I had a learning lesson….
Yesterday I decided to throw together the most last minute Christmas dinner for my friends at my moms house. It was very impromptu as I planned the menu around noon yesterday, grocery shopped by 1pm and started cooking around 2pm! The table was set thanks to my mom and I finished the remaining cooking while my guests were arriving – choosing a simpler holiday meal to make. It was definitely a learning lesson! I wanted to do it last minute though to experience putting together my own Christmas dinner to give you guys all my tips and tricks while you prepare for festivities tomorrow!
Tip 1: Pick a simpler meal.
Every thing I made was pretty simple to whip together. I chose to do three easy sides along with a beef tenderloin (the recipe is amazing!). For the appetizer I chose a Chex mix to serve along with a fun signature cocktail! This made it easier to serve a simple app and not worry about putting together a lavish cheese board. Plus, I didn’t want my guests to get too full before dinner since there was so much going on. Check out my Christmas dinner menu below!
Christmas Dinner Menu
Cocktail + Appetizer
Main + Sides
Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Mushrooms and White Wine Cream Sauce
Creamed Spaghetti Squash with Browned Butter Walnuts
Pan roasted broccolini with a Smoked Gouda Béchamel
Tip 2: Prep as much as you can.
As I mentioned I started cooking around 2pm – we ate at about 7pm. Once I got home from the store I started cooking everything I could at my house that later could be heated up once I got to my moms. Start with the Chex mix since that takes the longest. I made a mistake of cooking the spaghetti squash and Chex mix at that same time but the Chex mix requires a lower temp, so it got burned a little. Don’t do that. Learning from that mistake I would start with making the mix and cook it, meanwhile, prep the squash, make the béchamel sauce and the sauce for the spaghetti squash, the ginger syrup for the cocktail and then once the Chex mix is done, higher your over temp and put the squash in. I did this all alone – you can do it!
Tip 3: Clean as soon as your done.
I had my whole sink piled high with dishes, which normally bothers me but since I was just prepping everything it ended up being my final task once I was finished the prep. That way I left my house with a clean kitchen! If you are hosting at home, definitely do the prep and clean your kitchen before you dive into the main course. They way it is less dishes. So, once I got to the main course I delegate my mom and husband to clean and I used dishes to help me out / help our cleaning process. This truly was so great and helpful!
Tip 4: Delegate a bartender
My guests arrived as I was still cooking the main so it was hard to balance hosting them while also cooking. In comes my amazing husband. I gave him the cocktail recipe and had him practice making one before everyone arrived so he got the hang of it and we knew it tasted good. So, once everyone got to my moms he was making them cocktails while they munched on the Chex mix in the kitchen while chatting with me as I cooked! This was super helpful!
Tip 5: Accept help when offered.
I tend to ignore this tip – and last night I definitely did. I always want to do everything and think help is unnecessary. Considering I have a cooking burn on my thumb and sliced part of my nail off… help is necessary. If I could go back I would have accepted it here and there when it was offered!
Tip 6: Set the table beforehand.
One of my most talked about tips for you guys, always set the table beforehand. As I mentioned, my mom set the table at her house and this was SO helpful. One thing I didn’t have to worry about throughout the day. And she did a fabulous job! Check out my IG stories (or Holiday highlight!).
Tip 7: Remember, you don’t have to do everything.
So, most of these tips are about delegating, doing as much as you can before and accepting help. You don’t have to do everything! Especially if you plan something last minute. The only thing I had to focus on was cooking the meal. My husband bartended, I asked my mom to grab a dessert (also one less thing to worry about if you have someone do that!), and she set the table. Clean as you go or in between your prep and main. And don’t forget to leave yourself a little time in between to get your best holiday look on!
Tip 8: Leaving time to get dressed!
Ok one more since this is a good one! But leave time to get dressed! Real talk, I decided to kill two birds with one stone and ran to the grocery store so I could get a workout in. Jeremy later picked me up (which was helpful) so once I got home I was still in my running clothes. I didn’t take time to shower because I wanted to dive into cooking. If you need a shower, do it before. Throw on a face mask, sweats and let your hair air dry so you can just style it later. If you don’t shower beforehand, I had about 20 min for a quick body shower, threw on some makeup and left my hair in a low pony. Not the most glam holiday party look, but it sufficed! I had a cute outfit on anyways :)
Table Details:
I wanted to give you all one last table setting to inspire yours! I went with traditional colors for this one – green and red in the flowers (Ruffly Rose), napkins and the salad plates. I stuck with a neutral table runner to give it a soft feel. And complimented the neutral with my white and gold plates and gold flatware. Last little detail were the fun Christmas glasses from Anthropologie paired with my green wine glasses!
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