It’s that time of year again, and the pressure is mounting on you to host the perfect Christmas Day dinner! If the time has come around for you to have hosting duties, it goes without saying that you want to impress your family and friends with a delicious meal and festive atmosphere.
The problem is you have no idea where to start. Never fear; we’ve got you covered. Here are six top tips to help you plan and prepare the perfect Christmas Day dinner.
Plan your menu
Before you do anything else, it’s essential to plan your menu. Think about the types of dishes you want to serve and how you want to present them.
Start by deciding on the main course and work your way down from there. Classic options such as turkey or roast beef are always popular and will give you plenty of accompaniment opportunities. However, it’s also worth mentioning that there are plenty of modern twists if you want to stray away from the safe classics. We’ll leave you with this link on modern alternatives and this one showing how professional establishments manage to do it.
Make sure you have all the ingredients
It sounds a bit too obvious, right? However, as we’ve all come to know over recent times, stockpiling in advance can be a recipe for success over the peak times through the year. Christmas certainly falls into this category, with most supermarkets demanding that you place orders weeks in advance to avoid disappointment.
We would absolutely recommend you take them up on this offer – it’s much better than the ready-meal alternative.
Prepare ahead of time
On a similar note, it’s worth doing as much preparation as possible. This could include chopping vegetables, marinating meats, baking desserts, and preparing side dishes.
Having everything ready to go will make it much easier when it comes to cooking on the day. Ideally, you’ll stagger the processes through the course of the week leading up to the big occasion.
Set a schedule
On the day itself, it’s important to have a clear schedule of when and what you’re cooking. This will make it easier to keep track of temperatures and cooking times, as well as ensuring that everything is ready on time.
Again, it might appear utterly unnatural compared to your normal behaviour, but the old adage of failing to plan could not be more apparent when it comes to this time of the year…
Take a break
Cooking is hard work, so don’t forget to take a break. Whether it’s a quick cup of tea or a glass of wine, it’s important to give yourself a few minutes to reset and relax before carrying on with the meal.
After all, you want to enjoy the day just as much as your guests do!
Don’t forget the details
Finally, don’t forget the details. Think about the atmosphere you want to create and plan accordingly.
This could include playing festive music, setting the table with candles and decorations, and ensuring that you have enough cutlery and crockery. Even the smallest touches can make all the difference and help create the perfect Christmas Day dinner.
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