Entertaining guests is something hubby and I love to do year round, but there’s really something special about hosting a holiday. While we don’t host Thanksgiving or Christmas, Christmas Eve is our one night we get to host a special holiday for friends and family. I love to take the approach of a more casual evening, with simple foods and flavors that really warm you up and make you feel cozy.

This year’s menu is so super simple – shrimp cocktail, this creamy bolognese sauce, a few simple side dishes and mini pumpkin pies. It’s all about the company. Well, and a little bit about the music, too.

The mix of beef and sausage brings a little something extra special to the dish, and if you wanted to really shake it up, you could use spicy sausage – watch out! I should note, too, that any ground meat could work, so you can change it up based on what you like. I recently saw a bolognese with lentils, must try that next!