Holiday Planning Guide

Preparing to host a holiday meal can feel overwhelming, so we’re sharing some planning, make-ahead, and kitchen prep tips that can make the big day easier and give you more time to enjoy your loved ones.

Organization and Shopping:

β€’ Plan, plan, plan. Take the time to write your menu and gather your recipes in one place (pro-tip β€” stick with tried and true recipes, holidays are not the time to be recipe testing and can add to the overall pressure). Then make a detailed shopping list.

β€’ Ask for help! Asking family members and guests to help with prep or clean up, or to bring a side-dish, dessert, or drink can save you a lot of time and energy.

β€’ Shop over time. It’s can be easier on your budget to spread the extra expenses over a few paychecks and it’s more convenient to pick up a few things at a time rather than all at once. If you have room in your freezer β€” pies, dinner rolls, and staples like extra butter can be bought in advance and frozen. You can also stock up on canned goods and shelf-stable items like broths, condensed soups, cranberry sauce, crackers, and snacks that won’t go bad before the holiday.

β€’ Look to our weekly and monthly sales for specials on holiday staples HERE.

β€’ Mix homemade with pre-made to ease the workload!

How much food t0 prepare for each guest:

β€’ Hors d’oeuvres | 4-6 bites per person
β€’ Cheese and Charcuterie | 3 ounces per person
β€’ Salad | 1 Β½ cups per person
β€’ Rolls | 1-2 per person
β€’ Turkey/EntrΓ©e | 1-1Β½ lbs. per person
β€’ Mashed Potatoes | Β½ lb. per person
β€’ Stuffing | ΒΎ cup per person
β€’ Gravy | Β½ cup per person
β€’ Cranberry Sauce | Β½ cup person
β€’ Pie | 1-2 slices per person

Work Ahead:

Doing a few little tasks each day can make a huge difference. The sooner you get started, the more ahead you’ll be!

Up to 1 week before:

β€’ Make and freeze soup
β€’ Make and freeze gravy (if you haven’t ordered it already from KWF)
β€’ Prepare cranberry sauce
β€’ Make pie dough, roll into disks, and freeze
β€’ Mix pie fillings and freeze or refrigerate
β€’ Cube and freeze bread for stuffing
β€’ Prepare and freeze or refrigerate casseroles

1 day before:

β€’ Assemble stuffing and refrigerate
β€’ Peel and chop potatoes, cover in cold water and refrigerate
β€’ Clean, peel, and chop vegetables for salads and sides, refrigerate
β€’ Bake pies
β€’ Make whipped cream
β€’ Prep cheese and charcuterie or other appetizers
β€’ Cut garnishes for drinks, make sure you have plenty of ice
β€’ Arrange tables and chairs for ample seating

Day of:

β€’ Roast turkey
β€’ Boil and mash potatoes
β€’ Cook vegetables
β€’ Heat casseroles, sides, gravy, and soup
β€’ Assemble salad
β€’ Set table