Let special chili recipes or any number of classic soups from around the country become the centerpiece of the Christmas Eve or holiday Sunday suppers you'll host with family and friends this winter. Enjoy this casually elegant way to entertain right now or until spring finally takes the chill from the air.

Soup Du Jour

• Serve chili another night. Try one of these regional American soups for your casually elegant supper:
  
  
• Catfish Stew in Biscuit Bowls
• Fresh Seafood Stew
• Italian Cioppino
• "Healthified" Italian Sausage Soup
• New Orleans "Best" Gumbo
• Slow Cooker Cioppino
• Slow Cooker North Woods Wild Rice Soup
• Slow Cooker Potato and Double-Corn Chowder
• Slow Cooker Split Pea and Ham Chowder
  
  

Tables, Seating and Centerpieces

• Succulent plants or pots of herbs in neutral pots or wrapped in handmade paper, and arranged on a platter or tray are casually elegant and can be enjoyed well after the holidays.
  
  
• Gather coordinating vases or pitchers from around the house and fill with evergreens. Add a decorative piece, like a bird, reindeer or snowman. Arrange on table runner with a few chunky candles.
  
  
• Mix-and-match neutral dinnerware and linens.  Add color with ribbon used to tie the napkins; tuck in sprigs of fresh herbs like rosemary, sage and thyme or add tags with guest's names.
  
  
• Borrow soup bowls and soup spoons if you've not enough. For a stand-up or eat-on-your-lap casual evening, consider serving soup in over-sized mugs.
  
  

Gather Friends for a Seasonal Ale Tasting

• Casual gatherings like this one are perfect for holiday reunions with out-of-town friends who are home from work in other cities or university. If age allows, a tasting of seasonal ales might be just the way to mix and mingle.
  
  
• Many microbreweries and regional brewers offer seasonal ales during the holidays.  If beer is part of what you enjoy drinking, look for some to share.
  
  
• Here's some Seasonal Ale Tasting advice:
  
  
• Everyone has an opinion. Tasting a selection of seasonal ales gives guests a way to mix and mingle when they may just be getting acquainted. If you know each other well, you will know how competitive your friends like to be!
  
  
• Tasting seasonal ale can be as simple as offering a variety of brands to having a formal tasting, like you would with wine.  There are many online sources for setting one up. Making your selections based on regions of the country or brewers you favor is fun, making this our choice for an informal tasting that won't put newer friends on the spot.
  
  
• Offer four small tasting samples all offered at the same temperature, offer a chunk of bread between sips and evaluate for color, aroma, taste, mouth feel and drinkability. Choose a favorite.
  
  

Chestnut Roasting

• Even if you don't have an open fire, consider roasting and munching on chestnuts at a casual gathering like this; it's an often-overlooked seasonal treat.
  
  
• Prepare the chestnuts by making a cut through the flat side of the shells, then place them cut sides up on a cookie sheet. Roast in a 400°F oven for about 20 minutes or until they are tender (test by poking a fork through the cut in the shell).
  
  
• Place the roasted nuts in a heatproof bowl for guests to peel—the aroma is earthy and warm.
  
  
• Here's a little chestnut trivia: Nutritionally, they're the only nut with any vitamin C, offering 43 percent of the Daily Value in a 3/4-cup serving. Chestnuts are lower in fat, too. A 3/4-cup portion of chestnuts contains 2 grams of fat, compared to 50 grams for peanuts or almonds!

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