The holidays are filled with joy, laughter, and gathering around the dinner table. However, the flurry of hosting and cooking can be a lot. With a little planning and meal prep, you can streamline your meals and enjoy the season to the fullest! Try these meal prep hacks to make your holiday celebrations smooth and stress-free.

1. Plan Ahead
Plan your menu at least two weeks ahead. I know, this can be hard, but it will give you enough time to organize your thoughts, make a shopping list, find the right ingredients, take advantage of sales, and provide visitors with food assignments. This also prevents stressful last-minute grocery runs.

2. Prep Early
Many ingredients can be prepared days in advance. Chop vegetables, make breads/doughs, grate cheese, and even measure spices. Prepped ingredients mean faster assembly on cooking day.

3. Choose Make-Ahead Dishes
Choose recipes that can be made ahead of time, like casseroles, lasagnas, soups, and pies. These often taste even better after a day or two in the fridge!

4. Batch Cook and Freeze
Prepare large batches of basic dishes like gravy, mashed potatoes, or soup, and freeze. When the big day arrives, simply thaw and reheat. 

5. Use Your Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker
As we all know, these tools are lifesavers! Use your slow cooker for dishes like pulled pork, soups, or even desserts, to free up oven space. The pressure cooker is perfect for cooking rice, steaming vegetables, or making tasty sides in record time.

6. Label and Organize
With prepped ingredients and dishes filling your fridge, labeling is crucial. Use masking tape and a marker to note the contents and date. This helps you stay organized and ensures nothing gets lost in the shuffle.

7. Delegate and Share
No one expects you to be a one-(wo)man-band. Assign side dishes or desserts to guests who are willing to pitch in. Not only does this make it easier for you, but it also adds variety to the meal.

8. Inventory Serving Dishes and Utensils
Nothing is more stressful than sitting down to eat and realizing you don’t have enough cups/plates/forks, etc. Lay out everything you need the day before, including platters, serving spoons, and napkins. Having your tableware ready to go makes setting the table quicker and gives little hands something to help with.

9. Clean as You Go
Don’t let a mountain of dishes steal your holiday cheer. Make it a habit to clean as you cook. Run the dishwasher between meal prep steps or have helpers wash dishes to keep your workspace tidy.

10. Simplify
Don’t hesitate to incorporate quality pre-made items like Citrus Pear dishes, store bought pie crusts, pastry dough, or pre-washed salad mixes. 

Happy holidays from your family at Citrus Pear! 

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