The Stress-Free Guide To Planning A Holiday Menu

You need to be flexible when you plan things for the holiday season, but what you need most is to be able to juggle all the unexpected and be calm about it. The reason why I am saying this, dear reader, is because when it comes to food, everyone has different taste, so preparing a menu to please everyone is really difficult, that’s why, I made up a list for you, with several tips on how to prep the Christmas dinner without any stress.  

TIP ONE: DECIDE HOW YOU WANT TO SET THE TONE

Firstly, think about how do you want your family or friends, or both, to feel during the holiday period. Do you want to have a formal gathering or something that will make the guests feel more laid-back and relaxed? Based on that, you can already put together the list of guests and make sure you know for how many people you will be preparing the dinner.

TIP TWO: RESEARCH OPTIONS AND WRITE THEM DOWN

Now that you know what kind of gathering you will have, and how many people will join, you need to start preparing the menu. Find out first if there are any dietary restrictions to consider and then be sure to have a list with traditional recipes you want to cook. If you want to make things a bit exciting, do some research and find out new recipes you want to try so you can mix things a bit by creating a beautiful balance between traditional comfort and exciting new goodies. Make sure that all the dishes go together well and don’t focus too much on each of the dishes individually.

TIP THREE: START STOCKING YOUR KITCHEN IN ADVANCE

The best advice I can give is to stock up your ingredients ahead of time. You never know how the person in front of you will grab the last fresh spicy you need. Definitely, this will prevent you from having a burn out in the kitchen during the holiday season. Don’t cook any elaborate dishes before the big event, otherwise, you might run out of your secret ingredients and you know how crazy it gets right before Christmas in the supermarkets! Be balanced and everything will be under control.

TIP FOUR: SET REMINDERS AND BRING A SHOPPING LIST

Like I said, as the big event gets closer, chances are you are getting busier and busier, dear reader. In order to be sure that you don’t get behind schedule, it’s good to set yourself some reminders – order the main ingredients, if you need to call the butcher, call him, or find out when is the special day when you have the farmer’s market.

And don’t forget: whenever you go shopping, bring the ingredients’ list with you because this way you can get everything you need from the first walk, avoiding a million trips through the market. It can help if you make the list in advance when you're less stressed out and still have time to pay attention to the little details.

TIP FIVE: PREP INGREDIENTS IN ADVANCE AND STAY FLEXIBLE

If you can prep in advance something, just do it! I am definitely talking about all the chopping, peeling, simmering, and roasting that will free up more of your time when the day actually arrives. If you plan to have a very big dinner, maybe it’s good to prepare the breakfast in advance, or just create a buffet for everyone to grab some small bites.

TIP SIX: BE CREATIVE

Whatever you do, make sure you keep an open mind. If you plan to make your grandma’s recipe for stuffed duck and the duck is not available anymore for whatever reason, it's okay to ditch the original plan and improvise with another comparable dish.

So now that you've considered all the holiday meal prep tips, start planning out the actual meal and share your seasonal recipes down below. Can’t wait to read them!