Handy Holiday Kitchen Guide

To make the season a bit brighter and a little easier, we’ve collected some of our favorite all-purpose tips to help you better enjoy your time in the kitchen this holiday season.

Clean Slate

Before bringing home your holiday groceries, it’s best to de-clutter your kitchen, pantry, freezer and refrigerator. Finishing off leftovers and discarding past-its-prime produce will leave room for all of your fresh holiday favorites. Cleaning your kitchen counters to ensure plenty of work space is helpful too.

Checking It Twice

Review your recipes and check your pantry carefully to help create an extensive shopping list. The more items you pick up on your first visit to the grocery store means fewer added trips later on. Also, having plenty of little snacks on hand to help curb the appetite and ward off those pesky pickers is a good idea.

The Right Tools for the Job

Cooking for more than your household this holiday? Additional guests equal more food, meaning larger pots may be needed along with extra dishes and utensils. Take stock of your supply and pick up or borrow any needed tools before you start cooking.

Make Ahead

Cooking ahead could mean the difference between harmony and havoc. You can start your holiday meal a week in advance, giving you more time to enjoy family and friends and less last minute stress. Desserts are often perfect for making ahead and anything you serve refrigerated, such as cranberry sauce or chutney, can be prepared ahead too. Roasted vegetables, casseroles and stuffing can all be fully or partially prepared ahead of time as well.

The Chopping Block

Often times you may be using the same ingredients in various recipes—onion in the stuffing as well as in your favorite casserole, for example. Review your recipes and prepare all of the celery, garlic, cranberries, nuts, etc. at the same time.

Everybody Does Their Share

Cleaning up is easiest when you have help and when you keep up with it as you cook. Try taking a clean-up break every 30 or 45 minutes. Enlist a family member to help (cookie bribes might be necessary) and tackle the job together. Remember that added guests can mean added trash too. Have clearly labeled recycle containers available and place multiple trash receptacles strategically around the dining and kitchen areas.

Maximizing Oven Space

Dishes competing for oven space can be tricky. Here are a few tips:

Adjust cooking temperature and time for dishes such as root vegetables and stuffing to find an appropriate common temperature.
In general, foods in glass and ceramic baking dishes can be cooked at 25 degrees lower than what a recipe calls for.
When cooking a lot of dishes in the oven at the same time, make sure to leave enough space between dishes for hot air to circulate.
While the turkey or other meat is resting before carving, warm prepared casserole dishes, vegetables and rolls in the hot oven.
If you live in a warm climate or don't mind the cold, try roasting potatoes, warming casseroles or even roasting the turkey on an outside grill.

Thank Goodness for Leftovers

One of the joys of being the holiday host is having delicious leftovers available for subsequent meals. Here are a few tips to help make sure all of your wonderful food goes to good use.

Clear the table and put the leftovers away as soon as you finish eating. Prepared food shouldn’t remain out longer than two hours to ensure food safety.
Share the wealth. Have disposable containers available to easily pack leftovers to send home with your guests.
If you stuff your turkey, be sure to remove the stuffing before storing the turkey leftovers.
In general, refrigerated leftovers should be used within four days. Too much for that time frame? Freezing is a perfect solution. Frozen leftovers will have the best quality if used within two to four months. Be sure to properly seal leftovers in airtight containers before freezing in order to avoid “freezer burn.”
Consider storing leftovers in portion-size containers to ease reheating.
Whether using an oven, microwave or stovetop, reheat foods thoroughly to 165°F, until hot and steaming.
Take your leftovers and make new, exciting dishes from them.