Grand Feast Coordinator

How to complete Grand Feast Coordinator

Pulling off a multi-course holiday dinner for six or more is as much logistics as cooking: staggering dishes so everything lands hot and on time without you melting down. It's the real test of whether you can host, not just cook a single dish.

1. Set the menu a week ahead: an appetizer or two, a centerpiece main, several sides, and a dessert, balancing oven, stovetop, and cold dishes.
2. Write a reverse timeline from serving time, marking what can be made days ahead versus at the last minute.
3. Prep everything possible in advance: chop, marinate, and make sauces and dessert a day or two early.
4. Map the oven schedule so dishes needing different temperatures don't collide; offload onto the stovetop and slow cooker.
5. Rest the main while you finish the sides, and recruit a guest to help plate and pour.

Tips

• Favor dishes that hold well or serve at room temperature so timing isn't knife-edge.
• Confirm the headcount and any dietary restrictions before you shop.
• Set the table and chill drinks the night before to free up the day.

What counts as done

Six or more guests sat down to a complete multi-course meal you planned and cooked, served roughly on schedule.