Despite the fact that we’re well into November at this point, I have yet to do a single thing to get my kitchen ready for the rapidly approaching holidays. If you haven’t either, then at least we’re in good company, and it isn’t to late to get ready either!
In fact, I’ve broken it down into a handful of the most important tasks. Tackle one task at a time, and soon enough, your kitchen will be in tip-top shape for the holidays, regardless of how grand or intimate your gatherings will be.
11 Tips To Get Your Kitchen Ready For The Holidays
1. Clear Out Old Food
Clear out any old food items (especially anything past its best-by date) from your pantry, fridge, and freezer. Not only will you get rid of all those expired or unwanted things that are taking up valuable shelf space, but you’ll free up room for incoming ingredients and future culinary creations.
Be sure to clean up any sticky messes if your fridge or on your shelves if you happen to have any. (This isn’t strictly related to holiday prep, but you’re already moving things around so it’s a good opportunity to take care of those messes!)
If you’re freezer’s feeling crowded, take things out of their bulky packaging to free up more space. Discard foods that show signs of freezer burn. If you have an older freezer that needs to be defrosted on occasion, you can probably gain some valuable storage space by defrosting it now.
2. Check Your Spice Cupboard
Go through your spice cupboard and check the best-by dates on everything you know you’ll use for your holiday dishes. When in doubt, spices that are over a year old could probably use replacing, as well as any that don’t smell like much of anything when you open them.
Here are some spices commonly used during holiday cooking to look for and restock as necessary:
- Poultry seasoning
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Parsley
- Garlic
- Nutmeg
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Vanilla extract
3. Clean Your Oven And Dishwasher
Your oven and dishwasher are likely to get a workout in the coming weeks, so you want to make sure they’re relatively clean and in good working order for the holidays. If your oven or dishwasher is looking particularly grimy, check out my tutorials detailing how to clean each here:
4. Inventory Your Cookware
Making sure you have all the cookware you need (and that you know where it all is) can go a long way toward making your holiday meals more efficient. Start by taking an inventory of your pots and pans—do you know where your roaster is, and where all the lids to your pots are?
Another good thing to do is check out your cookware for cracks, chips, or broken pieces so you know what needs replacing.
5. Wash Your Tableware And Linens
Since a lot of our holiday pieces only comes out once or twice a year, they might be a bit dusty. It’s a good idea to pull out any special dishes, glassware, flatware and serving pieces and give them a good wash—doing it ahead of time will ensure you’re not trying to wash a bunch of large dishes during the hustle and bustle of food prep.
Take the time to wash and iron your tablecloths and napkins too. If you like to use candles on your holiday table, make sure you have enough on hand and a lighter or matches to light them with.
6. Get Rid Of Clutter
If you’re anything like me, once the cooking begins in earnest, you need all the counter space you can get! To help free up more workspace, go through your kitchen and remove extra items from countertops, tables and shelves to declutter.
Put all these things into a storage bin or closet so you can get them back out and replace them after the holidays. With your temporarily pared-down kitchen, you’ll have the room you need to cook and bake your holiday meals to perfection.
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7. Sharpen Your Knives
Don’t settle for hacking up your turkey with a dull carving knife—take the time to sharpen it beforehand, along with your other go-to kitchen knives. Use either a sharpening steel, a knife sharpener, or take your knives to a local knife shop and get them sharpened by a professional.
8. Stock Up On The Basics
I find that if I’m going to forget about something, it’s not usually the ingredients or the table settings—it’s those everyday housewares that I didn’t think to check on! Save yourself some time and stress by making sure you have plenty of those everyday necessities. (For instance, you don’t want to finish up a big holiday meal and realize you’re out of dishwasher detergent!)
Not everyone will need all of these things, but here’s a general list of household basics you can check your stock of:
- Trash bags
- Kitchen string
- Aluminum foil
- Plastic wrap
- Ziplock bags
- Cheesecloth
- Dish soap
- Dishwasher detergent
- Toothpicks
- Batteries
- Coffee filters
- Paper towels
- Napkins
9. Give Your Kitchen A Safety Inspection
Whether or not you’ll be expecting little ones in your home for the holidays, making sure your kitchen is safe is a smart move! But if you are expecting little ones over, you’ll want to ensure they can’t get a hold of any potentially harmful objects, such as matches, lighters, sharp utensils and household cleaners, by storing them cupboards with safety latches.
And everyone should make sure they have a functional fire extinguisher and smoke detector in their kitchen. And speaking of smoke detectors, take the time to test all the smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in your house to make sure they’re working correctly. Better safe than sorry!
10. Give Your Appliances A Checkup
Check each appliance you plan to use, including your microwave, stove, oven, refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, crockpots, food processor, mixer and blender, to make sure they’re working and ready for action. As you assess each appliance, clean anything that could use it.
It’s also worth checking your oven temperature to make sure it’s heating up to the correct temperature. Learn more about calibrating and adjusting your oven at the link below.
Read More: How To Calibrate Your Oven For Better Baking
11. Consider Setting Up A Drinks Station
One thing I find helpful during holiday dinners is setting up water, sodas, and any other beverages out of the main kitchen area. That way, people can help themselves to drinks without creating a traffic jam for those of us who are working in the kitchen.
You can do this for the duration of the season, which may be especially useful if you’ll have guests staying with you for the holidays. Set up an easily accessible beverage station with your coffee maker and coffee, water kettle and tea, and all the add-ins too. Put it in your living room, dining room, or wherever makes the most sense in your house so that guests can help themselves without crowding the kitchen.
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Do you do anything special to get your home ready for the holidays?
