Apres Ski Taco Party

A couple of weeks ago, we hosted an Après Ski Taco Party for a bunch of our skier friends.

Although most of these pictures were taken very quickly after we got in the door from skiing and are not that great, I'm glad some of them turned out well enough to share with you.  Maybe you have an upcoming gathering and this post will inspire you to create a Taco Bar. It really is an easy, fun and economical way to feed a large group. (We had approx 18 guests)

 

 

First off, of course, there had to be some ski-themed decorations and these decorative wooden ski sets were perfect.
(I came into their possession in a roundabout way and I'd like to thank that certain someone who gave them to me)

 

 

I draped a glass block with faux fabric snow and leaned a set of the skis against each side (attached to each other with elastic bands at the top and covered with a snowflake).  Since it was close to Valentine's Day, I added some decorative hearts which also showed our love of skiing!

Our local ski resort has a little resin gnome named "Gnorm" who is the "mascot" gauge for snowfall accumulations.
(Fortunately, he is often buried!).

 

  We created our own "Gnolly" the Gnome for our table. I like how the snow outside the window adds to the winter scene.

 The existing winter décor on the sideboard was embellished with another set of the wooden skis.

 

Snowflakes were hung from the chandelier.
(you can also see part of the tiered tray I used for the hard & soft tacos)

 

Now for the food...I made it easy on myself and did the following with a lot of pre-fab items.
In the crock pots, I placed taco ground beef (just fried the ground beef with packaged taco seasoning), salsa pulled chicken (recipe here), refried beans (canned) and a dish of Spanish rice (packaged variety).

I had cooked all the crock pot items the day before and then, just before we went skiing, I placed them in the crockpots and turned them on low (the 8-10 hr setting).  I was a bit nervous as we were gone for about 4 hours and I was only warming not cooking the items but when we arrived home, everything was nice and hot and NOT burnt!
 (I did leave more of the fat drippings on the ground beef than I usually do and I think that helped.)

 

Below, I've labelled all the toppings so you can see what I served...and also that I forgot to put out the bowl of cheese until after I took the pic!

 

 

The dishes and flatware were kept simple as tacos are mostly a hands-on type of food anyway.

 

A friend brought some mini sombreros (from the Dollar Store) for us all to wear which added to the fun.  Our ski gang goes by the name of 4:30 Crew (long story) and we even had T-shirts made so naturally we all wear those for any après ski gatherings.

It was a fun party with lots of laughs and even some dancing afterwards. As the hostess, it was great having it all ready to go and self-serve so that I could join in the festivities.

 

Thanks for visiting!

 

 Click here to see another Taco Bar at an Engagement Party.

I'll be linking this post to these wonderful blog parties:

Saturday Sparks at Pieced Pastimes

Sunday Showcase at Under the Table and Dreaming

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings
Table It! at Rustic & Refined
Tutorials & Tips at Home Stories A to Z

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

The Scoop at Stone Gable
Tuesdays at Our Home at Our Home Away From Home
Show & Share at Coastal Charm
Talented Tuesdays at Home Remedies

Wow us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
Winter Blues Wednesday at DIY by Design

What's It Wednesdays at Ivy & Cottages
Creative Ways at Posed Perfection
Share Your Style at Northern Nesting

Tablescape Thursdays at Between Naps on the Porch

Inspiration Gallery at Craftberry Bush
Weekend Retreat at AKA Design

Foodie Friday and Everything Else at Rattlebridge Farm

Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage