Before the holiday festivities begin, be sure your kitchen is prepped and organized for a seamless night. Here is a short list of 5 kitchen prep tips to keep you on track for a stress-free, mess-free holiday!
Make a meal plan
Draw inspiration from food blogs, magazines and recipe books for new twists on old classics. A great tip for planning your menu is to start from the first course and finish with dessert. Write out each dish you want to create and list all the ingredients needed underneath. When you’re done, go back and highlight the ingredients that appear more than once. For example, you’ll need butter for mashed potatoes and dinner rolls. By highlighting the duplicates, you’ll know to buy more of that ingredient, which will save you from running to the store last minute.
Organize your refrigerator
Before you can start cooking, you have to stock and organize your refrigerator. Liebherr Appliances makes this easy with BioFresh compartments for storing and keeping food fresher, longer. With temperature control options for each compartment, you can store meats, cheeses, fruits and vegetables separately to maximize flavor and nutrients. Liebherr refrigerators also come with multiple shelves that can be moved and spaced out to your liking. For additional organization, line each shelf with colored paper to divide your fridge into appetizers, main course and dessert.
Clean your oven
Prepping in advance means starting with a clean slate in your kitchen. Cleaning your oven before cooking your holiday meal will ensure your oven runs smoothly. Today, most oven units come with a built in self-cleaning mode, like the Capital Cooking Maestro Double Wall Ovens. Capital suggests removing everything from your oven prior to cleaning, including racks. Next, clean the oven of any excess spills or grease build up with a wet cloth. Close the oven and start the self-cleaning process, which can take several hours. When finished, your oven will be clean and ready to cook your holiday meal.
Treat your Stainless Steel
Be sure to clean and polish your Stainless Steel appliances for easy clean up after the holidays have come to an end. Clean away smudges and stuck on food with a damp cloth and some dish soap. Going with the grain of the steel, wipe away any imperfections until the surface is clean. For preservation, add a drop of mineral oil to another cloth and wipe the surface again, locking in shine.
Stock your bar
Having guests over means prepping food and drinks for everyone to enjoy. U-Line has an incredible selection of Wine Captains, Undercounter Refrigerators and Ice Makers, which make the perfect addition to any bar. You’ll never have to worry about picking up that last-minute bag of ice or forgetting to chill your bottles of white wine. Most product lines from U-Line are built for under counter use, perfect for saving space and easy access. With all three units prepped and ready to go, making drinks for your guests, or letting them make their own, is convenient and lets everyone relax and enjoy the holiday celebrations together!