Take the Stress Out of Holiday Meals

Some Helpful Hints to Get You Out of the Kitchen in Less Time

Nov 18, 2008

With just nine days left until Thanksgiving, the stress of preparing a large holiday meal may be starting to get to you. Don't let it.

These helpful hints are meant to get you out of the kitchen faster and allow you more time to enjoy the holiday meal and time with your loved ones. Try these tips at Thanksgiving as well as Christmas.

The Bird

A turkey is the traditional choice for most holiday meals, the most popular choice for Thanksgiving. Most people rise in the wee hours of Thanksgiving morning to get their bird in the oven, simply because it can take upwards of four hours to fully cook a relatively small ten pound turkey. Although it may not make a huge difference in your meal prep time, you can cut your turkey roasting time by thirty to forty minutes by cooking the bird without the stuffing. Bake the stuffing in a separate pan alongside at the same temperature.

Side Dishes and Potluck

Don't knock yourself out trying to make everything for your holiday feast all at once. Make vegetables, breads and other dishes a day or two ahead of time. Store them in the refrigerator and return them to the oven just prior to serving for warming and browning.

Why put the burden of the entire holiday meal on yourself or your hostess? Make it potluck. The hostess makes the main course and each guest brings a side dish or a dessert. With a potluck, each of your guests is guaranteed at least one dish they love and you’ll get the chance to sample everyone else’s favorite holiday recipes.

Or you can always try buffet-style. Purchase all of your favorite prepared foods in advance. On Thanksgiving or Christmas day, simply warm the foods according to the directions and set them out on a separate buffet table. You’ll save yourself hours of slaving in the kitchen and give yourself the best holiday gift of all – more time to savor your favorite goodies as you spend more quality time with your family

Pies and Desserts

Save time by purchasing refrigerated piecrusts. Cut them into strips for a lattice top. Or get even more creative by using cookie cutters for unique designs on top of your pies. It's quick and easy and in the hectic rush of the holiday season, no one will fault you for wanting to save time.

If baking pie after pie doesn’t appeal to you in the least, grab your phonebook. Many bakeries allow people to place orders for the holiday pies. You can often pick up the pies on Thanksgiving morning, guaranteeing your family a fresh, homemade pie for dessert.

With these simple, timesaving tips, you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying a meal with loved ones this holiday season.

The copyright of the article Take the Stress Out of Holiday Meals in Holiday Entertaining is owned by Megan Drummond. Permission to republish Take the Stress Out of Holiday Meals in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.