Making A ‘Fancy’ Christmas Dinner Effortless In 5 Easy Steps

We’ve all been there. All it takes is a few overeager (some would even argue, competitive) hosts, demanding guests with high expectations, too many things to do, and a few too many glasses of Christmas sherry, and what should be a relaxing time of joy and cheer becomes stressful rather quickly.

Between delays caused by miscalculated cooking times and late guests, unexpected dramas, and just the overall stress of the occasion, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and just want to spend the final days of Christmas in front of the television with a box of Quality Street and an issue of TV Guide.

But it doesn’t have to be this way every year! All it takes is some careful planning, a bit of creative thinking, and preparation, and you can save yourself from the post-Christmas slump!

Here, we’ve compiled a few top tips on how to stay organised at every step of the way. From shopping to food prep, we have you covered.  

1. Know Your Menu

It’s impossible to prepare for the day unless you know what you are cooking and how long it will take.

A good place to start is by considering the overall ‘shape’ of the meal, and during which courses you can make some time-saving shortcuts.

For example, you could begin your meal with blinis, top with cream cheese and smoked salmon, and finish with a cheeseboard. This simple menu is quick and easy, and all of the components can be easily found in supermarkets, which is great if you are looking for a quick ‘work to office party’ solution.

If you also have a sorbet as a ‘palette cleanser’, all you have to do is prepare the main course, and dessert, and you have a four-course dinner in just a few hours.

Plan out how long it will take you to make each course before you do it, and allow an extra fifteen minutes either side to be safe. This should help your day to run much more smoothly if some food takes longer than expected.

2. Shop In Advance (And Check The Offers)

There is nothing worse than being midway through prepping your Christmas meal and realising you are missing ingredients, and then going to the supermarket and finding it is sold out.

By spreading your Christmas shop over several weeks, you reduce the likelihood of missing something, as you will have more time to think through what you need.

It also means that you can often find some better deals, by seeing which Christmas foods are on offer every time you’re in the store. This also helps with the budgeting aspect of things, as you aren’t just going out and spending all your money at once.

3. Send Out Invites

Sending out invitations may seem a little dated in the modern digital age. But even if it’s just a text, having the date, time, and host requests written down prevents so many mistakes and saves so much hassle.

While it may seem tempting to discuss parties over the phone, a lot can get lost in the discussion. Keep it simple, write it down. Invite your guests early so that people know well in advance and can make their own arrangements.

If you are planning a work function, don’t just rely on posters and/or word of mouth. Often, it isn’t enough, and people will miss the memo. Hand out invites personally in a work meeting or add your colleagues’ social media details to a work group-chat to keep it direct and engaging.

4. Know Your Support

Remember, this is not all on you!

Whether you are holding a personal event with friends and family, or even a work event, many people are usually quite happy to bring something to the table. If you have someone you can count on to help you with something, ask them!

As they say, a problem shared is a problem halved, so why not share it with as many people as possible? If you have children, you could even get them involved – for example, having them make mince pies will provide you with a tasty treat and keep them occupied at the same time!

5. Know The Crowd

Anticipate the eventuality that anything might go wrong, and prepare just in case.

• If someone in your group is known for running late, allow an extra 15 minutes before serving food.

• If your party has children that might get tired and potentially grouchy, make sure that there is an area set up where they can entertain themselves with films, toys, and books. If you don’t have access to a bed for tired kids (and occasionally adults), make the party an ‘open door’ policy so your guests can come and go as and when they need to.

• If you have one person who is known for getting very drunk at large functions, don’t leave alcohol out, and top up glasses personally. Or, you could discretely ask one of your party to keep half an eye open and tell you if anyone may need a cab calling.

When everyone has gone, you can relax again. Leave the washing up for Boxing Day, put up your feet, and crack open the Baileys!