It’s that time of year, and the holidays are approaching. Many of us are thinking about gathering with family members for holiday meals. Remember when you were a kid and could show up to the party? Darn, I miss those days!
However, since that won’t happen, I am sharing some simple ways to simplify meals for the holidays with you because these days, with four busy kids, I have less time than I used to get everything checked off my holiday to-do list.
Easy Ways to Simplify Meals for the Holidays
Simplify Your Decor
Pinterest and Instagram are FULL of great tips and good ideas, and if you love decorating, by all means, you do it, but if creating a beautiful table stresses you out, and you feel like you need to spend a lot of money to achieve the “holiday look”, skip it. Let the food be the star on the table is always a good idea. Sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce never looked so good, am I right?
Spend the extra time focusing on the last-minute details for the holiday meal preparation and let the food be the start of your table instead of the decor.
Simplify Your Dishes
Many dishes go into cooking the big holiday meal, let alone a whole place setting for everyone at the table. Instead of real china, consider using paper plates, napkins, and plastic silverware. Before you give me a side eye, I want to tell you that many excellent choices are on the market these days. The last thing anyone wants to do after a holiday dinner is the dishes, so a great way to skip as many dishes as possible is to try disposable dishes.
Simplify the Menu
Repeat after me, “I don’t need to make the whole meal.” Whenever I go to holiday celebrations, not only do I expect to be asked to bring something, I want to bring something to help out the hostess. Create a holiday menu and ask dinner guests to contribute something. A family member or close friend can bring anything from a bottle of wine to mashed potatoes.
When you make the menu, ask the whole family what they want included in the holiday menus. Then, you can divide up the menu and have everyone contribute. You will also avoid making duplicate items. Do you need two vegetables? Several different types of pie? Everyone is happy, and there will be less food waste.
Simplify By Creating a Meal Plan
Life will be way more straightforward if you plan your menu, especially for a big meal on Christmas Eve or Thanksgiving dinner. Check out our best-selling meal plan journal.
Creating a holiday dinner meal plan will simplify your life on the big day, help you be more efficient at the grocery store, and save money on your grocery bill. The whole thing can be overwhelming and expensive, but meal planning is a simple way to simplify and help delegate the tasks of making all the side dishes. Check out this simple holiday meal plan post for inspiration.
Simplify by Making Things Ahead
Creating a meal plan gives you time to make a game plan for what you can prepare beforehand, so it frees up time and stress on the feast day. Look at your meal plan and decide which recipes lend themselves to what you are making ahead. Need help deciding? Check out these 85 make-ahead holiday recipes.
Your slow cooker is going to be your best friend. Place side dishes like this hash brown casserole on the warm setting in your crock pot so you don’t take up valuable space in your oven.
By making things in advance, you’ll thank yourself the next day when your to-do list for Christmas dinner is less!
Simplify by Delegating Tasks
Just because you are hosting does not mean you need to do it all, and I am not just talking about helping with the cooking. Most likely, you have immediate family members, young and old, who can support you. They might not be willing, but they are capable, and I know there’s a difference.
What tasks can you delegate to other family members? Things like cleaning, setting the table, running the grocery store, and helping with cooking. If you have a few guests and they ask to bring something, let them!
Simplify by Making Recipes You Know How to Make
When I hosted my first Easter, I decided to cook a ham in a roasting oven I borrowed from a friend. That was a bad idea. The ham burnt to a crisp while we were at church. I have learned it’s best to skip new recipes and stick with recipes you can make. There’s a much lower likelihood for a flop like my burnt Easter ham.
If you want to make a new recipe, consider taking it for a test drive and do a dress rehearsal a week before so that on the day of the event, you won’t be running to the grocery store looking for an alternate meat (true story).
Simplify by Buying Pre-Made Items
My Grandma MaryAnn, someone I love and admire, once told me a heath bar tastes good on a silver platter. What did she mean by that? Buying store-bought items and serving them on a nice plate is okay. Cooking everything from scratch is often a recipe for disaster. Look at your meal plan and determine what you can buy pre-made at the store.
Things like pies, rolls, and sides are great options. Even buying something “halfway homemade” that you have to throw together quickly, like a salad kit, will simplify life.
When it comes to simplifying your holiday meal…
Hopefully, these simple tips will help you simplify your larger meals this holiday season. Even a tiny tweak can help alleviate some overwhelm a little bit. It’s about celebrating with those that matter to you!
Growing up, we went to the beach as an extended family, and my Grandma ordered the entire Thanksgiving feast at the grocery store. It just made more sense. Who knew that tradition would stick for 25 years? You might just come up with some new traditions. Do what works best for you. Just because you have done something in past years does not mean you have to do it this year.
Don’t forfeit enjoying the holiday with your family to get it “perfect.” May you and your family enjoy the holiday spirit that comes with this winter holiday season and put into practice some of these practical tips to simplify your meals for the holidays.
Take it from me: my burnt Easter ham makes a great story, and we still had a lovely Easter. Although, I had never been asked to host Easter again until last year! May you have a happy holiday with those you love, and remember, it doesn’t have to be fancy to feed your family and make memories.
If you want even more help, I created a practical workbook that will help you simplify holiday meal planning and shopping. Grab it for FREE by signing up here.
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