Holiday Kitchen Planning 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, take the opportunity to check your oven, particularly if you don't use it often: make sure it's free of splattered grease and spills, and use an oven thermometer to make sure it's baking true to temperature.
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 three or four days in advance, giving you more time to enjoy family and friends and less last minute stress. Desserts can be made in advance, along with anything you serve chilled, such as cranberry sauce or chutney. Roasted vegetables, casseroles and stuffing can all be fully or partially prepared ahead of time as well.
The Chopping Block
Often 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, parsley, 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 hour or so. 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.
- 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.
- Use a toaster oven or microwave to reheat smaller dishes.
- 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.