How to de-stress Christmas lunch

So – you’re hosting on the 25th. 

Three months ago it seemed a great idea to invite an army of friends and family over for Christmas lunch. Now it’s only days away, the reality is starting to bite.

Plus, when you’ve admired so many others gracefully hosting amazing dinner parties at their homes all year – you wonder how they stay so calm and in control, while juggling so many things at the same time.

Here’s how it's done – while also allowing yourself to enjoy your own stress-reduced Christmas Day. And importantly – still leaving time to spend with your guests.

1)      Don’t over stretch yourself.

If you are hosting alone, the most you could expect to comfortably cater for is 8 people, including yourself. Think realistically about the space and furniture you have available with those people seated.  Consider a buffet arrangement if the guest numbers are out of control, unknown, or you have limited table space.

2)      Know your culinary limits.

Stay in your comfort zone. If you know you’re no Marcus Wareing, keep the menu simple. You still have time to practice some key items such as roast potatoes and gravy, so plan to do that. Even have a complete trial-run on a small scale if you can. While it’s tempting to scour the internet for twists on a brussel sprout, remind yourself tried and tested recipes are the best ones to go for because you’ll achieve the best results and put yourself under less pressure on the day. And by the way there’s nothing wrong with shop bought custard, frozen roast potatoes and ready to cook pigs-in-blankets.

3)      Plan plan plan.

As you would for any project. Even after you have a menu, collect your thoughts, brainstorm all the details, visualising the day at all its stages, right down to the quantity of cutlery and table settings you’ll need, having plenty of clean tea towels, where you will chill wine, how you’ll warm the plates, a seating plan, a playlist of music, where your guests will linger before lunch and so on. Write out a list of to dos for 23rd and 24th and book in the grocery delivery now if you haven’t yet. Giving yourself plenty of time to achieve everything is crucial and ideally with a buffer zone built in for things you remember at the last minute.  Aim to have as much done in advance as you can, (a lot can be frozen in advance) so on the day all you need to focus on are the final things to bring it all together, and on making your house look great. 

4)      Assume there will be an unknown vegan.

Perhaps someone’s +1 guest has arrived and you haven’t been warned that they don’t eat – meat – dairy – seafood or have an allergy. A back up plan will not only save the day but wow your other guests as you produce an extra dish from the fridge (pre-prepared of course). If you already know your guests’ likes and dislikes, catering something personalised for their individual tastes will impress – such as a non-alcoholic cocktail – or cheese instead of dessert. 

5)      Prep appliances.

Your fridge, freezer, oven, microwave and dishwasher will be working hard for you. Make sure everything is working properly, sparkling clean, and empty out as much of the contents of the fridge and freezer as you can so as much precious space as possible is kept available. A friend or neighbour might be happy to temporarily store some of the contents in their fridge freezer for you. Now’s the time to arrange a professional oven deep clean (and light bulb change) if you can. On the day have all the countertop appliances you’ll need out of their cupboards and ready to go and plugged in – this might be the food processor, liquidiser, or electric hand whisk.

6)      Allow yourself 30% more time on the day than you think.

With so much to think about, the last thing you want is to run out of time. It’ll be so easy to sink into some fizz too early and slow your pace. Have an early night on the 24th because you’ll need discipline and energy to work hard in the morning. Have a timetable set out and set timers so you don’t forget the important things such as taking food out of the freezer the night before, turning on the oven, putting the turkey in or the pudding on. Importantly - schedule some time for yourself to relax, so when the work is mostly done you can slow down with a drink or in the bath before guests arrive. But also be prepared for an early arrival!

7)      Work as a team.

If you are hosting with a friend or partner, agree who will do what on the day – who will answer the door and take coats, pour drinks, carve the turkey, plate up, direct the seating, clear plates, choose music, top up glasses. That way you’ll minimise the need for ‘internal’ discussion between you in front of your guests and all will appear to be effortless. 

8)      Keep the guests out of your kitchen.

Refuse to let your guests help you. They are being courteous by offering to help (they don’t really want to) and will distract you in the kitchen. Especially don’t let them clear up. If the kitchen is a bomb site it’s better they don’t see it. Anticipate things they might be looking for if they were to wander in to your kitchen – more water? A cloth for a spill? Or a vase for their kind gift of flowers. Have all of these at the ready in advance to help keep your guests mingling elsewhere. 

9)      Don’t forget your guests.

If you have chosen dishes where there is very little to do at the last minute, for example served in a single serving dish, or pre-plated, you’ll be able to spend more of your time with your guests.  Consider setting up a bar cart where they can help themselves to more drinks when you are out of the room. If it’s appropriate, hired help for cooking or serving is the best way of allowing you to participate in the fun and focus on the people that matter. Put your phone away all day so that you don’t for one minute suggest to your guests that you are thinking about anyone else but those in the room. 

10)  Don’t forget the bathroom.

Everyone will use it at least once so make sure it is spotless, warm, sweet smelling, and has a pile of spare towels and toilet rolls. This will be the one place your guests will spend time on their own, so they will notice the details. If you have more than one bathroom, designate the most convenient for the area you’ll seat your guests so that they’re not away from the table for too long. And if you have a large number of people coming, it’s likely you’ll need two designated bathrooms so no one is waiting.

11)  At the last minute.

When you’re as ready as you can be, dressed and all set to go – this is when you can clear and wipe down kitchen surfaces, run the first load in the dishwasher, turn on the tree lights, and start the music. Take a moment to double check your to do list, and uncork some bottles so they’re ready to pour, fill the ice bucket, check the turkey, and put the plates on to warm.

And don’t forget @Consider it Done clients can ask their Virtual EA team to catch any last minute curved ball, leaving you to relax and enjoy the big day.