Preparing Large Meals in a Small Space

[Rita3333]

I'm wondering how people with small kitchens prepare for large meals, such as Christmas dinner?

I end up with a huge mess after preparing a meal. I find I don't clean up enough as I go. (as there isn't enough time once I start cooking) I don't have a dishwasher which is part of the problem. (I live in an apartment)

Just wondering how others do it? Do you prep everything the night before? Or prep and clean, start preparing next part of the meal, then clean some more? Do you get your family to help you once they arrive? hehe

I am going to purchase a large single bowl sink - this will be easier to clean large items like the turkey pan, versus the traditional double bowl sink, which doesn't hold large items.

I hope this helps my messy kitchen.

[nielmalm]

When i had a 30 square foot kitchen with all of four linear feet of counter space, i learned to put four inverted pint glasses or soup cans on a sheet pan and stack another sheet pan on top effectively doubling or tripling my available space. This stack would sit on top of my fridge, with all of my mise en place arrayed on each level. I often did summer patio parties for 75 people out of that kitchen...

[chocolatecheeseplease]

I feel you. In our Manhattan apartment I frequently did large dinners. I planned the menu at least a week in advance, and then as the date approached I planned out a schedule day by day and then for the day before I broke it down by hour. That way I was able to utilize my fridge, outlets and oven space the best. Sauces and dressings got made early in the week, breads early on in the day, and depending on the protein-it gets started on midday. I try very hard to clean as I go along, but still find myself stashing dirty dishes in the oven.
Just takes some time and practice to get a rhythm down.

[topbanana]

I find doing "mise en place" helps. It does dirty additional dishes, but it's more efficient overall.

I also clean out and organize my fridge a few days before I start food prep. This can free up a lot of needed space to store anything that can be done in advance or anything that needs to be chilled, like wine.

[escondido123]

I do that too because I keep a number of items in the frig--oatmeal, pancake mix, wheat flour, extra soda--that can do fine for a few days out and that opens up a good amount of space.

[chowser]

Fridge space is key and I find that before big dinners like Thanksgiving, we do either pantry food or take out. And, I can't count the number of Thanksgiving lunches where I realize we have nothing to eat.

[escondido123]

Having done many T'Day dinners, I now realize that I usually cooked too much food, worked too hard and made too many different dishes. Now I look for items that are already prepped such as peeled and diced squash, peeled and frozen baby onions as well as precooked--good pumpkin pies are pretty easy to find (not great but good and whipped cream makes all the difference.). This is also an occasion when I would not hesitate to ask people to bring their favorite side (in a serving bowl/plate with serving utensils please) which is also a nice way to discuss family traditions. If I concentrate on the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy I think I've done a good job.

[tavegyl]

I have a miniscule open plan kitchen so there's no room for clutter at all. I do what preps I can in advance and store everything possible in zip lock bags. They take less space in the fridge, and once emptied, can be bundled into another bag for disposal or washing/ reuse. Obviously this doesn't work for a lot of prepared things.

[NVJims]

If you have a washer and dryer and the laundry is adjacent to the kitchen you can cover the top of them to create more workspace. Mine are through a set of double doors right in the kitchen and I bought a slab of the poly cutting board that fits across the top of both. I was able to do plating and turkey carving in that area

[chowser]

An extra countertop. Clever!

[Bigley9]

I agree with all of the above but let me add that I put a large tupperware-type bin under my sink (the kind without lids that are meant for some kitchen purpose) and I put dirty dishes/pots into it when my guests have arrived and I don't want to do the dishes but also dont want to SEE them (esp. clearing the table after dinner - there is no way to get dessert out in my kitchen if the dinner dishes are on the counter) As my kitchen is visible from my entire first floor it also makes the guests more comfortable and less likely to try to help with clean up

[mamachef]

Now that is one hellafine idea, Bigley9. I've used the dishwasher as a hideyhole, but never thought to just make a bustray of my very own and tuck it out the way.

