Hosting for the Holidays? 50 Shortcuts to Make It So Much Easier

Anyone who hosts for the holidays knows this moment well: You haven’t finished making the salads, the fish is still frozen, the tablecloth hasn’t been ironed, there’s no room left in the refrigerator, and the kids have decided this is the perfect time to turn the living room upside down.

The good news is that you don’t have to do everything the long way. Sometimes, simply changing the order of your tasks, preparing a few things earlier, using the freezer wisely, and organizing your kitchen ahead of time can significantly lighten the load.

Here are 50 practical shortcuts to make holiday preparation easier, faster, and far less stressful.

Plan Before You Start Cooking

1. Start with the freezer, not the pots. A few days before the holiday, go through the freezer and clear as much space as possible. There’s nothing more frustrating than finishing 10 dishes and discovering there’s nowhere to put them.

2. Make your menu by category. Divide it into fish, meat, side dishes, salads, and desserts. This makes it easier to see whether you’ve gone overboard or forgotten something basic.

3. Decide when you’ll make each dish. Write down what you’ll prepare each day leading up to the holiday. This keeps you focused and prevents everything from being left until the last minute.

4. Make whatever can be frozen first. Cakes, meatballs, soups, meats, and many cooked dishes can be prepared ahead of time and frozen until needed.

5. Use the same ingredients for several dishes. If you need onions, herbs, or other vegetables for multiple recipes, prepare a larger quantity at once rather than starting from scratch each time.

6. Fry a large batch of onions at once. Divide them into small containers and freeze them so they are ready whenever a recipe calls for them.

7. Prepare garlic ahead of time. Peel or chop the garlic in advance and store it appropriately in the refrigerator until you need it.

8. Sort and soak legumes in advance. Once prepared, they can be stored appropriately so they are ready to cook when you need them.

9. Make extra soup stock. Use half for soup and save the rest for sauces and other cooked dishes.

10. Use pans in uniform sizes. They are much easier to stack and arrange neatly in the refrigerator or freezer.

11. Label everything that goes into the freezer. Write the name of the dish and the date on each container. After a few days, frozen containers can start looking remarkably similar.

Make Desserts and Salads Easier

12. Don’t wait until the holiday eve to thaw meat. Transfer it to the refrigerator far enough in advance for it to thaw safely, depending on the size and type of cut.

13. Make simple cakes ahead of time. Loaf cakes and other uncomplicated cakes are easy to prepare in advance, and many keep well for several days.

14. Freeze cakes already sliced. This allows you to take out only what you need instead of defrosting an entire cake.

15. Simplify dessert. Cookie crumbs, cream, and fruit can become an attractive dessert in individual cups without hours of baking.

16. Make two elaborate salads instead of five. Add a few simple fresh salads to the table rather than exhausting yourself preparing numerous complicated ones.

17. Chop sturdy vegetables ahead of time. Carrots, cabbage, celery, and peppers can generally be prepared in advance when stored properly in the refrigerator.

18. Prepare leafy greens ahead of time. Inspect and thoroughly dry them in advance, then add them to salads closer to the meal.

19. Make salad dressing in a jar. Refrigerate it in a sealed jar, then simply shake and pour before serving.

20. Make two versatile sauces instead of 10. A good sauce can often work with roasted vegetables, salads, and other dishes.

21. Partially cook potatoes ahead of time. Then all that remains is to finish roasting or reheating them when needed.

22. Prepare your rice ingredients in advance. Measure the rice, spices, and other ingredients so everything is ready for quick cooking.

Make Your Kitchen Work for You

23. Measure spices for each dish ahead of time. Instead of opening multiple jars while cooking, prepare the seasonings for each recipe together.

24. Gather all the ingredients for one dish before starting. This saves endless trips between the pantry, refrigerator, and countertop.

25. Use the oven efficiently. If two dishes cook at a similar temperature and your kosher kitchen setup allows it, bake them at the same time.

26. Plan your oven order. Decide in advance which foods need to go in first and which can wait. This prevents a traffic jam when several dishes suddenly need the oven at once.

27. Soak cooking utensils as you go. Keep hot, soapy water ready so dirty tools don’t become difficult to clean later.

28. Don’t let the sink overflow. After every couple of dishes, take a five-minute cleaning break. A reasonably clear kitchen makes the next stage much easier.

29. Reuse a large mixing bowl when appropriate. Start with dry, clean ingredients before moving on to messier mixtures, washing between uses when necessary.

30. Keep a small trash bowl on the counter. Put peels, wrappers, and scraps into it while you work instead of walking to the trash every few minutes.

31. Create a designated area for finished dishes. An empty shelf or side table keeps completed food from taking over your workspace.

32. Don’t experiment with new recipes on the holiday eve. Stick to dishes you already know how to make successfully.

33. Question the complicated dishes. If something requires an enormous amount of work mainly because it looks impressive, ask yourself whether you really need it. Guests are more likely to remember the atmosphere than the garnish on the potatoes.

34. Buy at least one prepared item.Challah, dessert, salad, or a side dish can all be bought. You do not have to make everything yourself.

Shop and Organize Ahead

35. Do your main shopping early. Leave only genuinely fresh items for the final shopping trip.

36. Photograph your refrigerator before shopping. It can save you from standing in the supermarket wondering, “Do we have mayonnaise?”

37. Keep an ongoing shopping list on your phone. As soon as you notice something is running low, add it to the list.

38. Create a holiday box. Keep tablecloths, candles, matches, napkins, Kiddush cups, brachot booklets, and other holiday essentials together.

39. Take out the tablecloth a few days early. That way, you won’t discover a stain half an hour before the holiday begins.

40. Set the table the night before. If you have small children, you can leave the breakable items until closer to the meal.

41. Decide which serving dish goes with which food. You can even place a small note inside each one saying “fish,” “rice,” or “salad.”

42. Take out serving utensils in advance. There’s no reason to spend the final minutes before dinner searching for the right ladle.

Make the Holiday Itself Easier

43. Set up a drink station. Keeping water, cups, and bottles together can take some pressure off the host during the meal.

44. Prepare simple food for children. If children are coming, have something familiar available rather than expecting everyone to eat the festive main dishes.

45. Keep one emergency dish in the freezer. Meatballs, schnitzel, soup, or another easy dish can save the day if unexpected guests arrive.

46. Store food in compact containers. Don’t fill the refrigerator with enormous serving dishes. Transfer food into attractive bowls shortly before serving.

47. Reserve one refrigerator shelf for the first meal. You won’t have to dismantle the entire refrigerator every time you need a salad or sauce.

48. Make a list for each meal. Write down what needs to come out of the refrigerator or freezer, including fish, salads, sauces, drinks, and desserts. During the holiday itself, you’ll be glad you don’t have to remember everything.

49. Leave yourself a free hour before the holiday begins. If your schedule requires you to finish everything at the exact moment you light candles, it is too packed. Build some breathing room into the plan.

50. Remember the most important shortcut: You don’t have to do everything. A warm home, good food, and a relaxed atmosphere are worth far more than a table covered with 20 dishes and a host who arrives completely exhausted.

Good holiday preparation is not about doing as much as possible. It is about making thoughtful choices ahead of time so that when the holiday finally arrives, you can actually enjoy it.