Holiday Take Out

It’s ironic that cinema and Christmas both begin with the letter C because as any parent knows, there is a huge amount of creativity and planning to pull off the magic of the season, much like making a movie.

Of course, wide-eyed excitement makes every late night, pine needle and slippery-road shopping trip worth the effort. But keep this in mind: Hollywood directors don’t do it all and neither should you. After all, a burnt-out hostess isn’t any fun and it’s your Christmas too. You’ll want to enjoy the turkey and crisp Sauv Blanc on the big day.

So give yourself a break and consider take-out for the biggest supper of the year. Surprisingly, there are several restaurants and meal preparation companies that sell traditional holiday fare. It might not taste exactly like the dinners of yore but who knows, it may even taste better.

Meez (formerly Mise en Place) is experienced in the ‘cook it today, reheat it tomorrow’ model and their à la carte dinner menu is gourmet and delicious. Go for the full-meal turkey deal, including a free run, organic Winter’s turkey; then, add a second veggie side, change your main to beef or include an additional sauce from there. You can also get appetizers ready-made for your holiday parties. Or cook the bird yourself (the easy part) and buy the fussy side dishes. The beauty of Meez is that you can choose.

All dishes come with detailed reheating instructions (your guests will never know their dinner was prepared in advance). Servings are large so don’t order extra unless you want leftovers. With three locations in the south for pick up, you’ll need to order your holiday meals well in advance.

On the slightly higher end, River Café also caters holiday dinners. In this case the turkey comes uncooked (but prepared and brined) in a roasting pan for your home oven.

What you do with the extra time not slaving over a hot stove is up to you.