Most people balk at the idea of cooking for a large group of people at Christmas. With images of huge stockpots boiling over and becoming chained to a hot stove and oven for countless hours on end, it's no wonder that so many people avoid the idea of cooking for large crowds with more tenacity than they avoid being last in the dinner line.
The good news is that it doesn't have to be the frightening proposition that so many make it out to be. When it comes to cooking for a large group, the planning phase is the most important. You absolutely must plan your meals when feeding a large group of people at Christmas. You need to know how many servings you will need. While obviously you never know how hungry people will be or who will eat how much when it comes to cooking for a large group it is a good idea to always plan for a few extra mouths in case some need a little more than you may think. You might want to double servings for teen and college-aged men that will be dining with you. And don't overlook the possibility of one of your guests arriving with an unannounced guest in tow.
You need to know at least a general number of servings to prepare and adjust your recipe in order to accommodate those needs. Some people find it much simpler if they can double or triple recipes rather than scaling them to specific serving sizes. If this works best for you then by all means incorporate this practice when cooking for a large group. One thing you must be aware of is what you need to include in order to create the Christmas meal you plan to serve.
Having the proper ingredients and the proper amounts of ingredients is more important in bulk recipes than is often necessary in smaller recipes as there is less leeway when it comes to creating the proper consistency. You should keep this in mind when making purchases for your cooking for a large group at Christmas.
Some people find that the best route to take when it comes to cooking for a large group is to keep everything as close to their normal cooking size as possible. This would mean that instead of cooking one really huge pan of lasagna for a triple sized crowd, they would instead cook three normal-sized pans of lasagna. This accomplishes two things really and is something you may wish to keep in mind despite the extra time spent in the kitchen.
First of all, if something goes wrong, only one third of the meal is in shambles rather than the entire dinner. Second, you have a greater possibility of finding consistency issues before the baking begins if you are using measurements and cooking containers that you are familiar with and comfortable using. It is always best to discover errors and omissions sooner rather than later when it comes to cooking as very few ingredients can be properly added after the fact.
While cooking for a large group at Christmas may send some into dizzying spells with heart palpitations it helps if you take a few deep breaths, sit down, plan your menu, plan your meals, make a list of your ingredients, and cook in a manner that is comfortable for you. If you would rather get it all over with in one fell swoop, then by all means do just that. If you are more comfortable making multiple dishes of family favorites then that is probably going to be the best course of action in order to meet your large group cooking needs at Christmas.
Most important thing you should remember is that cooking for a large group at Christmas is time consuming and exhausting and should be approached when well rested (if that is even possible) for the best results. When it's all said and done, there is something actually very satisfying about knowing that you have fed a crowd of loved ones at Christmas and fed them well!
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