Holiday KItchen Hacks

 Christmas cooking and baking can be stressful. Home chefs and bakers may not have the time or the skill. Not to worry . There are hacks to use that can get anyone through this kitchen craziness.

First of all rethink that holiday roast. You don't have to cook an entire roast if there's only a few people. An easier version of roast turkey is turkey breast. It only takes about an hour or two to cook which means you don't have to wake up and start pepping it right away. A canned ham can do just fine if you don;t want to roast a fresh one.Another easy main course is rounds of filet mignon that can even be cooked up in the air fryer.Simplify sides as well. Frozen broccoli and green beans can be microwaved , chilled Christmas Eve and turned into tasty salads half an hour before the meal is served. Go for a simple vinaigrette instead of a fancy , more laborious dressing. Stovetop Stuffing is just as tasty as the more work intensive one where you have to tear bread and chop celery for. Instant mashed potatoes can be used and jazzed up with chopped garlic or minced scallions. Another easy side is microwaved sweet potatoes or yams. These only takes five minutes to cook per potato. Serve with melted butter.

What about those Christmas desserts? One super easy hack is going to your local bakery and buying a platter of cookies or a prettily decorated cake.  Some bakeries and stores such as Acme and Stop and Shop even sell in store  already baked and decorated Yule Logs or Buche de Noel. If you do feel like baking , remember there are Pillsbury Slice and Bakes. These are easy to prep and bake. Another plus is that you can go to their website and get decorating ideas.There is one where you can decorate cookies to look like Santa's bellies or Christmas ornaments. A yummy treat are sandwich cookies  with an easy buttercream filling.A two layer cake is always a lovely way to end a holiday meal. You can go with any of the Duncan Hines ones and canned icing. A tasty one is a butter cake with a rich cocoa frosting. What about a chocolate sheet cakes with mint icing? You can dust it with silver sanding sugar for a frosty snow effect. You could also bake cupcakes which are always a crowd pleaser and easy to bake and frost. Even easier is a trifle made with store bought pound cake, rum , fruit and Cool Whip. Layer and then pop overnight in the fridge.

Don;t stress over Christmas cooking and baking.There are some easy hacks to make everything a cinch. Try them for some relief in the kitchen.