The month of November officially kicks off the Holiday Season. This time of year is highlighted with parties, social gatherings, and family events. While these activities are joyful and packed with lasting memories, they can often be dampened by the stress of all the hustle and bustle.
Try out my “Three Ps” for entertaining: Plan, Prep, Pantry.
Plan. The star of most holiday gatherings is the food. Trying to make everyone’s favorite dish can be a recipe for exhaustion. Ideally, party planning should begin a few weeks before the main event. Choose your party format: cocktails and hor d’oeuvres, potluck, buffet, or plated dinner. You can honor family traditions or create new ones. One week before the big day is a great time to set up your cooking schedule. Group items that cook at the same temperature together. This allows you to maximize your oven space, shorten your time spent in the kitchen on the big day, and ensure that each dish is cooked safely and correctly. Take help from the store and choose some ready-made items like a fruit or vegetable tray to cut out extra prep and mess on event day.
Prep. Start your food prep a few days before your gathering. Many casseroles can be prepared and frozen or refrigerated days ahead of time to cut down on prep time on the day of your event. Onions, garlic, peppers, and celery are multi-use ingredients that are often featured in multiple dishes. All that slicing and dicing can really add up as pre-cut options at the store can be expensive. Buy those ingredients in bulk and cut them into your desired sizes and shapes ahead of time. Prepping these common ingredients at once will keep you from reaching for your knife and cutting board every time you start a new recipe. You can even pre-measure the amounts you need for each recipe and store in individual containers to lessen the amount of time you spend in the kitchen — and increase the amount of time you spend with your friends and family.
Pantry. A well-stocked pantry can be a lifesaver for last-minute entertaining or hosting unexpected visitors. Keeping dried beans, rice, pasta, and jarred marinara on hand will help you whip up a nutritious meal in no time. Whether you call it a charcuterie board, mezze platter, or antipasto, a snack plate is always a hit with foodies and picky eaters alike. You can quickly put together an impressive snack board with mostly shelf-stable pantry items. When building a snack board, include multiple flavors and textures. Be sure to have savory, sweet, crunchy, and creamy items for a well-balanced tray. Some of my favorite items to keep on hand are assorted crackers, breadsticks, jams, jellies, honey, dried fruit, nuts, olives, and roasted red peppers. If you have fresh fruit and vegetables on hand, they make an excellent addition to your party platter.
Both recipes below utilize pantry items and can be prepped ahead of time and stored in the fridge.
Garlic Hummus
Ingredients
- 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 small clove of garlic
- 1/3 cup of tahini
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 Tablespoons of ice water
Directions
- Place drained and rinsed chickpeas to a medium saucepan, cover with water, and add baking soda. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook for 20 minutes.
- Drain cooked chickpeas and rinse under cold water for a minute.
- Add remaining ingredients to a blender and blend until light and fluffy. The ice water helps this process.
- Serve with your favorite crackers and veggies or use in a sandwich or wrap.
Date Caramel
Ingredients
- 15 Medjool dates, pitted
- 4 cups of hot water
- ½ cup lite coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
- Place pitted dates in a mixing bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak for 10 minutes.
- Drain and discard the soaking liquid.
- Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Serve with your favorite fruit for dipping or spread on toast.
