There are many to-do lists this time of year, and if you are hosting family at your house for Christmas day, you are in for some extra hard work. The good news is that if you do a little bit of prep work and have a plan this holiday season, you can host and enjoy Christmas Day!
So get out your pen and paper, unbox the Christmas decor, light those holiday-scented candles, buy the matching Christmas pajamas, and get ready for a great Christmas dinner!
Christmas Dinner Tips
When you are in charge of the Christmas feast on the big day, it can leave you with a lot of stress and uncertainty. Will there be enough food? Will the main course be done on time? Are there any allergies or other sensitivities I need to be aware of? What happens if Aunt Ruth sits next to Cousin Fern?
While we can’t uncomplicate every situation and issue that might come up, we do have a great list of tips that can help lay the foundation for a great Christmas Dinner.
Delegate and Ask for Help
Just because you are hosting the main event doesn’t mean you have to complete every single step yourself! Whether this is your first time or you have struggled through hosting before, you can set up a plan to get everyone involved in a good way!
If you are the gathering place on Christmas morning, there is a good chance you are factoring in a lot of other people into your plans. Use this to your advantage! Make a list ahead of time so that everyone knows what is expected of them, and work together to pull off a great holiday get-together!
When it comes to making your Christmas dinner menu, assign different side dishes so that you aren’t trying to put together a big dinner all by yourself. At the end of the day, hosting a holiday meal shouldn’t mean you don’t get to enjoy it at all!
Organize the Refrigerator
This is the perfect time to make sure there is plenty of room in the refrigerator for family members to store any foods they are bringing for dinner. Going through and cleaning out any expired condiments, old vegetables that have gotten pushed to the very back, as well as any other products that are simply taking up space and not being used, will free up much more room than you might realize.
It’s also a good idea to go ahead and organize what remains in the fridge so that you will know where to look for things when you’re down to the last minute and trying to find ingredients!
Plan As Many Steps in Advance as Possible
Sitting down in your quiet house before the hustle and bustle begins and planning out as many steps in advance as possible will save you a lot of stress!
A few things you can have planned and ready include
- Christmas Menu
- Grocery Store Shopping List
- Guest List
- Approximate Cooking Times/Space Available in the Oven (a whole turkey takes up a lot of space!)
- List of who is bringing what foods
You might still have some things come up as you get closer to the big day, but a little planning can go a long way in giving you a head start beforehand.
If there is anything on your list that can be pre-cooked or placed in a slow cooker on Christmas Eve, that can also help save you some mental and physical energy for the next day!
Keep It Simple-Not Everything Has to Be Perfect
Anytime you are involved in something that involves lots of people and lots of time, it can get a little bit overwhelming. It’s important to remember between serving dishes and cleaning up spills that while you don’t always have to be full of holiday cheer, these moments are what you’ve been working to create all along!
Keep your plans as simple as possible. This is a good time to serve up those tried-and-true family dishes that everyone loves instead of trying to pull together some kind of fancy, over-the-top dish that nobody is willing to even try.
Perfection is overrated, and simplicity is completely underrated!
Some of Our Favorite Christmas Recipes
Some of our favorite traditional recipes include
- Pumpkin Pie
- Christmas pudding
- Prime Rib
- Green Beans
- Christmas Hams
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Roast Beef
- Christmas Cake
- Christmas Cookie Bars
- Pumpkin Pie
- Slow Cooker Brisket with Cranberry Sauce
- Pecan Pie
We also encourage you to try these 6 Easy Holiday Desserts when planning your menu!
Try and Remember What Christmas is Truly About
There are very few times during the year, outside of Christmas, that you can get the whole family together! While it might seem over-commercialized, among other downfalls, it truly is the most wonderful time of the year and a great opportunity to spend quality time with those you love the most!
The most important thing you can remember during this festive season is to slow down, make plans where you can, be flexible where you can’t, and take some time to truly soak in the people around you. You will never have this exact moment ever again.
From us here at the CoOp, we wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and look forward to working with you as we go into the New Year. We have some exciting plans and goals going forward and can’t wait to get going!
In the meantime, you can follow us on Pinterest and TikTok when you need some extra inspiration for planning your great Christmas dinner! If you want to have access to our products first, be sure and sign up to become a VIP Member!
Please reach out with any questions, we are truly grateful to each and every one of you!