5 Ways to Prep your Kitchen for Holiday Cooking
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Now that Halloween is over, I am excited for all things Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have been already slowly putting my Halloween decor away and cleaning up. The first spot I started with was the kitchen because there is a lot to prep in there for holiday cooking.
I don’t know about you but I love to cook! Sometimes, however, time runs low during the busy school weeknights. That is why despite my love for cooking, I often depend on quick, convenient meals for the family. My kids and husband love foods with lots of flavor so meals like P.F. Chang’s Home Menu Chicken Pork Dan Dan and Chicken Pad Thai Single Serve Bowls from Walmart are perfect to have on-hand.
You can find these in the frozen meals aisle at your local Walmart store. 
The P.F. Chang’s Home Menu Chicken Pork Dan Dan is a Sichuan favorite.
This popular Chinese dish features delicious Lo Mein noodles, all-natural ground pork raised without antibiotics, earthy shiitake mushrooms, flavorful scallions and nutty toasted sesame seeds covered in a rich and savory brown sauce.
The Chicken Pad Thai features tender rice noodles, all-natural chicken raised without antibiotics, tasty green cabbage and carrots, earthy shiitake mushrooms and flavorful scallions mixed with a savory tamarind Pad Thai sauce.
These meals are perfect for the holiday season when things start to heat up!
Speaking of heating up, now is the time to not only decorate but get your kitchen prepped for holiday cooking! Here are some helpful tips below that will get your ready to bake and cook up a storm!
5 Ways to Prep your Kitchen for Holiday Cooking
Clean your cabinets and pantry out– Toss all the old spices and foods that have been opened for too long and need a refresh. Now is also the time to restock and refresh your spices and baking musts. I know I ran out of baking powder the other day and totally need to stock up on powdered sugar.
Bleach your coffee mugs– Ever since I was a little girl my mom would bleach our stained coffee mugs 2 times a year. This got them sparkling clean and ready for guests to drink out of. There is nothing more embarrassing than serving someone coffee in a dirty or stained mug–it is a pet peeve of mine! An easy way to do this is to fill your sink with hot water almost to the top and soak your cups in 1/2 cup of bleach for 1 hour. Wear rubber gloves and vent your kitchen while doing this.
Bring out your stand mixer– Now that the summer is over it is time to break out the stand mixer again. Clear the counter and dedicate a space to this soon to be used kitchen tool. Make sure you have all your attachments too!
Find your pie dishes and serving tools– Ever go to bake a pie and then you cannot locate the pie plates? Maybe this just happens to me, but I hate it! Be sure to find the pie dishes, bundt pans, bread pans and more! Keep them in one easy to locate area for easy access where your floured hands can reach them. I also have already placed my cake holder on my island for near future use!
Clean your oven-inside & out– Motivate yourself to cook with a perfectly cleaned oven. My favorite way to clean mine is with baking soda, and vinegar which eats through the grease!
Bonus tip: Stock your freezer with convenient meals– It may seem ironic but after making 5 lbs of stuffing or baking 10 pies you might not have time to make a dinner meal. By stocking up on P.F. Chang’s Home Menu Chicken Pork Dan Dan and Chicken Pad Thai Single Serve Bowls you can have a quick meal for them nights when you don’t feel like turning the oven back on!
Available at Walmart in the frozen meals aisle!
What are some ways you prep your kitchen for holiday cooking?
Your kitchen is beautiful! Those noodle dishes look and sound amazing! I’m going to have to try those.
Love Pad Thai and all your tips! Keeping my kitchen clean and organized is such a hard task!
I haven’t had Pad Thai in a long time and I am glad I can enjoy them in a quick and easy to prepare pack. I will add that to my grocery list this week.
This is a great idea for the holidays! They all look delish!
I love PF Changs! The closest one is hours away, so I’ll have to give these frozen meals a try!
I know after a day of baking I don’t feel like cooking. These meals will be perfect for what I call fend for yourself nights.
I just cleaned out my pantry today! You’ve inspired me to keep the momentum going with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up.
I have had those Dan Dan noodles and they are excellent. I cannot wait for Thanksgiving and Christmas as well. So much cooking and baking go on.
These are such smart tips – it’s so important to be prepared! I’ve never had PF Changs before – I wonder if they carry it in Canada. It sure sounds yummy!
Those meals look really good. I’m going to have to pick some up and give them a try. Sometimes I need quick and easy meals like these.
When it comes to holiday cooking and prep, I can use several extra hands it seems! These are fantastic tips!
There are definitely going to be days when we need some quick and satisfying meals. Having a few P.F. Changs meals around will be helpful!
I love P.F. Chang’s! I make their frozen dinners all the time. They’re SO good, and they save me a metric ton of time.