our bakery, along with one of our pecan pies and many other fresh-baked options.

We’ve got you well covered on the sweet stuff. Our Hummingbird Cake will make a regal centerpiece on your vintage cake stand (or one of the beauties made here at the Pigeon River Pottery). You can pick it up at our bakery, along with one of our pecan pies and many other fresh-baked options.

Decorate around the stands and platters with greenery from your yard, or flowers from the store.

Before you know it, everything will begin to look like Christmas and you can relax. See, holiday parties don’t have to be so daunting if you let The Old Mill help.