I am always amazed at the fun that can be had cooking a holiday meal with family. And, it is even more fun (and easier) if you prepare the night before. Here are six steps you can take the night before a holiday to make cooking the next day a breeze:

1. Select a holiday menu with items that have similar ingredients.

For example my mom’s cranberry relish recipe can be served with goat cheese and baguette, and can also be served as a side dish with turkey. This way, you get both and appetizer and a side dish from the same recipe.

2. Make a list of all the dishes you are planning to cook.

And, note the temperature and how much time they need to cook. This can help you figure out the order you will cook each dish.

3. Chop up veggies in advance.

This allows for a cleared countertop the next day. My mother-in-law stores her cut veggies in resealable bags, and labels them for each dish. This especially helps if you are preparing the meal with a group, because a label takes the guess work out of finding ingredients in the fridge.

4. Bake items in the same dish you will serve and store them. .

For example, glass baking dishes sometimes come with lids so that you can prep in advance and cover overnight, bake in the same dish, serve, and then put a lid on your leftovers.

5. Cook some of your dishes the night before,

especially if they can easily be warmed up the next day. This won’t work for everything, but it sure helps if some can be make in advance!

6. Lay out all your serving utensils and serving dishes. .

You can even label each serving dish to make the service seamless. My mom does this each year, and it makes getting things on the table easier, especially if you have multiple people helping you.

What tricks do you use to make your holiday cooking easier?

Let us know by commenting on this post!

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