Preparing Christmas dinner, they say, is not for the faint-hearted or the inexperienced. But if you have been tasked to host Christmas dinner for your family or friends, you can at least make the most of it and make sure that you give them a dinner they will really remember. So how do you make sure that your Christmas dinner is a resounding success? Here are some simple and easy tips to make your Christmas dinner truly memorable – as well as hassle-free.
Have a stockpile ready
You will, of course, have to come up with a menu. It isn’t that difficult, especially if you are sticking to Christmas favourites such as turkey, ham, pudding, and mince pies. But it’s also important to make sure you have an extra stockpile of food items at the ready, especially if you have unexpected guests dropping in. There are some great food items which can be easy to prepare in case of emergency, such as canapé ingredients like smoked salmon, quail eggs, crackers, and cream cheese. Shortbread is also a good stock for Christmas, so have this handy.
Use fresh when you can
Whilst it’s important to have a stockpile of ingredients and food items for the special day, you still have to do your shopping for the main ingredients. There are plenty of Christmas cooking tips you can make use of, but here’s one: buy fresh whenever you can. This goes for fruits and vegetables as well as herbs, but it can also go for meat. If you can’t buy a fresh turkey, you can buy frozen (just make sure it is defrosted well ahead of time). Leave out your shopping for fresh ingredients until two days before Christmas dinner so they can remain fresh and tasty. You wouldn’t want to be serving soggy, spoiled vegetables and fruits, would you?
Prepare in advance if possible
Fortunately, there are some things that you can actually prepare in advance. Potatoes can be prepared ahead; you can even roast them the night before Christmas dinner. As long as they are heated up properly on the day of the dinner itself, they will retain their taste and flavour and texture. If you are serving sprouts, you can also prepare them beforehand and then freeze them. On the day of the dinner, simply take them out and re-heat or cook them again.
Don’t forget the entertainment
Your guests will simply love helping you out with dinner, especially if you tell them exactly what they can do. This is also a good way to keep them entertained. But you need other forms of entertainment as well, especially when you have plenty of guests. Entertainment can come in the form of great music which your guests can dance to, or games, such as bingo, which everyone can enjoy.