#holiday-cooking

#holiday-cooking

The last two Thanksgivings I've had to work in the mornings and the days after (yes, including the weekends), which has kept me from traveling to family members' houses for the holiday. Instead, I've opted to cook Blue Apron meal kits for my husband and myself, and we've found that, while not a perfect substitute for tradition, they do make delicious holiday meals, and they would be perfect for those hosting a dinner party or larger gathering.

The best part of the holidays is being together with your family, all of them, in one place (yes, it can also be the worst part, but we're not talking about that right now). But when everyone has flown in and unpacked, you do have to keep them fed and happy. Part of the joy of having a house full of people is cooking and baking together - hello, holiday memories. When you have a small army to feed, you and your crew of cooks need some Christmas recipes to feed a crowd. These entrees and sides will yield large amounts of food to fill up your holiday table and stash in the fridge so guests can reheat them at their leisure.

Christmas dinner? At home or in a restaurant? It's at this juncture of the year, with Christmas dinner hurtling towards us, that you may well find yourself muttering: Well, we could always go out! Who could blame any home cook for wanting to shove this great burden on to someone else's back, especially since every culinary TV show, magazine article and advertising break since mid-November has hammered home what a colossal faff Christmas dinner actually is.

Making a full Thanksgiving feast for guests can be daunting, for some perhaps even terrifying. The world, and especially Hallmark movies, is full of holiday disaster stories: burnt turkeys, failed desserts, steamed hams. But I'm not bragging when I say that the first Thanksgiving dinner I prepared for my extended family-a little early, this year-was an unmitigated success. My aunt couldn't stop talking about the black pepper in the biscuits and the sage on the carrots.

leave the skins on while simmering to prevent waterlogging, and process the potatoes through a ricer for smooth, lump-free results. Melt butter into the hot potatoes, then fold in warm cream and milk. Our version also includes sour cream for an extra-rich and tangy flavor. Processing the butter with the potatoes coats the starches in fat, keeping them perfectly fluffy.

If you're not familiar, they consist of thin potato slices baked in a creamy sauce. When I make them, I add onions and thyme for savory depth of flavor.