Welcome!
This is Day 13 of the 21 Days to a Stress Free & Debt Free Christmas. I’m so excited that you are joining me for what I hope will be a really helpful series designed to walk with you step by step through the Christmas season in a way that ensures you keep your sanity and that you don’t overspend.
Today, we’re going to switch gears and start talking about food.
I’ll be honest and tell you off the bat that I don’t have a ton of experience with hosting a Christmas meal. Part of me feels like I have no business writing a post about this topic, since I’ve only done it once and my mother-in-law walked me through the entire thing. I’m not sure how I would score if I had to do it all over again on my own.
So, while I don’t have much first-hand experience with execution, I get excited about strategizing and coming up with a plan that will remove some of the stress of the process. Here are my tips on planning a stress-free Christmas menu.
1. Finalize your head count as soon as possible
You have to know who you will be hosting in order to have any idea how to plan. Talk with your family and friends and make decisions about who will or will not be coming. You can always plan for a few last minute guests, but don’t procrastinate on finalizing your head count.
2. Strategize your courses/dishes
Once you have your head count, think through the number of dishes within each course that you’d like to serve. Aim for a balance, as best you can. THIS is designed for the Thanksgiving meal, but I think it’s a great guideline for how much of each course you’ll need for any holiday meal.
3. Keep the menu simple
If you are a foodie, then cooking may be your love language. But, for those of us who pretty much cook in order to survive, feel free to keep the menu simple. In fact, feel free to make something other than typical Christmas foods. You could have a pasta and/or seafood meal instead! Your menu doesn’t have to be fancy in order to be yummy.
4. Delegate to your guests
I am a big proponent of delegation, especially when it comes to meals. Assign each family attending a certain category or specific dish, and it should lighten the load quite a bit. Most people are more than happy to contribute for all the effort you are putting in as host.
5. Schedule a prep day
See what parts of the meal can be done in advance and schedule time on your calendar to do some meal prep or freezer cooking. Whether it’s chopping veggies, assembling casseroles, or cooking your meat ahead of time and then re-heating later, try and do as much ahead of time as possible.
6. Delegate some to the pros
Sometimes it makes the most sense to hire out some of the cooking. Don’t feel like everything has to be homemade by you. If it would help your sanity to order a pre-cooked ham or turkey, then do it!! Sometimes catering can be expensive, but if it saves your sanity and you include it in your budget, then it may be worth it.
7. Plan quick & easy meals the week before
Since your kitchen and refrigerator will probably starting to overflow in preparation, choose quick and easy meals the week leading up to your big meal. Consider some easy slow-cooker meals that might keep you out of the kitchen as you plan and prep for your meal.
8. Visualize your set up
Think through where you will seat everyone and what supplies you might need to bring in to accommodate your guests. Do you have enough dishes, linens, chairs, serving dishes, etc. or will you need to borrow from others? You may make some last minute tweaks, but have an idea of what you will need so you aren’t scrambling at the last minute.
9. Let go of perfectionism
Try to keep your expectations realistic and remind yourself that no one expects perfection. It’s okay if something burns or doesn’t turn our exactly as you had planned. It will make for some good memories down the road.
RELATED POSTS:
How to Host the Holidays Like a Pro by Yellow Bliss Road
How are things going so far?
Let me know in the comments!
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