8 Tips To Prep Your Kitchen For A Holiday Feast

The holidays are almost upon us, and that means our kitchens are about to see a lot more use. Whether you’re cooking for your immediate family or having everyone over for a feast, a little bit of prep work can go a long way toward making the big day run more smoothly. Keep reading to pick up eight great tips to make your kitchen a more peaceful place for cooking a Thanksgiving dinner or any other big feast you might want to host.

Tip #1: Make your menu early, stick to it, and use it to make the rest of your prep easier

For a less stressful holiday feast, start your planning early. Three to four weeks ahead of time, you’ll want to know roughly who you’re hosting. Once you have your headcount, it’s time to start planning out what you want to serve. If you know who’s coming to Thanksgiving dinner and what side dishes or snacks they’re planning on bringing, your job of building a menu that will make everyone happy gets a little easier.

Once you have your menu, it’s time to break it down into two sub-categories: groceries and cookware and utensils. We’ll use that later.

Tip #2: Clean up before you shop

No matter what you’re celebrating, the holidays usually mean having a lot of extra not-so-everyday ingredients (and later, leftovers) on hand. You know you’re going to need some extra space, so prep ahead of time – a couple of days out, at least. That way, you won’t find yourself scrambling to Tetris a frozen turkey into an already full fridge the day you buy it.

Make sure you take care of these specific tasks before your first holiday grocery run:

• Go through your refrigerator and pantry and compost or toss any expired food.
• Make sure you get those freed-up reusable containers cleaned – you might need them later!
• Do a full cleaning of your fridge. Check out our guide to deep cleaning and organizing your refrigerator for some general tips.
• If you’re planning on buying a large cut of meat for a dinner party, make sure you leave room for it on the lower shelves of your fridge.
• If you’re cleaning out your refrigerator extra early, be sure to move things like leftovers and items that might expire soon toward the front of your refrigerator. Keep them at eye-level, so that you and your family remember they’re there and that they need to be used.
• Spices can be pricey, but consider replacing any that are several years past the expiration date – as they age, they become less potent and less effective as a result.
• As you clean out your pantries and cabinets, make sure you move any pans, baking dishes, or utensils that you know you’ll need for the feast toward the front of whatever drawer or cabinet they’re hidden away in. Make them easy to access now so you don’t need to go rooting around later!

Tip #3: Check your refrigerator’s temperature

A little early maintenance will go a long way. According to the FDA, your refrigerator’s fresh food compartment should be between 35° F (1.6° C) and 40° F (4° C), and the freezer should be below 0° F (-18° C). First, make sure the refrigerator’s cold controls are set right, then use a refrigerator thermometer to measure the interior temperature to be sure it’s working correctly.

The interior temperature being off could be caused by something as simple as a vent blocked by a milk jug or box of leftovers, but there’s also a chance that a component may be failing. If you’ve discovered a problem and need some additional guidance, we have a wide variety of videos about refrigerator temperature issues on our YouTube channel. 

Tip #4: Buy shelf-stable items early

So, you’ve made some space in your kitchen for all that extra food, now it’s time for your first grocery trip. That’s right, you’re probably going to need to do at least two grocery trips for your Thanksgiving or holiday dinner. The first trip should solely be for the fairly shelf-stable things you’ll need, like canned and dry goods, eggs, butter and shortening, and that big frozen turkey.

Later, a few days out from the big day, you can do your second trip. Buy your fresh produce, herbs, and dairy products as close to the day of as possible to ensure nothing goes bad.

Tip #5: Skip your oven’s self-cleaning function for now

Now, this isn’t permission to ignore caked-on grease and grime. You’re going to want to clean your range’s cooktop and oven before the big day to avoid smoke (and possible fires!), but we suggest skipping that convenient self-cleaning function and doing a manual scrub of everything.

Even when run according to the manufacturer’s instructions, the self-cleaning function can still potentially damage components that will stop your oven from working. In traditional self-cleaning ovens, the temperature gets so high that it can trigger thermal fuses, break thermometers, and melt or scorch other important internal components. That’s why we suggest doing a manual cleaning: to avoid winding up with a dead oven in the days before your Thanksgiving feast or holiday dinner party.

So, how do you manually clean your oven?

• Wipe down the interior, getting rid of any big or easy-to-remove bits of old food debris first.
• Apply a paste made of baking soda and water (½ cup baking soda, and enough water that the paste is easily spreadable) to the interior walls of the oven. Do not apply the paste to the heating elements.
• Let the paste sit for a few hours, then wipe it out with a damp towel.
• You can then use a white vinegar and water spray or commercial cleaner to remove any additional build-up.
• If you need more oven cleaning tips, we have a full guide that can help you out!

Want to know more about self-cleaning ovens? Take a look at our guide to how the self-cleaning feature usually works.

Tip #6: Check and calibrate your oven ahead of time

As early as possible, you should check that your oven is reaching the proper temperature in adequate time. Testing it out is easy enough with a cheap, oven safe thermometer. Put the thermometer in the middle of your oven on the middle rack, then set the oven to 350˚F (176.67˚C) and allow it to heat for about 20 minutes. This should be enough time for your oven to have reached the set temperature. If it isn’t, you may need to do some recalibrating.

Calibrating an oven isn’t too complicated a task, but the exact methods for making adjustments will depend on the make and model of your appliance. Take a look at our complete guide to oven calibration here, and don’t forget to consult your manual for specific instructions!

If you feel like there might be something wrong with your oven, you can consult our full list of range and oven troubleshooting tutorials to easily identify your problem.

Tip #7: Don’t forget your other appliances

Ideally, all of your appliances, from the workhorses like the refrigerator and oven, down to countertop tools like mixers and your coffee pot, will be cleaned in the lead-up to your holiday dinner party. There are a few appliances that should get special attention, though. Here are some specific tips:

• Clean your dishwasher and make sure the filter is clear of debris. If you’re sure the filter’s clear ahead of time, you can rest easy knowing your dishes will be clean the day of, and you won’t find yourself with a basin full of dirty water after the guests have gone home.
• Whether casserole or coffee, chances are someone will be using the microwave to reheat something, so be sure to wipe it out before your dinner party. Also, while you’re in there, clean off the glass tray and make sure the rollers are unobstructed so whatever gets stuck in the microwave can heat evenly.
• Flush out your garbage disposal by plugging your sink, filling it halfway with warm soapy water, then letting it drain with the disposal running. For a bit of extra cleaning action, you can run a tray of ice cubes through as well. Finally, a few lemon, lime, or orange peels put through it will freshen it up.

Tip #8: Start your cooking the day before

Certain things can be done the day before the actual dinner party.

• Brines, spice rubs, and marinades only get more flavorful with time, so do those the night before (or earlier, if that’s what your recipe calls for).
• Some herbs, veggies, and other ingredients can be pre-chopped without them going bad. Get those chopped up and put away in sealed containers for when you’ll need them the next day.
• Condiments, salad dressings, homemade cranberry sauce, casseroles, and macaroni and cheese can all generally be made the night before.
• Set out the cookware, appliances, and utensils you’ll need for the day of the night before.

Wrapping up

Follow our tips and you’ll be thanking yourself after the big day’s over for all that early prepping. If you’re looking for more tips or tutorials to prep your kitchen for any big event, whether holiday feast or standard dinner party, why not check out our blog? We’ve got a whole host of guides for cleaning and maintenance that will keep your kitchen appliances running efficiently when you need them most. And if something does go wrong, keep AppliancePartsPros.com in mind. We’ve got genuine OEM parts and a team of helpful experts happy to assist you in your home appliance repairs.