Jamie Oliver is well-known for being an expert on all things food, and this knowledge includes expertise on having perfect food during the holidays. In fact, I'm confident to say that his tips can help you improve your holiday food game this year.
He recently launched a brand new cookbook called "Jamie Oliver's Christmas Cookbook" and it holds hundreds of his recipes that he collected over the years as well as lots of tips and tricks to having the best holidays you possibly can—food-wise at least.
The book has multiple sections that start off from the basics such as equipment you may need all the way down to making Christmas decorations using food.
If cookbooks aren't your thing, he also has an entire section of his website dedicated to the holidays. It includes videos, recipes, tips, and guides as resources to help your food come out as close as you can make it to Jamie-Oliver-worthy.
Here is a list of some of Jamie Oliver's tips for getting the most out of food around the holidays.
Holiday Dinners
If you end up with the responsibility of cooking the big holiday dinner, Jamie Oliver has a master plan that is perfect for planning out when to cook what to make your life way easier.
Following this plan can help reduce your stress and allow you to enjoy more time with your friends and family during this special time.
Jamie Oliver's tips for a flawless holiday dinner also include checking to make sure you have the right equipment well in advance. This ensures you aren't caught off guard by something unexpected when the time comes. He also says to delegate your tasks to friends and family attending the dinner to take some of the load off of yourself.
Gift Giving
One of the most stressful parts of the holidays can be finding the perfect present for that friend who has everything or the coworker you don't know that well. Jamie says that edible gifts can be an excellent option since let's face it, they are fun to make and everyone loves them!
Jamie has a bunch of good recipes for edible gifts in his cookbook but if you don't own a copy you can also find some on his website. He suggest picking a nice, airtight container and decorating it with ribbon, string, and personalized tags. Who could resist such a delicious gift?
Holiday Leftovers
No matter how many people show up for dinner, it still always seems like there is an endless supply of food left over after the holidays.
While leftover turkey sandwiches may taste great at first, but it's easy to get bored of them after a while. Jamie has a section of his cookbook, as well as his website, just for holiday recipes. Look out for his exciting ideas like Turkey Risotto or Cannelloni.
Holiday Indulgences
"I want Americans to enjoy food. I want them to celebrate food. I want them to, on occasions, have big cakes and great things. And I want them to indulge." —Jamie Oliver
Jamie is well-known for being a huge advocate for healthy eating and trying to eliminate obesity around the world (especially in the United States.)
Even so, he still believes that the holidays are the time to enjoy food without limiting yourself. The holidays don't last that long so it would be a crime not to spend the entire time with friends and family while having good food.
Finally the most important advice of all
"And that's Christmas for you—it never goes according to plan. But as long as you keep laughing it will be alright."— Jamie Oliver's Christmas Cookbook
Sometimes no matter how much we prepare in advance, things still go wrong during the holidays which can sometimes dampen our spirits a little but as Jamie says: as long as you remain positive and laugh a bit, the holidays will still be enjoyable.