Haute on the Ranch: Homemade for the Holidays

The culinarily aesthetic holiday – it’s EVERYWHERE. From drool-worthy Pinterest desserts to curated Instagram feeds chock full of fancy schmancy Christmas themed charcuterie boards, it can be overwhelming to decide what to serve for the holidays that everyone will love and that will make you look like a culinary genius. And let’s not even dive into what that would do to your sanity…and your bank account.

As daughters, mothers, sisters, and friends, we women put a lot of pressure on ourselves to make the holiday table look and taste like a million bucks. But I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming to serve dishes that will both please a crowd and keep your holiday cheerful mood intact.

So how DO you make this happen? The key is to choose comfort over curated and evoke memories of holidays past that were warm and fuzzy. And that most definitely doesn’t involve the $85 bottle of barrel aged red and 17-step layer cake someone told you to try. But listen, if that’s your thing – go for it! I’ll never turn down a glass of good Cabernet.

Making your holiday menu feel warm, cozy and friendly is simpler than you think. How ironic (wink). The goal is to gather, am I right? Simmer your largest pot of your favorite soup or stew, make some easy homemade crusty bread, set out a cheese tray with a few fun things like pickles, olives and nuts, and watch people gobble it up until their bellies are full and warm. I love to set the pot of soup right in the middle of the table with a ladle. No one has to get up for seconds and the lively conversation can continue! This would also work with a large pan of homemade lasagna or a family favorite casserole, if those are more your style.

My Mimi (God rest her precious soul) always made the holidays memorable for the close 10 gathered around her dining table. She would serve top quality filet mignon on vintage metal and wood plates that were her grandmother’s and set out her finest Waterford glasses, letting us kids sip sparkling grape juice, much to our delight. Fancy and informal can coexist and can make for the fondest of holiday memories.

Here are some things you can do to make holiday meals homemade while minimizing your culinary stress. 

PREP AS MUCH AHEAD OF TIME AS POSSIBLE

This includes planning your menus, shopping at non-peak times, and organizing your refrigerator before guests hit your doormat. Cutting veggies, planning which serving dishes to use, and thawing meat a day in advance will also make the big day run smoother.

SELECT DISHES YOU’RE FAMILIAR WITH MAKING OR THAT YOU KNOW YOUR FAMILY LOVES

It’s absolutely fine to serve a heaping pile of spaghetti and meatballs for Christmas supper. Buck tradition, do what works for you and fix hearty things you know people will slurp up! If you want to try a new recipe for the holidays, make it a couple weeks ahead of time to see if it needs any tweaks to better suit your crowd. You’d be shocked the number of recipes I run across that the cooking times or seasoning amounts simply don’t make sense. Better to be prepared and feel confident in what you’re fixing the day you serve it to a crowd.

MAKE SIMPLE, APPROACHABLE RECIPES THAT IMPRESS

Nothing will make Aunt Linda raise her eyebrows in surprise more than when you tell her you made the bread yourself. I find that recipes using active dry yeast are the friendliest and most foolproof while yielding that delicious homemade taste. Another surprisingly easy thing to make yourself is pasta. And no, you don’t need a fancy machine to do it. Just break out the rolling pin – it only takes a couple minutes to get the dough thin enough to cut noodles with a knife, and the taste is unmatched! Topping salad with homemade dressing is another easy swap that tastes fabulous. As luck would have it, I have recipes for all of these and more in my cookbook, “Y’all Want Seconds?”! 

SWAP OUT THE STORE BOUGHT

It truly can be easy to replace store bought with homemade, even when you’re planning a multi-dish holiday meal. Scratch made mayonnaise for dressings and sauces takes quite literally 60 seconds to whip up and saves loads of money. Homemade cookies are fun to make with the kiddos and will have your house smelling like a cozy Christmas bakery. And there is nothing like homemade salted caramel sauce topping vanilla ice cream to end the evening gathered around the Christmas tree.

TURN UP THE MUSIC, AND TURN DOWN THE STRESS

Throw on an apron, crank up your favorite tunes, dance in the kitchen and ENJOY fixing these meals for your family and friends. After all - you don’t HAVE to, you GET to.

Whoever you spend your holidays with, I hope they are filled to the brim with great company, fond memories and, of course, scrumptious food. Cheers to you, the holiday chef. You’re creating memories people will hold onto for a lifetime. Merry Christmas from the Fischer Upper kitchen to yours!

-Erin Fischer