With Christmas celebrations around the corner, there is a lot to get sorted – from gifts and decorations to wrapping and of course… cooking!
So we’ve compiled a few hints and tips to help the kitchen team at home stay calm when the pressure is on to make an extraordinary Christmas dinner with all the trimmings.
1. Organisation is key
Whatever veggies need roasting – potatoes, parsnips and carrots – can be peeled and chopped beforehand and popped in pans of cold water the night before. And if you’re really savvy, you can freeze them so all you need to do is cook them on Christmas day. Gravy is also something you can make from scratch in advance and freeze if you choose to. All of this will free up fridge space on Christmas Day too which we all know is valuable commodity when cooking such a fabulous meal. It’s also worth doing a stock take before the day, checking things like oil to cook with, butter and salt and pepper.
2. Write a list
We’ve all heard this one before, but who actually does it? Those who whip up delicious dinners and have planned ahead! Consider and write down how long each dish or item takes to cook and add times to your list so all you need to do is follow the plan.
3. Go for platters
Making many individual dishes such as tarts and mini puddings can be very time intensive. Serve up larger dishes instead of making lots of tiny ones to save time and storage space. If you’re lacking in beautiful tableware to impress guests, head to Cook N Dine for some options from top names in homeware and kitchenware. Don’t forget the kitchen foil to keep things warm.
4. Get your team on board!
Now is the time to take up friendly offerings from family members and friends if they would like to contribute and bring along a side dish or additional snacks that will be very much appreciated on the day. You can also delegate some jobs to certain family members such as drinks servers who keep people’s glasses full and little helpers to set the table.
5. Clear as you go
By tidying up and loading the dishwasher or washing up little bits and often as you go, you prevent a big pile up of dirty dishes. Then you can kick back and relax with family come the evening. You can even ask those little helpers to take it in turns to help with this…
We are open (see our opening times here) so don’t forget to pay us visit us to find your perfect Christmas dinnerware before December 25th comes around!
