I love hosting holiday dinners -- to me, nothing says happy holiday of any sort better than a house full of friends and family, and lots of good food. (And drinks -- don't forget drinks!)
But prepping and serving a holiday meal can also be really stressful. There's a lot to buy, cook, time and serve and often, by the time everything's on the table, the chef/host is exhausted. Trust me, I've been there!
But I've come up with lots of strategies to make the day enjoyable for me as well as all of my guests. I hope they can help you make your holiday extra special too!
1. Pot Luck-It -- Decide which dishes you MUST make and ask guests to bring everything else. If you're hosting, you've got to do the turkey, of course, but what else do you love so much that you want to make it exactly the way you want to make it? For me, that means I do the mashed turnips, creamed onions, stuffing, and. cranberry sauce. And I ask my guests to bring veggies, mashed potatoes and desserts. Indeed, I really don't enjoy baking at all, so it's a huge favor to me when people bring desserts. And luckily, my sister-in-law Holli excels at making them and LOVES to do so -- it's a win-win for both of us!
2. Lists, lists, lists -- 2 weeks before Thanksgiving, I make a list of everything I want to serve and everyone who is coming, and start sending out assignments. I also make my shopping list and start buying everything I can that won't go bad before the holiday. There's a tremendous sense of comfort in knowing that I'm well on my way toward having all my supplies ready. Plus, it gets me excited about the holiday. And I make sure that I don't forget anything.
3. Cook the Day Before Thanksgiving -- this won't work for everything -- some veggies don't hold up well to reheating, whereas some (like squash, carrots, etc) do. Think about everything you're making and what can be done ahead of time and simply reheated. I also usually have such a big group coming, that I do a huge turkey AND a turkey breast -- I cook the breast the day before, adding a bunch of turkey necks and veggies to the pan, and not only do I then have the platter of meat ready for the children's table (and any extras the adults may need) but I also make all of my gravy so I don't have to do it after I take the turkey out of the oven, when I'm trying to heat up and cook everything else that has to be done at the last minute. So for me, this means that on Wednesday, I make a turkey breast and gravy, I prep all the stuffing (but I don't stuff the turkey until right before cooking it of course), mashed turnips, and cranberry sauce. And if I'm making a carrot dish, I'll do that the day before as well.
4. Consider Disposable Dinner-ware -- OK, don't hate me for suggesting this. It's not environmentally ideal, nor is it as fancy as using china and crystal, but it is so much easier. There are some commercial lines of high-quality plastic plates and "glass-ware" that no one would ever know were plastic until you get right on top of the table. It makes cleaning up an absolute breeze. And remember, cleaning up isn't only getting all your dishes and crystal clean -- it's putting them all back, usually the next day when your guests are gone and no one else is there to help.
5. Create a Tick-Tock list -- write down everything you need to do, cook, put out, etc., and put an estimated time next to it. The point isn't to make yourself nuts about keeping to every single minute, but to make sure you have an idea of what needs to happen when, and that you don't forget anything (like putting out the dinner rolls, or some other side-dish).
Hope at least some of these tips helps you make your Thanksgiving dinner a little more fun and a little less stressful.
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