Easy Christmas Cooking

The festive season is always busy, especially for the cook in the family. But you can make it stress-free by following these tips from Taste magazine editor Suzanne Dale.

Tip one:

Don’t do everything yourself. Reducing your workload can be as simple as asking other family members toprovide part of the meal on Christmas Day. Or get your kids or grandchildren involved in making edible gifts – they will love decorating these Christmas biscuits. Check out more Christmas baking and gift ideas from Taste magazine.

Tip two:

Get started early. Many of your family’s Christmas favourites will actually taste better if they are made ahead of time. This traditional Christmas cake is best made at least a few weeks before you eat it and Christmas puddings can also be made early and stored in the fridge or freezer – try this classic recipe from Allyson Gofton or the plum pudding from Sarah Bowman.

Tip three:

Use your freezer. Avoid that last-minute rush by making some of your Christmas meal in advance. Taste has put together a collection of festive fare that’s freezer friendly.

Tip four:

Perfect your technique. Glazing a ham, stuffing and carving a turkey or steaming a plum pudding can be a little daunting if you have never done it before. But none of these Christmas classics are that difficult to create – check out Taste’s Christmas How-To section for step-by-step guides.

Tip five:

Love those leftovers. We are all guilty of over-catering for Christmas – no one wants to be the hostess who left her guests hungry. But when you have spent large sums of money on luxury food for that one special day, it’s wasteful to throw out leftovers. Instead, check out these creative recipes designed to use up those excess ingredients.

For more Christmas cooking ideas, check out Taste’s Complete Christmas Guide – everything foodies need for the festive season.

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