Does anyone pre-make an entire holiday meal?

[cdrumm4448]

I hate holidays. They are nothing but work. Cleaning, cooking, schlepping to house after house with required dish and presents in tow, as well as tired children. For several years, I have wanted to do our big family gathering on a different day. We might get to do that this year. If not, does anyone have suggestions for pre-making all the food? I was going to get Boston Market for a change, and to make my life easier, but my brother and his wife are not happy. They claim I should make everything. I might consider that if I could have it all done beforehand. Some caveats: no ham (I don't like it) and no turkey (as we will have just had one for Thanksgiving). 

 

Any suggestions are very appreciated!

[wapiti]

First thought:  why don't the brother and SIL offer to bring the dinner if it's so important to them that it be made?  At least some sides or pies or something!

 

For Christmas, I make rib roast.  It's expensive but easy to make (I just put it in a pan with some olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast until the thermometer says to come out - I start at 500 for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size, and then down to 250 for the remainder of the cooking time, until the temp indicates the desired level of done-ness - I usually pull it around 132, but I would use a different temp if I were using a hotter/quicker recipe).  Then there's time to make the gravy while the meat rests.  Dh carves it.  I buy it at the fancy meat store (hence expensive) but it never fails.  The thermometer is key.

 

I'd make the sides ahead of time if possible.  Mashed potatoes is the obvious one.  Have the vegetables prepped ahead.  Throw in some pillsbury biscuits or rolls at the last minute.

 

For a big crowd, have everyone bring a side or dessert and put them in charge of seeing that it's ready to be served at the appointed time.  You make the meat.

 

[AimeeM]

We were going to order in this year, like last (HoneyBaked Ham), but dd's wheat allergy stopped that... so we pre-made an entire gluten free Thanksgiving dinner last night. We picked up the ham last night (pre-cooked), as the turkey didn't thaw, lol. No big. Sides were all prepared last night and are ready to pop in the oven today. 

Oh, I do still need to make dd's GF apple pie, but that's easy peasy (as I purchased pre-made GF pie crust, lol).

[bettyandbob]

My brother made Thanksgiving dinner yesterday. Early this morning he packed the whole thing up with his wife and college dd. They drove 4.5 hours to where their older dd is in her third year of med school. His older dd was assigned hospital rotations. They are reheating everything in her apartment and eating and driving back home tonight. 

 

I like preparing the meal, but if you don't, then why should you? Get Boston Market, or order the prepared meal from your local grocery. You have a choice when dealing with your brother in his wife:

1. transfer everything to your own dishes when you get home and dispose of anything that shows where the food came from. 

2. tell them you are purchasing the food and if they think that's wrong they should prepare the meal themselves. 

 

The holiday gathering is about enjoying family/friends. If cooking the meal is going to negatively impact enjoying family/friends then don't. 

[Word Nerd]

I was going to get Boston Market for a change, and to make my life easier, but my brother and his wife are not happy. They claim I should make everything.

 

It isn't your job to make them happy or cater to your dinner guests' every whim. Tell them that if they don't like the idea of having a catered/purchased meal, they are more than welcome to prepare it themselves or stay home.

[blondeviolin]

If I'm hosting and providing food, you'll be happy with what you get. If not, you do all the work.

 

I don't allow my kids to make a fuss about what's for dinner. Why would I let two grown adults?

[Night Elf]

Count me as another vote to tell your relatives to put up or shut up. How rude to expect someone else to prepare what you consider to be your ideal meal.

 

FWIW, I made casseroles last night and put them in the refrigerator. All I have to do is heat everything. I figure it will take about 30 minutes to get everything ready so some things will be room temp by then. Oh well! I only have 1 oven and 1 microwave.

[ladydusk]

My mom and I made the whole meal yesterday. She'll heat or finish everything off today. She prefers a pristine kitchen when having company.

[trulycrabby]

My brother made Thanksgiving dinner yesterday. Early this morning he packed the whole thing up with his wife and college dd. They drove 4.5 hours to where their older dd is in her third year of med school. His older dd was assigned hospital rotations. They are reheating everything in her apartment and eating and driving back home tonight. 

 

I like preparing the meal, but if you don't, then why should you? Get Boston Market, or order the prepared meal from your local grocery. You have a choice when dealing with your brother in his wife:

1. transfer everything to your own dishes when you get home and dispose of anything that shows where the food came from. 

2. tell them you are purchasing the food and if they think that's wrong they should prepare the meal themselves. 

 

The holiday gathering is about enjoying family/friends. If cooking the meal is going to negatively impact enjoying family/friends then don't. 

 

What a lovely thing for them to do!!!!

[trulycrabby]

I think you absolutely can cook the entire thing ahead of time, freeze, then reheat. No food poisoning necessary. The only tricky thing could be the meat dish. My family is small, so last year when I hosted Christmas dinner, I cooked wild salmon for the meat dish. It was so simple to prepare, just cut it into serving pieces, put dill and/or other seasonings on them, lemon slices on top, then bake at 400F for about 10 -15 minutes depending on the size of the portions. Easy peasy.

[ErinE]

If I'm hosting and providing food, you'll be happy with what you get. If not, you do all the work.

 

I don't allow my kids to make a fuss about what's for dinner. Why would I let two grown adults?

As my kids say, "You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit."

[ErinE]

Count me as another vote to tell your relatives to put up or shut up. How rude to expect someone else to prepare what you consider to be your ideal meal.

