Cooking and entertaining are part of what makes the holiday season so special. Whether you are hosting a dinner party at your home or preparing a dish to bring to a potluck, creating homemade dishes is a wonderful way to spread holiday cheer with your family and friends. Unfortunately, cooking and baking aren't always easy, especially if you aren't a seasoned chef. To help all of your kitchen endeavors go off without a hitch this holiday season, consider investing in these holiday cooking tools and simple tips from Murphy Door.
1. Sharp Knives
Regardless of whether you're chopping vegetables, slicing bread, or carving a turkey, a sharp knife can make all the difference in your cooking and entertaining experience. Sharp knives aren't just the secret for creating clean slices and helping food preparation go quicker. They're also safer than their dull counterparts. Here are a few knives that are worth investing in to serve your family this holiday season and beyond:
- Chef knife: This is the best option for ordinary prep work, such as chopping, slicing, and dicing fruits and vegetables.
- Bread knife: This knife has a serrated blade that makes cutting through soft bread a breeze (without squishing it, of course).
- Carving set: This riveted knife and carving fork will make you look like a pro when it's time to slice ham, beef, turkey, and more.
2. Meat Thermometer
Even with the best recipe, ingredients, and appliances, every recipe is unique and will have different results. With an ordinary weeknight dinner, there may be room for error. But that's not the case when entertaining guests over the holidays. To prevent the unfortunate experience of undercooking or overcooking your meal, it's worth purchasing a meat thermometer. Gone are the days of estimating how much longer your prime rib or standing rib roast should stay in the oven or how long it should rest after it's been taken out. Your family and guests alike will be impressed when your main courses come out perfectly every time.
3. Slow Cooker
When it comes to effortless holiday entertaining, making as much food as possible in advance can take the pressure off of trying to make multiple dishes at once while people are walking through your door. This is where a slow cooker can be one of your most invaluable holiday cooking tools. With a slow cooker, you can prepare your favorite side dish hours before your guests arrive, knowing it will be perfect when your party begins. Even better, it can keep already prepared dishes perfectly warm, so you can rest assured that it will be delicious no matter when it's served.
4. Food Processor
One of the most challenging aspects of creating holiday meals from scratch isn't necessarily the cooking; it's the preparation. Cutting fruits, vegetables, nuts, and meats can be tedious and time-consuming. This is especially true when making multiple dishes for a lot of people. To make your meal prep go by quickly and easily, a food processor is invaluable. What might take you half an hour by hand can be accomplished in minutes with the push of a button.
5. Spice Rack Hidden Door
There's no question that staying organized while cooking and baking in your kitchen is a must, especially over the holidays. Along with getting the right holiday cooking tools, invest in perfect kitchen fixtures. With a hidden door from Murphy Door, you can make the most of your pantry all year long. Along with keeping your dry ingredients organized, visible, and easily accessible, our Spice Rack Door can add to the beauty and functionality of your kitchen while keeping your pantry or kitchen closet out of view.
Visit us online today to browse all of our hidden door solutions. See how we can help you make this holiday season your best one yet!
