Holiday Hosting Essentials — Everything I Use to Feed 25
These are my holiday hosting essentials — everything I actually use to put a holiday dinner for 25 on the table and still sit down and eat with everybody else. Every piece on this page is something I own and reach for when the whole crowd comes home, from the roaster that keeps my oven free to the serving bowls that finally replaced my chipped ones. And if you want the whole plan — the menu, the timeline, and every recipe — it is all in my guide, The Holiday Table for 25.
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Featured Tools & Ingredients
- 【Versatile Electric Roaster Oven】From roasting and baking to slow cooking, this electric roaster...
- 【Self-Basting Lid & Anti-Scald Handle】This roaster oven is equipped with Self-Basting Lid, which...
• Mine is a 20-quart Rival that has lived in the pantry room for years, and Rival does not make them anymore — this is the closest match I could find, same size, same shape. I pull it out for the turkey at the holidays so that both of my ovens stay free for everything else, and that one move is the whole reason a holiday dinner for a crowd fits in one afternoon. If you don't have two ovens, you need one of these.
Holiday Hosting Essentials for Feeding 25
Feeding 25 people on a holiday isn’t about fancy recipes. It’s about timing — one oven, a dozen dishes, and everyone hungry at 1:00. The tools that make it work are not glamorous. They are the ones that free up oven space, hold food hot once it’s done, and get it all onto a buffet line without anybody standing at the sink.
And that is the rule I live by: do not do dishes for 25 people. You are hosting a holiday, not running a restaurant kitchen. Nice disposable plates at the start of the line, a few good serving pieces, and the right pans for the oven — that’s what this list is.
I have grouped everything the way the day actually goes. Cook it, get it to the table, and stock the pantry so you aren’t running to the store on the morning of.
Cooking It All in One Day
The roaster takes the turkey, the crockpot takes the corn, and the oven runs two racks of pans on a schedule. Everything here earns its spot by freeing up room somewhere else.
- Spacious 7-quart manual slow cooker serves 8+ people or fits a 6-lb. roast
- Set cooking time to high and get a hot meal in no time or set it on low and tonight’s dinner can...
• I love this Crock-Pot so much I take it on vacation with me. On a holiday it is the creamy corn, and it needs no oven space at all — it cooks on high, then sits on warm right on the buffet line. Mine is the bright turquoise 7-quart.
🔗 The whole story on this one, vacation pulled pork included →
- No More Guesswork During Your Chill Cooking Time - professional digital thermometer devotes every...
- Accurate and Sensitive Probe - 2-3s fast response time, measure food temperature from ice water to...
• If you buy one thing off this page, buy this. A turkey is done at 165°F in the thickest part of the breast and the innermost thigh and wing, and there is no way to know that by looking.
- SET OF 3 BAKING SHEETS: GoodCook’s Nonstick Cookie Sheet Set comes with a small 13” x...
- EVEN BAKE, EVERY TIME: The heavy-duty gauge baking pans in this bakeware set ensure long-lasting...
• You need a full set of sheet pans in multiple sizes — that is just the truth of cooking for a crowd. On a holiday they hold the rolls while they rise, the Brussels sprouts, and the sheet cake.
- Included: (1) Pyrex 233-D 5-Qt Deep Rectangular Glass Baking Dish and (1) 233-PC Sage Green Lid...
- Material Quality: Tempered glass dish with a BPA-free plastic lid; the non-porous glass surface...
• The dish I reach for more than any other — the deep 9x13 with the pretty lid. Mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and stuffing all go in the oven in these, and the lid means the make-ahead pans go straight into the fridge the night before.
- Premium Quality - Made with lightweight but durable, high grade thick aluminum and reinforced walls...
- Eco-Friendly & Safe - Fully recyclable. Toss these disposable aluminum pans after use for a mess...
• These disposable 9x13 aluminum pans are the convenience item I refuse to run out of. Two pans of everything for 25 means a lot of pans, and these mean I don't have to own them all — or wash them.
🔗 Why I refuse to run out of these →
- Griprite 9.5' Pie Plate
- CORNING CONSUMER PRODUCTS CO
• This is my go-to pie pan for everything from pot pies to Thanksgiving apple pie. It is sturdy, it goes in the dishwasher, it stores in the fridge. It is the everything pie pan — and you'll want two.
- NO MORE LOST BEATERS: The snap-on storage case that comes with the Hamilton Beach hand mixer neatly...
- EASILY HANDLES A VARIETY OF RECIPES: With 6 different speed options plus a QuickBurst button for an...
• A good hand mixer earns its drawer space. Ten pounds of mashed potatoes and two pans of sweet potato casserole come together fast without dragging out the stand mixer. Mine is older than I'd like to admit — this is the closest current model.
- EXCEPTIONAL DESIGN: Enjoy mirror finish, classic look and professional performance. Aluminum...
- PREMIUM COOKING: Stainless steel cooking surface does not discolor, react with food or alter...
• For soups, chili, pasta water, big batches of anything — you need a good stock pot and this is mine. On a holiday it is ten pounds of potatoes at once. My twenty year old pot still looks as good as my pot that is only a year old.
- 200 SQUARE FOOT ALUMINUM ROLL: This package contains 1 Reynolds wrap aluminum foil roll measuring...
- ALUMINUM FOIL: Backed by over 70 years of quality & strength, home cooks of all kinds trust Reynolds...
• I go through aluminum foil constantly. Covering casseroles, tenting the turkey while it rests, wrapping leftovers — Reynolds Wrap is the brand I trust. Always keep a roll on hand.
