Planning a menu for entertaining can be a stressful task. From the food allergies and preferences of your guests, to how the entire menu will blend together, there are so many things that you need to take into consideration.
One of the things that I like to advise my clients to do is to plan their menu at least a week ahead of time and consider the amount of preparation that is involved with each item. Try to work with recipes that allow for some advanced preparation. The last thing you want is to be stuck in the kitchen once your guests have arrived, or stressed out about not having enough time to prepare everything. While offering great food is of the utmost importance, you want to be sure that you get to enjoy time with your guests and share in the fun. I also suggest not spreading yourself too thin. If you don’t know your way around the kitchen very well, the holidays are not the time to try to master the culinary arts. In other words, stick to more simple dishes. It will make entertaining much less stressful for you, and I promise your guests will be just as impressed with what you serve.
If you haven’t planned your Thanksgiving menu yet, set a goal to have your menu outlined by the end of this weekend. In addition, take a quick inventory check of your ingredients to make sure you have all of the necessary items on hand for the big day.
P.S. – Keep inexpensive or disposable containers handy just in case you want to send your guests home with some yummy leftover goodies.