 

FWIW, I made casseroles last night and put them in the refrigerator. All I have to do is heat everything. I figure it will take about 30 minutes to get everything ready so some things will be room temp by then. Oh well! I only have 1 oven and 1 microwave.

When I cook Thanksgiving, this is what I do. Almost everything (except mashed potatoes) is prepared beforehand so I can just bake it in the oven.

[KungFuPanda]

Get the Boston Market stuff and put it in different dishes. They don't have to know. I just picked up my order and now I'm watching movies :-) Make your own stuffing or pie to throw them off the scent (pumpkin with a roll out crust is the easiest.)

 

One year I slow-baked the turkey overnight. In the morning I carved it and put it on a tray to reheat at dinner. That alone made everything so much easier because it took away all of the stress of trying to carve and deal with a bird carcass while hungry people waited.

[AdamsFamily]

Yep, minus baking the dishes.  I make a couple of casseroles, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes with cheeses, and a crisp.  I prepare them all ahead of time.  I can't eat turkey, so I don't make a dressing.  We eat ham.  I prepped everything last night.  I will set the dishes out on the counter to bring them close to room temp and then bake them before I serve them.  That allows me to be more relaxed by the time company gets here!

[coffeegal]

I usually prep as much as possible the day before. Cranberries cooked and chilled. Casseroles prepped and in the fridge. Pies made. Then on Thanksgiving it's simply toss the turkey into the oven and let it roast. Toss everything else in the oven at the appropriate time and you're good. Mashed potatoes are made in the afternoon, but that's it.

 

However, I think you should just make yourself happy, order the meal out, put it in your own dishes, and enjoy the day and the company. Make certain all 'tell-tale' signs are out of the house before family arrives and forbid the children and hubby from 'outing' your secret. ;)

 

 

[bolt.]

I have an Easter meal that prepares itself -- it's a pork roast with plenty of side dishes. I could pull up my documentation for you if that would help.

 

The roast & a few other things are freshly cooked, but only by turning the oven on and putting things in at particular times -- no onther action until it's all done.

[duckens]

There was one year that my mom and I pre-prepped everything for Thanksgiving.  14 people were due to come to her house, and she was scheduled to work retail until 1pm.  (No one was allowed to ask off.  They cancel even vacation time that people submit months in advance. They do this every year). 

 

I came a day early to help prep.

 

I told her that I could throw the turkey in the oven at the set time.

 

We peeled/cut potatoes, and stored them in the fridge underwater.

We cut a dozen ingredients for homemade stuffing.

We planned frozen vegetables.

We defrosted rolls.

Etc, Etc.

 

In truth, I had very little to do the day of Thanksgiving.  Mom came home and we ate.

 

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The best year was the year that it was just Mom, Dad, myself, and a non-descript boyfriend.  (Sister lives out of state; brother was eating with his in-laws).  Why make a 6-course meal for just 4 people???

 

I talked mom into having us eat out for Thanksgiving dinner.  TIP WELL.  THOSE SERVERS ARE GIVING UP THEIR THANKSGIVING TO SERVE YOU!!!

 

We came home and offered open house all afternoon. Mom had coldcuts, cheese, and rolls for sandwiches available.  She had olives and pickles and fresh fruit.  There was pumpkin dessert, and Dad had made two pies.

 

All afternoon, friends and family wandered in and out to share the holiday with us.  Some came for just an hour.  Some stayed for several hours.  If people were hungry, they made a sandwich for themselves. 

 

Mom had time to sit and visit with people as they came in and out, and she had the most relaxed holiday I've ever seen her have.

[KungFuPanda]

We ate late, so I thought I'd report on my Boston Market dinner. The turkey comes in a disposable metal pan and is in a cooking bag. Nothing there says "Boston Market." The rest of the meal comes in reusable black containers with clear lids. They don't say Boston Market, but thy are clearly take-out containers. In order to reheat in the oven, you have to transfer everything but the turkey to oven-safe bakeware. So, if you looked in my oven you'd see a tray of turkey and four corningware dishes. I have one full and one half-sized oven and used them both. I reheated the gravy on the stovetop.

 

The turkey went in 90 minutes before we ate and everything else went in 30-40 minutes before dinnertime. The rolls took five minutes, which is how much longer the sweet potatoes cook after you add the marshmallows and brown sugar crumb stuff. The biggest effort was slicing the turkey breast. The cranberry relish is served cold. They give you a lot of it and it's Da Bomb. I haven't tasted the pie yet because I was too full.

 

Since it was all so easy, we had brunch in the early afternoon, then dinner at 7. The leftovers went back into the plastic containers and most of the dishes and corningware fit in the dishwasher. I have a handful of things in the sink that wouldn't fit. It made for a very relaxing day for me and I wouldn't have really saved any money doing all of those dishes for four people. If I wanted to pass it off as my own, I'd probably add some extra potatoes and butter to theirs, and make the stuffing and pie.

[Excelsior! Academy]

Why would there be food poisoning if you pre-make?  Only if you are using unsafe handling practices, which would apply similarly to food made the day of as well.

 

As for Boston Market.  Yes!!  We order Mimi's Café.  This year we ordered the Turkey meal, Ham meal, and Brunch.  I hosted two thanksgiving dinners today with little stress.  I popped the brunch, quiche and muffins, into the freezer the day I picked it up.  Tomorrow we will thaw and heat the quiche, Saturday the muffins.  Easy for me and I could care less what people think. If  I host, I choose how and what to cook.