5 Thanksgiving Time Saving Tips
Thanksgiving day is supposed to be a time of enjoyment, but for many cooks, it is a time of stress. They rush around the kitchen to prepare a wonderful meal for family and friends. The biggest problem can be trying to synchronize cooking times of the dishes being prepared. There is nothing worse than having some foods done and getting cold, while others are still cooking and/or baking. Even the most seasoned cook can have trouble with getting the times just right.
This article is going to offer five time-saving tips from which anyone can benefit.
- Prepare ahead of time. Bake your desserts the day before Thanksgiving. Make things like deviled eggs and fruit salads the day before also. Anything that can be made a day early, make it. Certain things like gravy, potatoes and vegetables can be prepared on Thanksgiving day while the meat is cooking.
- Start early. Put your meat in the oven as soon as you get up and slow-cook it. By slow-cooking the meat, you can be sure you will have time to make your vegetables, breads, gravy, and stuffing (for example) without having to rush. Even if the meat is done before all the last minute things, you can set your oven to keep it warm without it burning or drying out.
- Ask for help. Instead of running yourself ragged around your kitchen, ask for some help. This will save a lot of time. Put someone in charge of the potatoes, someone in charge of stuffing, someone in charge of vegetables and so on.
- Clean as you go. This may seem like a lot of extra work, however, it will cut down on the stack of dishes that will be waiting for you after the meal. Cleaning as you go along makes life so much easier, especially if you have a small kitchen. For those of you who have dish washers, it is exceptionally easy to clean as you go along. Rinse your dishes and place them in the dishwasher and while you are enjoying your meal, let the dishwasher run. If you do not have an automatic dishwasher, then cleaning as you go makes even more sense. Honestly, no one feels like being on their feet all day cooking, and then being on your feet longer to clean up the kitchen after the meal is over.
By using these tips, you may be able to save yourself some time and reduce stress levels. Spend more time enjoying Thanksgiving and less time stuck in the kitchen. When you have to spend all day cooking, by the time you sit down to eat, you are exhausted. Then there is the clean-up after the meal. At the very least, you have to clean up enough to be able to serve dessert. These tips have you in mind.
