Short Cut Or Real Deal

As we embark on this holiday cooking trek , the question we have to ask ourselves is do we take the short cut route or make the real deal? Which is easier for us? Something from a box or tube or a recipe made from scratch.

The thought of making an entire holiday meal can cause a major panic attack in a few home chefs.There's a fear of either giving the family food poisoning or screwing up a beloved passed down through the generations dish. If that's the case,then think about already made or easy to prepare recipes. Many cooks are flummoxed by stuffings. What bread to use? Do you add sausage? Or chestnuts? If it's that confusing then stick to that old culinary chestnut, Stove Top Stuffing.It's an easy make,using only butter and water and cooked on what else  -  a stove top. They have a traditional sage dressing along with a cornbread one that's sure to please the crowds. A  homemade stuffing is relatively easy to create but labor intensive.Think of it as a savory bread pudding but without the eggs to bind it. Experiment with a few recipes before the big day. Decide which works the best for you and go with it. Another nail biter is gravy. This is a temperamental dish, where it could come out satiny and smooth or chock full of lumps. It's a simple recipe of just pan drippings, giblets, water and flour .Rosemary is added for more flavor and complexity along with salt and pepper. It;s just a matter of keeping the lumps at bay with constant stirring. The easier route would be buying a couple of jars of Heinz turkey gravy and just heating it upon the stove  top or even in  the microwave.,

Cranberries are another bone of cooking contention. A side made with fresh cranberries is always welcomed. Yet preparing them for cooking can be exhausting. You have to first wash and clean them, and then remove any stem, leaves and soft berries. The actual cooking only takes ten minutes on the stove top. Of course there is the classic Ocean Spray cranberry sauce. Open the can and just plop it on a fancy dish and you're done. One of the most agonizing holiday food choices is scratch  cookies verses slice and bakes.Of course nothing taste better than a homemade sugar cookie. Keep in mind that you can do a lot with a scratch cookie, Cinnamon and nutmeg can be added. Vary the recipe to make it gluten free and safe to eat for everyone. Of course the slice and bakes are soooo easy to make. You just need a sharp knife and a cookie sheet.These can be decorated too, with either homemade or bought frosting. One of the best things about slice and bakes is that they make excellent sandwich cookies, thanks to their uniform shapes. What you could do is bake the store bought  dough and make the fillings with different flavorings  from chocolate to peppermint.

It's up to you - as the chief home chef  how easy or complicated you want to go with your holiday cooking and baking. Go one way or the other. Or do a combination that works best for you. It's your choice  and your choice only.