Easy Meal Prep for Less Stress during the Holidays

Let us help you meal prep this holiday season for a stress free holiday gathering!

This year, I am hosting for the holidays and the one thing I have going against me was that I was never a planner.  My have my days of not being a planner changed when I had kids.  A few years ago I realized the added stress I was placing on myself by not prepping ahead, but I also realized if I prepared to far in advance it gave me even more anxiety.

Part of the reason we started Healthier Homemade was because we realized we had to make changes in our life and quoting one of my favorite motivational speakers and self help guru, Ed Mylett, ” You are most qualified to help the person you used to be.” So this holiday season, let us help you! With a little planning, you will notice a huge difference. So try these tips for Easy Meal Prep for Less Stress during the Holidays

Don’t Forget to Thaw the Turkey

If this is your first time preparing a holiday meal let’s start with the basics. Whatever you do, be sure to thaw the turkey well in advance.  It takes a day per 4 lbs. of meat to thaw, so be sure you have a game plan for this.

The first thing to do is plan out exactly what you are eating, who is bringing what and what dishes you will use to both prepare the dishes and serve them in.  Why do you need to know all three of these answers?  Because the day of you don’t want to be rushing around wondering what you are going to serve the food in. You also want to make sure you have a balance of dishes.

Here is my pro tip if you are asking guests to bring a dish: create a list of what you want the menu to be and let them pick off of that list what to bring.  It ensures you don’t have duplicate dishes and is a great way to take the guess work out of your big holiday meal.

Meal Ideas

Let’s run through both Thanksgiving and Christmas dishes to give you some ideas of what to prepare.

Thanksgiving:

spinach and artichoke dip

stuffed dates

turkey

chicken

cranberry sauce

homemade stuffing

green bean casserole

sweet potato pie

mashed potatoes

pumpkin pie

apple pie

Christmas:

Christmas cheese ball

French onion soup

ham

turkey

prime rib

beef wellington

cranberry sauce

scalloped potatoes

mashed potatoes

cheesy broccoli

honey glazed carrots

chocolate cream pie

cheesecake

Here are the things you can advance prep and freeze:

spinach and artichoke dip

mashed potatoes

scalloped potatoes

pumpkin pie

French onion soup

chocolate cream pie

cheesecake

The Prep

Before you freeze any of the dishes be sure they are in freezer safe containers.  Also be sure to cool the food down to room temperature.  To thaw simply remove them from the freezer the night before and reheat on the big day.  Making these dishes in advance makes for one less thing you have to do on the actual day and is one of our favorite tips!

A few days before, be sure to lay the bread out for the stuffing.  If you forget to do this, the morning of when you get up to give yourself plenty of time heat the oven to 175 and lay the bread out on baking sheets.  Place in the oven and bake for about an hour each side until the bread becomes crisp.  You can also do this if you have pets or don’t have a lot of counter space to take up the room in advance.

On cooking day it is best to get the sides made first.  You can easily make the sides the morning of and then reheat them later in the day.  This is especially true if you have one oven to work with (which most of us do). It is a good idea to check the meat you are going to prepare and know approximately how long it will take. A few years ago I invested in a Meater and it has been one of the best things for not overcooking (or undercooking) meat.  It gives you an approximate time the meat will be done, so a better way to plan your day.  It was worth every penny!

What to do with the Leftovers

The day after, we love creating new meals out of our favorite dishes.  For Thanksgiving, I usually shred the turkey and place it in a baking dish with the stuffing on top, a layer or mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce.  Instead of cranberry sauce if you want it more savory you can add in some sour cream.  It is delicious and a fun way to use the leftovers.

Our Christmas tradition is prime rib.  My favorite way to use up the leftovers for prime rib is to create prime rib nachos with a bechamel sauce poured over.  Stay tuned to our recipes for a version of this before Christmas Day. Many families use ham for Christmas dinner  so a great way to use up the leftover ham is by making a breakfast casserole or split pea soup.

We hope this helps your upcoming holidays feel less chaotic.  It is the time of year that should be spent reflecting and enjoying time with loved ones.