Take the stress out of your upcoming holiday meals with these Christmas menu ideas that save time. Not only will you be able to face the family from out of town without stress, your family will still enjoy the fun menu they expect from you. Christmas meals don’t have to be a huge production, they just need to be a delicious production.
Christmas Menu Ideas That Save Time
Utilize your freezer in advance. There are copious menu items that can be prepared even a month in advance to Christmas day and put in your freezer to simply reheat in the oven. Large batches of mashed potatoes, gravy, a whole turkey or ham, casseroles and even hot rolls can all be made in advance. Instead of cooking everything the day before and of the meal, do batches for a few weeks and put into your freezer.
Make a double batch of mashed potatoes or this great loaded potato casserole with dinner one night and instead of putting in the refrigerator for leftovers, load into a freezer storage bag, label and pull out a day or two before Christmas to thaw. Add a bit of cream and butter while reheating and nobody will know they ever sat in a freezer. Nearly everything from those mashed potatoes to your favorite pies can be done in advance and frozen to be reheated on Christmas day. This takes tons of time out of your day, and helps rid you of stress. If you plan on doing this with a lot of recipes or several weeks in advance you might even consider investing in a Food Saver unit to vacuum seal your freezer foods for longer shelf life.
Use your Crockpot. Crockpot’s aren’t just for soups and stews. We have some great Crockpot recipes, but you can even make your own stuffing, roast a turkey or ham and make cake in your Crockpot. This will save space and time using your oven, and provide you with a great way to safely keep food warm on a Christmas dinner buffet.
Use semi-homemade recipes. Not everything has to be made from scratch. Grab frozen dinner rolls, ready made casseroles at a local restaurant, or even buy your turkey already cooked in the local deli or specialty market. This is one of the best and easiest Christmas menu ideas that save time. Semi-homemade meals are just as delicious. Remember it is the time spent with your family that is most important during the holidays, not whether you made every dish from scratch in your own kitchen.
Make it a potluck event. If you generally host a lot of friends and family in your home, you can easily ask others to help by bringing a dish. Instead of taking on the entire menu alone, set up a list of items others can help by bringing for you. Things like drinks, desserts, hot rolls and side dishes could be prepared by your guests while you focus on providing the main dishes like the turkey, ham, or even a great lamb roast.
These are some basic Christmas menu ideas that save time on your favorite holiday event preparation. From getting others to help prepare your meal to using your freezer for weeks in advance, this year you can enjoy the time on Christmas day with your family instead of slaving over a hot stove.
Check out some other ideas to make the holidays easier on you as a busy mom, plus some yummy holiday recipes!
Chritmas Shopping Tips For Busy Moms
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Ideas For Christmas
How To Decorate Christmas Stocking Sugar Cookies
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