Holiday Dinner Tips
Sharing meals with friends and family is a special part of the festive holiday season. Here are five ways to minimize kitchen time as you maximize people time.
- Don’t do all of the work yourself. Invite guests to bring a dish and share the work. Even if they don’t cook, guests can help by creating a fruit platter, bringing beverages or buying dessert.
- Forget about fancy. Trying chicken cordon bleu for the first time when you have 20 guests coming is not a good idea. Make your tried–and–true, well–loved recipes that you can pull off with ease. And make as much as you can in advance.
- Prepare salad in advance and refrigerate it. For a lettuce–based salad, add dressing just before serving. For a grain–based salad (pasta or quinoa), dress it in advance so the flavors have a chance to blend.
- If you have a dish that must be cooked and served immediately, measure and prep all of your ingredients in advance.
- Know about likes and dislikes before you plan your menu. Vegetarian guests? Any food allergies or intolerances? Avoid last–minute cooking; when you invite guests, ask about preferences.