Christmas is definitely one of the most stressful time of the year for those generous (or silly?) people who agree to make dinner for the family. Although it’s also without question one of the best times of the year – who doesn’t love being surrounded by family, good food, and booze? However, with everything to remember and a lot of people to impress, the stress can all get too much and Christmas dinner can end up going awry. Sound familiar? Well fear not, because we’re going to give you plenty of helpful tips to make sure you have a memorable, stress free dinner next Christmas!
Make Sure You’ve Got The Appropriate Utensils
By appropriate, we don’t mean the cheapest sets you could find off eBay. Try to buy a good set of saucepans, a decent set of knives, and a good roasting tray. Although this will cost you extra, in the long run you’ll be much less stressed! It won’t hurt to purchase a few quality napkins either, to protect your guests from spills and other food and drink related accidents.
Cheat a Little Bit
Don’t feel bad if you want to make your life easier by cheating a little bit. Use store bought sauces, and maybe even buy ready-made pigs in blankets. You’ll save time, energy, and your guests won’t know the difference!
Prepare The Day Before
Prepare as much as you can the day before, so you don’t get yourself in a tizzy when the guests arrive. You can peel your vegetables, boil your potatoes, and more!
Cook Surprising Sprouts
Does anybody really like sprouts? You will when cooking them like this!
- Stir Fry chopped sprouts in a pan.
- Add chopped garlic, bacon bits, and black pepper.
- Serve when the sprouts are still a little firm.
Sprouts and bacon make perfect partners, so don’t hesitate to try it next time!
Tips to a Terrific Turkey
The turkey is one of the most important parts of the meal, so you need to get it right.
- Get the turkey to room temperature before putting it in a pre-heated oven.
- Use tips from your favorite chef; Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, Gordon Ramsay, etc.
- Always, ALWAYS, leave the meat to rest for a short while before carving and serving. It’ll become deliciously juicy!
Make Sure You’ve Got Enough to Drink
You can never have enough booze come Christmas, as your relatives will surely prove to you as they drink themselves into a drunken stupor. Make sure you’re stocked up on wine, cider, non alcoholic drinks like juice, and even water! You could even try creating your own mulled cider:
- Heat through a quality cider, then add some cinnamon sticks, the zest and juice of an orange and lemon, a vanilla pod, a few cloves, and a sprinkle of sugar.
- Once it’s all hot, allow it to cool down and infuse the flavours for 30 minutes.
- You can then reheat, strain the liquid through a sieve, and serve to your guests!
Little touches like stir fried sprouts with bacon, and homemade mulled cider will give you brownie points with your guests and make your dinner the most memorable one yet!