The holidays are synonymous with gathering around the table with family and friends. As the festivities near, why not combine business with pleasure by uniting your loved ones and cooking up traditional Christmas dishes together? We show you how to plan a successful group cooking session in five easy steps!
Plan better, save more
The time has come to create your holiday menu! When choosing your recipes, select a few that have ingredients in common. That way you can buy bulk formats, which are always more economical. This will also help reduce food waste, as any leftovers can be used in another recipe. For example, pie crust can be used to make a dessert AND a minced beef pie. And then any leftover meat can be used to make a delicious stew!
We also recommend opting for recipes that are easily doubled and that freeze well. That way if any family members drop by unannounced, you’ll have succulent dishes ready to go! Soup keeps in the freezer two or three months, as do meat pies and coquilles Saint-Jacques. Fruit pies also freeze well, but avoid freezing cream-based pies, as their texture might be altered in the process.
Take stock of your pantry first
It happens to the best of us: you buy an ingredient only to get home and realize you already have it. The opposite is also true: you get home and realize you forgot to buy something you needed! To avoid this frustrating situation, check your inventory before making your grocery list. Not only will you save time in the store, but you’ll also avoid buying things in double, which often leads to food waste.
Taking stock of what you have on hand is also a great way to help guide you in your recipe selection. Have a butternut squash lying on your counter? Use it to make a yummy soup. A jar of olives is staring back at you from your fridge? Impress your guests by making a savoury olive and ham cake they won’t soon forget!
Sort through your kitchen accessories
When making your shopping list, don’t just take inventory of your ingredients! Sorting through your kitchen accessories is just as crucial to the success of your preparations. We advise you to carefully read the steps of your recipes to make sure you have all the required tools. Do you have enough parchment paper to bake your pie? Do you have bamboo stems to make your skewers? Asking yourself these questions helps save you time the day of.
Make sure you have enough plates, mixing bowls, and whisks, for example. By doing so, you’ll save yourself the unpleasant scenario of realizing you don’t have enough paring knifes . . . after you’ve tasked two people with peeling the potatoes!
Organize your workspace
Are you the type of cook who frantically looks for their spatula . . . while their food is on the verge of burning? To prevent such a situation from happening, take out all the ingredients and accessories you’re going to need, and group them by recipe. We also recommend measuring certain ingredients beforehand to help save precious minutes during the cooking process.
Divide and conquer
Cooking in a group can feel like a battlefield if you don’t take the time to distribute tasks properly. To optimize your cooking day, delegate roles according to each person’s strengths. If your sister-in-law is known for her extreme thoroughness, entrust her with cutting food into equal-size pieces. Is your dad an expert in baking? Put him in charge of the pie crust and yule log.
Preparing traditional holiday dishes doesn’t have to be a chore! On the contrary, it’s the perfect solution for getting things done efficiently and having fun while you’re at it. So put on your favourite Christmas album and get cooking!