Getting It to the Table
You can cook for 25 people in an ordinary kitchen. Serving 25 people is what actually stops you. Keep the hot foods together, give desserts and drinks their own spots, and put the plates and napkins at the beginning of the line.
- Two Sizes with Oval Serving Space: This set includes two large oval serving platters: 11.8-inch...
- Deep Rim, Prevent Spills: The deep rim helps keep sauces, juices, and food securely contained while...
• These two came as a set for a really good price: a large platter that would hold a small turkey or a ham, and a smaller one beside it. Heavy, speckled, neutral enough to go rustic or dressy, and dishwasher, microwave and oven safe.
🔗 A closer look at both platters, every size and color →
- 【Versatile Serving Bowls】Ideal for various occasions, make this large ceramic bowl set salad...
- 【Durable Ceramic Design】Crafted with a farmhouse decor finish, embossed with different patterns...
• These two came as a set — one with little ridges, one with a pretty cross pattern, both a solid cream. They hold a good amount of green beans or corn or mashed potatoes, they are dishwasher and microwave safe, and they nest right inside each other in my pantry.
🔗 A closer look at both bowls, and why I finally replaced my old chipped ones →
- INCLUDES THREE 2.5QT BUFFET TRAYS: Each stainless steel buffet trays comes with their own utensil...
- ALSO INCLUDES 7.5QT OVEN-SAFE PAN: The large casserole pan is oven-safe with cool-touch silicone...
• When you are feeding a big group by yourself, buffet style is really the only way it works — and then the whole challenge becomes keeping the food at the right temperature. This is what solves that for me. It holds three containers, and when I need one big flat surface for pans instead, the containers lift right out.
- 2‑PACK 1.1 GALLON (4L) DRINK DISPENSERS FOR PARTIES: Each of these drink dispensers for parties...
- RESTAURANT‑GRADE SAFETY & DURABILITY: This borosilicate water dispenser is built with thickened...
• Drink dispensers are not a luxury when you are serving a crowd. The holiday punch goes right in one of these on its own table, away from the food, so the buffet line keeps moving.
🔗 My full review of these glass drink dispensers →
- 1.Party Cup Holder with Marker Slot: Wooden cup holder measures roughly...
- 2.Mark Your Cup and Drink Up Cup Holder: Cup holder with marker slot, includes two marker pens...
• Keeps the drink table from turning into a sticky mess. Everybody finds their own cup, so every cup has a home.
Not every serving piece has to be new. Look around your house first, and then check the thrift stores — that is where you find platters, bowls and baskets for cheap. Here is how I thrift for hosting.
Paper Goods: Do Not Do Dishes for 25
Buy nice disposable plates, napkins, cups and utensils, and put them at the start of the buffet line so nobody has to juggle a full plate to grab a fork. Sturdy dinner plates matter here — a holiday plate is a heavy plate.
Simple Table Decor
Keep it simple: a table runner, candles, and a little fall decor. Use what you have and check the thrift stores first. These are the runners and candle rings on our tables, plus the invitation paper I used and the apron I got for hosting.
From My Pantry
The shortcuts that make a homemade holiday dinner possible for 25. Buy these early — four weeks out — so the cost is spread over a month and the last week isn’t one giant shopping trip.
🛒 Holiday Pantry Shopping List
The pantry items I reach for on a holiday — click any item to shop on Amazon.
Holiday Hosting Essentials FAQ
Is Stephanie paid to recommend any of these?
No. Not one brand on this page has paid me, and nothing here was a gift or a sample from a company. I bought these with my own money. These links earn me a small commission if you buy through them, which is different from being paid to say something, and if that ever changes I will say so right here.
What are the holiday hosting essentials if I only have one oven?
A turkey roaster, and it is not close. If you don’t have two ovens, you’ll need one — the turkey goes in the roaster, and your oven is free for the sides. After that, a crockpot takes one more dish out of the oven entirely.
How do you keep everything hot for a buffet?
Nothing ever finishes at the same time, so I stopped trying to make it. Pans that come out early get covered with foil or go into the buffet server, and the crockpot holds on warm right on the line. The trick is not cooking faster — it is having somewhere to park the food that is already finished.
How far ahead should I shop for a holiday dinner for 25?
Start four weeks out with the pantry items, buy paper goods three weeks out, and get your turkey or ham two weeks out so you get a big one. Fresh food comes the last week. The full countdown and the grocery lists are in The Holiday Table for 25.
How long does it take to thaw a turkey?
In the refrigerator, about one day for every 4 to 5 pounds, according to the USDA. For an 18 to 22 pound turkey, move it from the freezer to the fridge the Friday or Saturday before a Thursday dinner.
More Kitchen Favorites You’ll Love
- Kitchen Tools for Cooking for a Crowd — everything I own and use to feed seven every night and thirty at Easter.
- Kitchen Favorites: Large Serving Bowls — the year I finally replaced my chipped ones.
- Tuesday Tip: Thrift Hosting — serving platters, bowls and baskets for cheap.
📬 Come to the table on Saturday
Every Saturday morning I send a printable meal plan and full grocery list — the whole week, formatted for the fridge and the grocery run — plus new recipes and whatever’s happening at the Longstreth house. Drop your email below and I’ll save you a seat.
Holiday Hosting Essentials — About Stephanie Longstreth
Stephanie Longstreth is the home cook, mom, and storyteller behind StephanieCooksForACrowd.com. She cooks for a family of seven in Florida — five kids, two cats, and one husband who appreciates a good meal. Four of her children came home through adoption, and family stories are woven into everything she makes and shares. Find her crowd-friendly recipes, weekly meal plans, and real family life on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest @stephaniecooksforacrowd.