Christmas

The general rule of thumb is to plan for about 8 ounces of meat per adult and about 4 ounces per child. Keep in mind that if the meat you are cooking contains bones, the weight of the bones should be excluded.

Most leftovers, including meat, vegetables, potatoes, gravy, and any desserts made with cream or milk, need to be refrigerated. Keep them in separate sealed containers in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze them for longer storage. Dinner rolls and desserts that aren’t made with dairy can be stored at room temperature, covered, for up to 3 days.

For a big holiday meal, plan for 3 to 4 side dishes. A starchy side, like mashed potatoes, along with bread or dinner rolls, and one to two vegetable sides works well.

Most holiday cookies can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to a week. Shortbread, sugar, gingerbread, and rolled cookies will freeze well for up to 3 months. You can freeze the unbaked dough or the baked, undecorated cookies in an airtight container between parchment or wax paper layers.