It’s that time of year again, the holidays are coming! I don’t know about you but holidays always remind me of apple cider, sparkling wine, and pumpkin spice. But please, not all together.
If you’re hosting for the holidays, or even helping cook holiday dinner, here are a bunch of cooking hacks, tips, and tricks to help smooth out the seasons fluffed feathers, if you know what I mean.
Prep
The trick is to prep anything you can to make it oven ready. If you are having a brunch casserole, you can chop the bread, brown the sausage, shred the cheese, layer it all and pour the egg mixture over the top. Just cover it and place it in the fridge. It will be ready to go and you can put it into the oven whenever you’re ready in the morning.
Make things like noodle salads or soups that have better flavor the next day, ahead of time
Some foods just taste better on the second day. For party prep, make these things ahead of time. Homemade salad dressings and sauces taste best when they sit together. With the exception of cream-based sauces, making these toppings and sauces will yield the best tasting addition to your meals, and it won’t be another thing you have to make the day of.
Keep Gravy Warm with a Thermos
No one wants cold gravy so even if it’s done 20 minutes before meal time, ensure it holds its temperature by pouring it into a thermos. If you’re ready to eat sooner, or later, your gravy will be hot and ready to go.
Have Vegetables Pre-chopped
This works across the board for meal prep, prep your vegetables. Always have a salad for your guests. Add plenty of fresh vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, green peppers, and carrots. All of these things can be chopped and prepped ahead of time. The, when you’re ready, toss on the salad at the last-minute.
You can also chop and prep the non-salad vegetables. This goes for potatoes, celery, onions, carrots, garlic, and anything else that goes into sides, gravy mixtures, or stuffing. Trust me, this prep will save you so much time once you get down to the cooking of it.
Make Homemade Cranberry Sauce
It’s so easy, it tastes delicious, an-d the flavor and color of it are worth the couple of minutes it takes to combine these ingredients and cook this dish. All you need is fresh cranberries, orange juice, honey, and a small sauce pan. Add it all together and cook on medium until the cranberries are almost half popped. (You will literally hear them popping.)
Have Drinks
Your guests will want drinks and you will enjoy them, too. Hello, hostess with the mostest! Have a shaker with ice, lemon juice, ice cubes, and glasses and garnishes on hand. Use cranberry juice and sparkling wine to make super festive drinks. And as long as you have all these great items on hand and ready, name someone else bartender and let them do that job! One less thing for you to do, and hey, they can make you a drink first!
And for some great cooking and kitchen hacks, check out this video!
These tips, tricks, and hacks will help make this holiday easy, whether you are hosting, helping, or just attending. Who else cannot wait for the holidays?
