How to Prepare your Kitchen for Holiday Dinners

My Checklist for Preparing for a Family Holiday Dinner - a few basic steps can save you from that last-minute Christmas Eve run to the store!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Stock up in advance on basic cooking items: heavy-duty aluminum foil, plastic wrap, paper towels, trash bags, zip-style plastic bags and containers for leftovers.

2. If you're making a traditional holiday dinner, purchase food staples well in advance: butter, flour, chicken broth, brown sugar, canned pumpkin, olive oil, cooking and baking spray, salt, pepper, spices (and corn syrup for your pecan pie!).

3. Precook any ingredients you can, especially messy or greasy ingredients. For example, if you're using sausage in the dressing, cook ahead and freeze.

4. Clean your kitchen, toss leftovers and polish silver.
   Decide what cookware and utensils you'll be using to prepare the meal. Wash everything you'll be using to cook and serve.

5. Line baking dishes with heavy-duty foil and consider a disposable roasting pan to line your heavy roasting pan.

6. Clear your dining room table and set out everything you'll be using to serve - linens, silver, serving dishes and utensils. If you will have last-minute serving helpers, label each dish and utensil with a small Post-it note with the food it will contain.

7. Set the dining room table the night before. Let the kids create something for the table - place cards or small menu cards for each place setting.
   If you're using a buffet table, plan where each dish will go and make a little table map with a Post-it note for each serving dish.

8. Before you start preparing the big meal, empty the dishwasher and the trash. It's no fun starting off with a half-full dishwasher.

9. Now that you're prepared for the big day, remember that nothing' s perfect. Inevitably, a dish won't go exactly as planned or you'll forget to put your homemade cranberry salsa on the table - again!
   Laugh and enjoy the day - that's what your guests will remember about the day!

Tips & Warnings

• It's the holidays! Buy more butter, brown sugar and chicken broth than you think you'll need. If you don't use it, it will store just fine.

[eac913]

on 10/5/2009 Thanks for the great tips on how to prepare your kitchen for holiday dinners. I never thought of precooking and freezing things like my sausage for dressing. 5*

[jillmaria]

on 9/21/2009 Great advice - I try to prepare ahead of time, but am always running to the store last minute - thanks and 5 stars!!