12 Holiday Cooking Shortcuts That Save Time in December

The holiday season is busy enough without spending hours in the kitchen. From last-minute meal prep to making sure everything is cooked to perfection, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Luckily, there are plenty of time-saving strategies that can help you streamline your cooking process. Whether it’s using efficient appliances, prepping ingredients ahead of time, or choosing quick recipes, these tips will help you enjoy more time with family and less time slaving over the stove.

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Prep Ingredients in Advance

A major time-saver during the hectic holiday season is prepping your ingredients well before the day of the event. By setting aside a few hours a day or two before your holiday gathering, you can chop vegetables, measure out spices, and even marinate meats ahead of time. For example, you can chop carrots, celery, and onions for soups or stews, and store them in separate containers in the fridge. Marinating meats for a day in advance also helps to tenderize the proteins and allows the flavors to develop more deeply, so it actually improves the dish while saving you time on the day of cooking.

Additionally, creating an ingredient checklist and measuring out everything in advance helps prevent you from scrambling to find that one missing item when you’re mid-recipe. Some items, like pie crusts or salad dressings, can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for a few days. If you’re cooking in batches, you can even freeze chopped vegetables or pre-portioned meat for future meals, allowing you to skip the prep work next time. By taking care of these tasks beforehand, you’ll spend less time rushing around the kitchen during the actual meal prep.

Slow Cooker for Easy Dinners

Slow cookers are a holiday cook’s best friend when it comes to saving time in the kitchen. One of the biggest advantages of using a slow cooker is its ability to cook a meal while you focus on other tasks. For example, you can throw together a beef stew in the morning, set the slow cooker to cook on low, and have a perfectly cooked meal by dinner. Slow cookers excel at cooking dishes that would otherwise take hours, such as braised meats, soups, stews, or even casseroles. Since they can simmer for extended periods, they allow the flavors to develop without needing constant attention.

The beauty of the slow cooker is that it frees up space in your oven and on the stove for other dishes. It also eliminates the need for stirring or monitoring the temperature, allowing you to be more efficient in the kitchen. Many slow cooker recipes can be made ahead, too. You can prep the ingredients the night before and store the pot in the fridge, ready to be cooked the next day. In short, slow cookers allow you to prepare a wide range of comforting meals with minimal hands-on effort, leaving you more time for entertaining guests or handling last-minute holiday preparations.

Use Pre-made or Frozen Dough for Baked Goods

Baking during the holidays can be incredibly time-consuming, but using pre-made or frozen dough is a huge shortcut that doesn’t sacrifice flavor. High-quality dough for cookies, pies, and pastries is available at many grocery stores. Instead of spending hours mixing and kneading dough, you can simply roll it out, fill it with your desired ingredients, and bake it. Many stores even offer specialty doughs, such as gluten-free or dairy-free options, which can accommodate specific dietary needs without requiring you to spend extra time modifying recipes.

For those who prefer homemade dough, consider making it ahead of time and freezing it. Pie crusts, for example, can be prepped and rolled out, then frozen until you’re ready to use them. If you’re making cookies, you can prepare the dough and store it in the fridge for a few days or freeze it for longer storage. When the time comes, you only need to thaw the dough, cut it into shapes, or fill it with your choice of ingredients before baking. This allows you to enjoy the benefits of homemade treats with significantly less effort when it matters most.

Make Ahead Side Dishes

Side dishes, especially those that require a lot of baking or stovetop time, can often be prepped ahead of time. Dishes like mashed potatoes, stuffing, or casseroles can be prepared a day or two before the holiday meal and stored in the fridge or freezer. For example, mashed potatoes can be made and then stored in a large container in the fridge. On the day of the meal, simply reheat them in the oven, stirring occasionally to keep them fluffy and warm. If you prefer, you can even freeze them and reheat them in the oven or microwave.

Casseroles, such as green bean casserole or sweet potato bake, can also be fully assembled ahead of time. Just store them in the fridge or freezer and pop them in the oven when you’re ready. Not only does this save time on the day of cooking, but it also reduces the number of dishes and pots to clean while you’re preparing the main course. Plus, many of these side dishes hold up well in the fridge, allowing you to focus on preparing fresh dishes and enjoy the holiday stress-free.

Use a Food Processor for Quick Chopping and Mixing

A food processor can drastically cut down on prep time, especially for tasks like chopping, slicing, and mixing. It’s a great tool for quickly chopping onions, garlic, and herbs for sauces or stews. Rather than spending time finely chopping vegetables by hand, you can throw them into the food processor and have them ready to go in seconds. Food processors can also help with tasks like grating cheese, slicing potatoes for gratins, or mixing dough for pie crusts.

Another time-saving use for the food processor is when you need to prepare ingredients for multiple recipes. Instead of washing the cutting board and knife multiple times, you can process everything in one go. This way, you have all your ingredients prepped in a fraction of the time, allowing you to focus on cooking the meal rather than spending hours on prep work. The food processor is an excellent way to streamline the chopping, slicing, and mixing processes, which are often the most time-consuming parts of holiday cooking.