[bushwickgirl]

Another one with limited counter space and a tiny kitchen: I've been known to stick pots and pans in the bathtub, curtain pulled, until such time as I can get to them.

Otherwise, to simply what everyone has suggested here which I heartily agree with, organize, organize, prep and clean as you go.

[Sooeygun]

Small apt kitchen here too (that has expanded into the 'dining room' area with a small chest freezer and cart with a butcher block...we don't have a dining table anyway).

Our cupboards in the kitchen don't have doors (they had stupid sliding doors that we removed). For big parties, we pack up some of the stuff in the cupboards and stash it in the bedroom. Then the shelves are clear for party stuff.

And we have also been known to stick a buspan of dirty dishes in the bathtub with the curtain pulled.

[hotoynoodle]

living in a loft, i have very little counter space, and it's all on one wall. i entertain upwards of 20 on a pretty regular basis, and guests are blown away by how tidy the kitchen is when they arrive.

you MUST clean as you go. it's how professional kitchens stay organized through a busy shift. a bigger sink,simply piled with more pans and pots, won't save any time. it's just a huge pile of crap to wash, instead of a small one.

i prep as early as possible, even weeks ahead, if there is stuff i can freeze like cookies and cakes, i do that, i plan menus so that not everything needs to be on the stove or in the oven at once. food that is palatable at rom temp can be a game-saver. think mediterranean.

make lists, first a shopping list, then a list of everything that needs doing. from toasting nuts to peeling zucchini. review it to make sure nothing gets left off or overlooked.

don't make a million items. some home cooks get overly ambitious and the menu can be overwhelming. depending on your proficiency in the kitchen, allow yourself some extra time. and then some more.

set the table as eary as possible and wash and organize whatever platters, bowls and trays you need for service.

i'm a control freak and don't like guests bringing food. if you are more relaxed about it, then by all means have others pitch in. if you can draft a buddy or sibling to wash dishes, set the table, plate food, then by all means do so.

start the party with an empty sink and empty trash barrel.

[SeaSide Tomato]

All of the above is good. I would add to HTN's making lists that you include times!

I find this very helpful as I map out the day of and day before. 10:am x, 10:30 y, etc. A litte anal, yes, but helps me know what I (or helpers) need to do and when.

[arashall]

+1 on the detailed planning and cleaning up as you go. I used to do this for visiting American VIPs when I lived in Thailand. I made detailed shoping lists, timed out everything, and even planned which pans and tools to use so that I could figure out how to get everything done with the resources on-hand. Sometimes even borrowing a team-member's kitchen, if necessary. Yes, really anal, but it worked! Now that I'm back in the States, I'm still a much more efficient cook because of this experience.

[Rita3333]

Thanks so much for your ideas - I love the idea of making lists of things that need doing. Such a simple concept. I really need to do more planning when I entertain large crowds.

[chowser]

That was a great list. In addition to planning out (I do it in a spreadsheet for very large meals), I also plan food that will work around each other so I don't need to do too many things at once, or need the stove/oven at the same time. It is so much easier to plan around your needs than to plan around your menu. Pick the things that are set in stone (eg, if turkey is a must have, make sure there's time for that but then pick sides that don't have to be cooked in the oven at the same time unless they can fit, or can be cooked after the turkey has been removed) and then plan the rest of the menu around it. Clean dishes as you go, even if some consider that rude. In my kitchen, unless dinner dishes and cleaned and put away (at least I have a dishwasher), I don't have the space to serve dessert. Mental prep/cooking/clean up is just as important as the actual work.

[mamachef]

Ay-men to all the above. If you don't clean as you go ( and your guests should surely understand your space limitations) you'll have even less space to work with. Pre-set everything, right down to having out your necessary serving platters; one per served item (count 'em!) so as to avoid the forgotten casserole at the back of the oven. If there's a platter left over, something's gone missing, either back of the fridge or shoved into the microwave "for a minute's safekeeping." Sometimes too much space to rattle around in is an equal problem: your way demands that you be organized which never is a bad thing. You can do this - little more on the spot work required, but it'll be just fine.