Man, Thanksgiving is over. Christmas is around the corner learn more here. This seems to happen every year. My thoughts will turn to a delicious Christmas meal in August with all the stuffing and sweet potatoes. But, for some reason, I forget to plan it again until the holiday. Which is odd because I have other events and holidays throughout the year. It can be hard to plan parties when you are busy with your kids and work. You can still throw a party if you break it up into manageable sections. If you don’t have the time or patience to do something complicated, it is best to stick with simple ideas.

These Christmas meal ideas are easy to put together and will give your guests a traditional holiday experience. Turkey is what I think of when planning a Christmas feast. A whole turkey is what people associate with cooking for Christmas. It’s fine to cook a whole turkey if it has thawed in the refrigerator for several days. But what if that doesn’t happen? A turkey breast is the best solution. Depending on the number of guests attending your Christmas party, you might need to buy more than one bird. You can cook and prep much faster with a turkey breast than the whole turkey. The best part about it is that a turkey breast won’t take up too much space in your refrigerator/freezer.

Mashed potatoes are the next item on our menu. In our house, we have a family tradition of peeling and boiling the potatoes before we mash them. I prefer ready-mashed potatoes when I don’t have the time. These potatoes don’t take much time to prepare and you can use your stove burners to cook other items. They are worth a try before you dismiss them. I used to think the same way about them until I made the mistake of cooking with mashed potatoes one night. I called my husband asking him to bring me potatoes that I could heat in the microwave in only a few minutes. He brought me home ready-made potatoes that I loved. Your guests won’t even know the difference.