Whether you have multiple guests or a party of two, cooking a holiday meal can seem daunting. So how to make Christmas dinner easy but still special? Tricks like making mashed potatoes in advance and keeping them warm in your slow cooker save time with delicious results. Master more holiday cooking hacks that decrease time and stress and even cover up common cooking mistakes.

It doesn’t matter if you’re new to holiday entertaining or a Christmas dinner veteran; everyone needs a few tricks up their sleeves. These holiday cooking hacks not only enable you to survive Christmas cooking, but enjoy it too (and your guests).

We all fear the dry, overcooked turkey that’s a chore to eat. But one of the easiest Christmas dinner cooking tips may actually save the day. After slicing, but before serving, pour some chicken stock on dry turkey meat. The stock will add moisture, restore flavor and no one will be the wiser.

Making gravy in advance can be a valuable time-saver. But how can you keep it warm without using stovetop space or a last-minute zap in the microwave? Immediately after preparing, store your gravy in a thermos. Pour it in a gravy boat just before serving to yield warm, delicious results with less fuss.

Holiday cooking hacks that free up space in your oven are worth their weight in gold. Use a three-tiered oven rack like this one from Amazon to cook flat dishes like pies and casseroles stacked alongside the main course. You’ll be able to fit more in your oven, enabling all your dishes to be served hot at the same time.

Did your dishes leave messy drips and splashes behind? You can clean the oven with baking soda after the big day to easily remove baked-on stains.

Instead of transferring cooked foods to serving platters and bowls, invest in an appealing set of oven-to-table cookware. Items like stoneware or Pyrex make great time-saving hacks for Christmas dinner, cooking food to perfection and doubling as attractive serving ware. Added bonus: there are fewer dishes to clean and leftovers can be covered and stored in the fridge in the same dish.

Turn your trusty cooler into one of the best holiday kitchen hacks that frees up space in the refrigerator. Simply place the cooler outside but close to the kitchen for easy access. Use it to chill drinks or store bulky items, saving space in the refrigerator for your key ingredients and dishes.

One of the most common holiday cooking hacks calls for chopping vegetables in advance. But once that’s done, give your fresh herbs a chop too. After cutting to size, portion them in an ice cube tray and cover with olive oil before freezing. When needed, simply grab a cube and place it in a hot pan for fresh herbs on demand.

Cutting cold butter into flour to make pie crust and biscuits is labor-intensive and can take up time you don’t have. Instead, pop your butter in the freezer and use a cheese grater to add frozen shreds to your baking recipe. These grated pieces combine more easily with other ingredients, saving time and energy.

We hope our holiday cooking hacks make your Christmas dinner a breeze, enabling you to enjoy time with those you love. Happy Holidays from all of us at Reliable Appliance Service.