Tuna & Salmon Star in Holiday Catering

The holiday season can be the most profitable time of the year for caterers. However, those holiday rewards come with a high degree of risk. Holiday schedules cluster around a small number of key dates, leaving catering businesses with a tough tightrope to walk: capture every potential revenue opportunity without overextending their operations.

The compressed time period and increased demand put a strain on other resources as well. Labor, ingredients and equipment all become harder to source. Caterers can hedge against this by ordering and scheduling in advance, but sudden shifts in price or availability can erode profits and leave businesses scrambling to stay on top of their logistics.

Make Your Menu with Shelf-Stable Seafood

Caterers looking for a competitive edge during the holiday season can count on tuna and salmon products from Chicken of the Sea. Shelf-stable seafood keeps well enough to be amply stocked in advance of the holiday sourcing crunch, and it’s easy to transport to and from catering sites.

Salmon and tuna can add a distinctive twist to your catering recipes, whether as part of trendy, globally-inspired dishes or comfort-food favorites. Plus, these tasty and familiar fish can slot into any part of your menu: from soups and salads to appetizers and entrees.

Seafood Soup & Salad Recipes for Holiday Catering

Soup

When there’s a chill in the air, a hearty soup can hit the spot and set a cozy tone for your holiday celebration. Our recipe for Salmon Tortilla Soup can heat things up with a hint of green chilis. Or, try our creamy Salmon and Corn Chowder recipe and spin a few simple ingredients into a warm, memorable affair.

Salad

With so many holiday goodies on offer, it doesn’t hurt to start with something light. Add playful complexity to the menu with our Tuna Rice Salad with Chermoula Sauce. Or go with our Tuscan Chopped Tuna Salad for a different take on traditional Italian flavors.

Holiday Appetizers featuring Tuna

Finger foods are ideal for holiday mingling and merry-making. Our labor-friendly Tuna-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms offer classic flavor and come together in no time. For another savory snacking option, try our Olive Oil and Oregano Tuna Flatbread.

A blaze of color makes our Yellowfin Tuna Stuffed Piquillo Peppers stand out on a crowded holiday buffet table. Dressed with an herbed fennel salad, these distinctive appetizers make any occasion memorable.

Seafood Pasta Break

For our Mediterranean Salmon Pasta, we’re tossing classic penne pasta with zucchini, olives, chickpeas and wild-caught Alaskan salmon. Our Yellowfin Tuna Pasta with Zucchini brings a zap of lemon juice and sriracha for a citrusy heat to enliven holiday palates.

Tuna Entrees to Elevate Your Holiday Catering

French country flavor shines with our Lemony Provençal Tuna and Potatoes in Dijon Vinaigrette. A rich spinach broth gives our Green Rice with Yellowfin Tuna its distinctive color and savor.

Take your guests on a holiday getaway with our Vietnamese-Style Tuna Bánh Mì. A sriracha lime cilantro sauce captures the complexity and flavor balance of Southeast Asian cooking.

These are just a few of the ways you can give shelf-stable, labor-friendly seafood options a starring role in your holiday catering, so don’t hesitate to get creative. For more inspiration, be sure to check out all the standout salmon and tuna recipes—sized up for catering quantities—on our foodservice recipe site.