Plan One-Pot Meals

One-pot meals are a fantastic way to save both time and cleanup effort. You can combine all your ingredients into one large pot or skillet, cooking everything together in a single dish. For example, dishes like soups, stews, pasta, or casseroles work wonderfully in a one-pot format, reducing both the number of cooking vessels you need and the time spent cleaning up afterward. Many of these dishes also reheat well, so leftovers can be enjoyed without much effort the next day.

Another bonus of one-pot meals is that they often require less hands-on time. Once you add everything to the pot, it typically simmers or bakes without needing constant attention. This gives you more time to work on other dishes, set the table, or entertain guests. Additionally, many one-pot recipes can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for a few days, making them perfect for holiday cooking when you want to spread out the work.

Pre-cook Meats and Store for Easy Assembly

Meats like turkey, chicken, and pork roast can take hours to cook, but you can reduce the time spent cooking on the day by pre-cooking them. Consider roasting or slow cooking large cuts of meat the day before your holiday event. Once cooked, store the meat in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to slice, heat, and serve. This strategy works especially well for meats that require lengthy cooking times, like turkey breasts or pork shoulders, which can easily be reheated without losing quality.

The benefit of this method is twofold: first, it saves you significant time on the day of the event, and second, it helps make your kitchen less crowded with appliances and dishes. You can simply heat the meat, prepare any remaining dishes, and then focus on plating and serving. Pre-cooking meats also allows you to utilize your oven more efficiently, as it frees up space for other items. This simple shortcut ensures your holiday meal is served without the stress of juggling everything at the last minute.

Utilize Instant Pot for Fast Cooking

The Instant Pot has become a holiday essential for many home cooks due to its ability to drastically speed up the cooking process. This multi-functional appliance serves as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, and more. Dishes that would typically take hours, such as pot roast or hearty soups, can be made in a fraction of the time in an Instant Pot. In just 30 to 60 minutes, you can prepare a tender, flavorful meal without the long waiting times typically associated with traditional cooking methods.

One of the Instant Pot’s standout features is its versatility. It can be used for virtually all stages of meal prep, from cooking meats and grains to making sauces or stews. By utilizing an Instant Pot, you can streamline your cooking schedule and free up time for other tasks, such as prepping desserts or appetizers. It’s particularly valuable for busy holiday meals, where time is often limited but a delicious meal is still a priority.

Use Disposable Aluminum Pans

Using disposable aluminum pans can save you a significant amount of time during the holiday cooking process, particularly when preparing casseroles, baked goods, or even roasted vegetables. These pans allow you to skip the step of washing and scrubbing pots and pans after the meal is over. You can simply dispose of them or recycle them when done. Additionally, they are a great option for preparing food in advance and storing it in the fridge or freezer.

If you’re hosting multiple guests or preparing several dishes, disposable pans make it easier to store and transport your meals. They are especially handy when reheating food, as they can go straight into the oven without worrying about cleaning afterward. For those making large batches of food like lasagna or baked macaroni and cheese, disposable pans are a practical solution for less kitchen cleanup and more time spent enjoying the festivities.

Make Holiday Drinks in Bulk

Instead of making individual drinks for your guests, consider making holiday beverages like mulled wine, spiced cider, or holiday punch in large batches. These drinks can be made in advance, stored in the fridge, and reheated when it’s time to serve. By preparing a large quantity in advance, you save yourself the hassle of mixing drinks one by one during the event.

Large batches also allow you to better control the flavor and sweetness, making it easier to ensure everyone enjoys the drink. You can use a slow cooker to keep the drink warm throughout the event without having to monitor it closely. This also frees up space on the stovetop and allows you to focus on preparing food while your holiday drinks are ready to serve.

Invest in a Food Dehydrator

A food dehydrator is a clever tool that can save time by allowing you to prepare holiday snacks, fruits, and even vegetables in advance. Dehydrating fruits like apples, cranberries, or pears provides a healthy, portable snack that can be enjoyed during the holidays or added to holiday desserts, salads, or granola. By doing the dehydration early in the season, you can create an assortment of snacks and garnish ingredients without taking up valuable kitchen time during meal prep.

Dehydrators are also helpful for making your own holiday gift items. Dried fruits, homemade jerky, or flavored seasonings are all excellent gifts that can be made well ahead of time. Since dehydrated items last for months when stored properly, they can be prepared and stored well in advance, leaving you more time for other aspects of the holiday season.

Opt for Frozen Vegetables

Frozen vegetables can be just as nutritious as fresh ones, and they can save you a lot of time during holiday meal prep. Pre-cut, frozen vegetables like peas, carrots, and green beans can be quickly thrown into casseroles, soups, or stir-fries without any need for washing, peeling, or chopping. You can also stock up on frozen vegetables in advance, eliminating the stress of last-minute shopping during the holiday rush.

Another advantage of frozen vegetables is that they have a long shelf life, which allows you to buy them early and avoid scrambling to find fresh ingredients during busy grocery store runs. You can use frozen vegetables in place of fresh ones for many dishes, saving you both time and effort without sacrificing flavor or nutrition. They also come in pre-portioned sizes, helping you avoid wastage and reducing prep time for large gatherings.

This article originally appeared on Avocadu.