I absolutely love cooking for big parties and holidays. Think I’m crazy? Most do! I know cooking for crowds can be stressful, so I put together this list of holiday cooking tips for you! Because I really do love it. Cooking for people I love is the easiest way for me to show them I care, make them feel at home, and bring everyone together. Holidays are my absolute favorite occasions to cook for – nothing is better than the spirit of the season mixed with great food and even better company.
Easter is high on my list of holiday favorites – I admit I am a total holiday junkie, but Easter is really right on par with Christmas in my book. My hardy herbs are usually just starting to wake up and are always included in the Easter spread. The Easter dinner is truly a Spring feast that reminds me new beginnings always come – for our land and gardens as well as our spirits.
I offered to make the Easter feast this year, and I couldn’t be more excited! There are simple holiday cooking tips you can follow to make cooking for your crowd easy, stress-free, and even enjoyable. I’ll share a few of my favorites:
Holiday Cooking Tips: Plan ahead!
This is the biggest key to your success and sanity. About 10 days before I’m cooking for an event I like to briefly brainstorm menu ideas {hello Pinterest!}. Then I sit on it for a while. I always come up with better ideas or how to make things easier if I gather ideas and then sleep on it.
About a week before, I finalize my menu. This means I have all the recipes saved or memorized {by memorized I mean I already know how to make something or it’s easy enough to improvise} for easy access and quick recall.
3-5 days before the event, depending on my schedule, I make an ingredient list. This includes everything I’ll need – what I have to purchase and what I already have. I mark off the things I already have and the rest becomes my shopping list. I include specific quantities on here so I only have one paper to worry about for shopping, planning, and event day. I know, I could use my phone, but I’m a messy cook! I include things I already have for a few reasons: 1} I’m really good at forgetting things. Having everything listed ensures I don’t leave an ingredient out. 2} Even if I have an ingredient, I may need to have a family member bring it or I may be traveling and need to bring it with me. Also a forgetful person safety net.
Holiday Cooking Tips: Make a Cooking Timeline.
In addition to an ingredient list, I also make a timeline of what I need to start cooking when. This sounds excessive {well, you are probably thinking all of this sounds excessive} but it really makes everything go so much faster and soother the day of the event. I do as much as possible 1-2 days in advance – this would include things like making cookie dough, bread dough that’s good to sit in the fridge, spice rubs, flavored butters, etc. Sometimes I’ll bake cookies or breakfast muffins in advance, but typically I like to keep everything as fresh as possible.
In my timeline, I account for all the foods I need to cook and what I need to prep, start, and end when to get everything on the table at the same time. This lets you accurately account for prep time and resting times, which can really throw off a celebration if you get it wrong!
Here is my timeline for this weekend:
- Saturday
- Make orange muffins for Sunday breakfast
- Verify ingredient availability – shop for additional supplies if needed.
- Sunday
- 7:30am
- Make bread dough.
- Season pork roast, wrap with pancetta. Refrigerate.
- 10:45
- Check bread, roll out and make rolls. Let proof.
- 11:30
- Prep potatoes.
- Prep vegetables.
- 12:00
- Put potatoes in oven.
- Check rolls – begin baking if ready.
- 12:30
- Continue baking rolls.
- Put pork in oven.
- Put chops in marinade.
- 1:00
- Check potatoes – remove if done. Let rest.
- 1:30
- Check pork – remove if done. Let rest.
- Make peas.
- Make asparagus or carrots.
- Grill lamb chops – 3 minutes each side.
- 2:00
- Serve Easter Feast
- 7:30am
It’s important to note that while I have a lot of hours listed on here, not every task takes a long time. The tasks are all relatively short and I will have lots of break time in between for visiting and other holiday festivities.
Holiday Cooking Tips: Ask for Help
If you aren’t up for making everything on your own – that’s totally fine! My little sister or another family member always helps me out, so I’m never doing a meal by myself. The easiest way to have help is to assign a certain dish for someone else to bring. Other options are to have them shop for you or be kitchen assistant the day of the event.
Holiday Cooking Tips: Little details go a long way.
Small things like lemon or mint in the water pitcher, flowers on the table, nice dining ware and cloth napkins can take your event to the next level. Nothing says “holiday” more in my book than going that little extra mile to make the table setting fantastic. I always set the table first thing the day of the event. It’s lovely, keeps that part of your kitchen clean from clutter {coats, purses, etc.} when people arrive, and let’s everyone know that you have things under control and the meal will be ready soon. Supplying appetizers is also a great way to stave off hunger in your guests but still leave them with enough room for dinner. Everyone knows that snitching hands get slapped in my kitchen! My favorite go-to appetizer is a cheese slate with crackers and honey. I don’t have to prepare anything, it looks and tastes fantastic, and it’s quick to set out.
Our Easter Menu this Year
Dinner Menu
- Leg or chops of Lamb (1.5 hrs)
- Pork Loin (1.5 hrs)
- Roasted lemon asparagus or carrots (30 min)
- Cooked peas and pancetta (30 min)
- Scalloped potatoes (1.25 hours)
- Butter rolls (2 proof steps, 30 minutes baking)
Dessert Menu
- Baked peaches with cream and mint (45 minutes)
Are you ready for your holiday feast? If the answer is no, don’t worry! There is still time. What are your favorite entreating tips?
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