Are You Planning Meals For Out-Of-Town Guests?

Doesn't it seem like you just had Christmas? And, yet, here you are more than likely already shopping, decorating and maybe even planning for out-of-town guests who will stay with you during the Christmas holidays. Whether you will be hosting friends or whether your grown children will be home for the holidays, part of your planning probably includes deciding on foods you will feed everyone. From stocking up on freezer meals now to ordering customized pizzas, here are some ideas that might help you.

Prepare Foods Ahead - So that you can enjoy your guests instead of working in the kitchen continuously while you prepare meals, consider using the weeks ahead to freeze some meals. for example, if you are preparing lasagna for a current meal, think of doubling the recipe and freezing some of the lasagna for later. Freeze things like cooked ground beef and cooked chicken, too. By doing that you will be able to pull out a package of either type of meat and add it to something like grilled vegetables or seasoned pasta.

As you shop for groceries that you will use now, consider buying things like extra sliced lunch meats that can be frozen and pulled out when your guests are at your home. Think of freezing artisan breads, too. 

Foods You Can Order - As you plan the menus for the Christmas holidays, consider including meals that can be delivered to your house. For example, Chinese food would be a break from leftover turkey or ham, wouldn't it? And, what about ordering customized pizzas while your guests are staying at your home? Do you already have a favorite pizza restaurant that delivers? If so, consider picking up a menu from that pizza restaurant so that you'll have it on hand for your house guests. The restaurant will more than likely do everything from plain cheese pizzas and three-cheese pizzas to gourmet pizzas that have things like artichoke hearts, mushrooms and other vegetables on them.

Don't forget dessert pizzas, too. You'll probably have choices like cinnamon and brown sugar topped pizzas, chocolate chip pizzas and even apple pie pizza. Consider getting personal pan pizzas so that each person can have exactly what he or she wants on his or her pizza. And, if you have guests who have allergies, say an allergy to gluten, the restaurant will more than likely have gluten-free pizzas on the menu. 


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