There are certain things that you can do. Like REFACE YOUR CABINETS, REPLACE CABINET HARDWARE, REPLACE LIGHTING and many more things.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Always keep your toaster unplugged after every use! One of the top fire causing appliances.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Those are all great ideas, especially for those younger and starting out. I flew by the seat of my pants starting out and can share some pretty embarrassing moments.Where were you (and the internet) back in the early 70s? One thing I’m really having trouble with is the politically correct saying “Holiday” “Holiday Table”. I beg your pardon? This is NOT a new holiday someone just invented. It’s an old Christian holiday named after Christ. Call an apple an apple! Please. I’m am not a devout Christian or even necessarily religious, but, I get a bit upset and bounce onto my soap-box when I see our traditions butchered. No, it’s not everyone’s tradition or holiday for that matter, but it’s a specific holiday that everyone enjoys. If you enjoy it and participate don’t change the name. Merry Christmas and I hope your Christmas Table and Christmas Dinner turns out perfect.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I like this article so much as it brings the best tips on how to prep! Now that christmas is near, i guess some of u are gonna follow these tips, and then throw a party huh? Hehehe
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What a wonderful list! Thanks.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I invested in quieted china chests long ago and so when the holidays roll around I just have to take my china out and use it. It’s all kept safe and clean in my china chests. I’ve moved several times and I just place the china chests in a box and move.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great tips for everyone here, thanks for sharing this out, I love it!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee, you are AWESOME !! Please don’t change a thing!! Do it your way!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.xoxox
HI, I love your blog and have been following on Pinterest for a long time. I now have your newsletter coming into my home. Great tips I have tried your homemade laundry soap, and so many of your other ideas and recipes. These are great ideas for early Thanksgiving get readies. My question for you. You have a lazy Susan pictured. Is this in the cupboard or on the counter? If on the counter what items do you keep on it?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for your hard work. I think your format is great and easy to follow. Thanks again Sherry from Ohio
A lazy Susan in the cupboard is super helpful! I love using them for spices and other small items. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love the thoroughness of this list, but if I were to tackle it, I would have had to start in January!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you so much for the reminders! Two can think better than one and, when it’s two women? Wow!
Have a great weekend!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I was curious if you ever thought of changing the structure of your blog?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Its very wwll written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe
you could a little more iin the way of content
so people could connect with it better. Youve got aan awful lot of teext for only having 1
or 2 images. Maybe you could spce it out better?
Having been a fan for many years I feel you have done an amazing job and your blog is wonderful. You have gone from small and simple to professional and gorgeous. Your content has made my life richer. Thsnk you Jillee!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Oh, how funny! I was just thinking the opposite. I love the setup because the intro gets right to the point, and then everything I read is on topic with just enough photos for visualization. I get so tired of scrolling through a zillion pics. Those remind me of kids trying to stretch their essays.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My best Thanksgiving hint is to cook 2 turkeys. Instead of one 20 lb+ one, roast one 12-15 lb turkey the day before; slice it and put it in the refrigerator. That is the leftover turkey. Then, on Thanksgiving, roast another 12-15 lb turkey to present at dinner. This is much easier and you end up with more white meat. (sizes can vary according to your number of guests).
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What a brilliant suggestion, this is the solution I have been looking for ! If I had thought of this it would have saved me many years of holiday frustration with giant birds. Another plus for this idea is that smaller birds are more tender and tastier.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Our family’s favorite way for the last 15-20 years has been to let our local (locally owned) grocery store cook it, slice it, and save us the broth and yucky parts for gravy. (My grandmother used the yucky parts when she made the gravy, but now that its my job, I don’t.) They don’t charge very much at all for this service and no one has the hassle! If for some reason we can’t do this, we swear by cooking bags.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I try to plan an event for a time when a meal isn’t necessarily expected, that way I can serve simpler foods and snacks that can often be prepared ahead of time.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Well I have been doing this for about 10 years now I set the dinning room table early I mean like 4 days in advance then I cover it with that clear film plastic that they sell at Wal-Mart Everything stays dust free . I can put all the little touches like place cards ,napkin holders ect that seem to be time consuming Then when its time to dine before anyone comes I remove it ..lite the candles I am ready
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My tip for the holidays is to start early. I have been doing a little bit every day, starting back in November with making my own Vanilla Extract. I am making all homemade gifts this year including myself on the list. Doing something each day, whether a little extra cleaning, making my own Nilla wafers for the cognac ball cookies or working on some original labels for my gifts–a little each day doesn’t seem so daunting as trying to get everything done last minute!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We try to keep things simple. And you can use this tip to identify water glasses. http://wholenewmom.com/whole-new-budget/sharpie-permanent-marker-rubberband-water-glasses/
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I make a Menu List of all the items I will be serving & the dishes they will be served in. I set thetable the night before & put out the serving utensils & platters & bowls. I then then tape the list to a cabinet over the sink so that I will be prepared for the days festivities.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My tip is to have a great husband who is most helpful with cleaning.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I plan a cooking schedule for myself. I make a list of dishes that can be made a day ahead or earlier, those that can be frozen and the ones that need to be cooked at the last minute. This gets me from start to finish and definitely organized when preparing a holiday meal. I stress less and enjoy my company more!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My holiday tip would be to make sure you washroom are clean and stocked up with fresh towels, toilet paper and light a warm scented candle….and most importantly have a glass of wine and enjoy everyone’s company!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I “assign” a couple dishes or projects to my hubby. When he is doing his thing, I take a BREAK. Huge he
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Always have plenty of food on hand for unexpected visitors
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What a great idea! It is also time to make sure holiday foods, plants, and decorations are of reach to your pets!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My tip is keep “to go containers” (you can buy in bulk from Sam’s) for your family to take some food home.
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