You should have at least four or five dishes with different types of meats that complement or are different from each other.

Cook your pasta sauces ahead for one less thing to stress over on party.

If nobody’s volunteered to host this year’s Christmas reunion yet, don’t be afraid to take on the challenge. It’s a great opportunity to share the gift of love, food and happiness this season.

Renowned Filipino chef, restaurateur and La Germania brand ambassador chef Rolando Laudico shares a few tips to help you with hosting duties so you and your guests can enjoy the ultimate Christmas feast.

When planning your spread, have a variety of dishes on the menu. “Try to balance your whole feast,” chef Laudico advises. “You should have at least four or five dishes with different types of meats that complement each other or that are different from each other. Let’s say you’re cooking a dish with a rich sauce, a lighter seafood or fish dish will complement that.”

It’s also good to consider that some of your guests might have food allergies or dietary restrictions. The more options you offer, the less you’ll have to worry about not catering to your guests’ many different tastes.

Having a cooktop with more than two burner zones will allow you to multitask and cook more dishes at once.

More than just scheduling your marketing and doing your food preps ahead of time, chef Laudico actually recommends cooking dishes you can easily cook a day or two before to lessen your stress on party day itself.

“If you’re going cook pasta sauces, you can actually do that a day before or two days ahead,” chef Lau says. “This works for tomato-based or cream-based sauces. Light pasta sauces like olive oil-based ones can be done last minute as these don’t usually take too much time and effort to make.”

Chef Rolando Laudico shares some party-hosting tips and tricks in time for your Christmas reunion.

A heavy meat dish like a roast beef in red wine-based sauce with roasted potatoes is another good candidate for pre-cooking. Seafood or fish dishes, however, are best cooked on the day itself to ensure the freshness of the ingredients.

To reheat your pre-cooked dishes on the day, you can just pop them all in the oven on the “keep warm” setting an hour or so before you serve them. Otherwise, you’ll have to reheat each dish in batches on your cooktop.

“When you reheat food, its quality diminishes. But what’s great with an oven is it’s not going to dry up your dish,” the chef explains. “Ovens are not just for baking or roasting.”

Since you’re preparing to host a party for a big group, it’s best to stick with dishes that you’ve cooked many times in the past, says chef Laudico. Aside from familiarity with the dishes for your spread, using kitchen implements and appliances that you’ve been using for a long time makes cooking easier for you.

“I love cooking seafood,” chef Lau shares. “So if I were to host a Christmas feast, the menu will likely consist of a baked fish dish that’s lightly marinated with fresh herbs, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a bit garlic, and citrus juice; roast beef in red wine sauce; fresh organic greens and grilled veggie salad with light dressing; risotto; and a rich soup,” he adds.

A lasagna roll is a pretty straightforward dish but presented with a twist.

Instead of doing a family-style sit-down meal where you serve several platters of food per table, chef Laudico recommends going for a mini buffet set-up for your reunion feast. “This will encourage your guests to actually serve themselves and that will free you up to make your rounds, socializing, and mingling with people,” chef Laudico says.

Separate the savory dishes from the desserts and the drinks for a more organized flow of guests to and from the buffet table. And have a nice punch bowl for your centerpiece to elevate your set-up with a touch of elegance while making it more accessible to all.

Chef Laudico can’t emphasize enough how food brings people together. And with reliable, time-tested La Germania cooking appliances easing things up in the kitchen, you get to have more time to celebrate what matters most this season — life and laughter shared with your loved ones.