With more diners looking to outsource holiday meals, Atlanta restaurants whip up precooked options
Your holiday dinner doesn't always mean starting from scratch. More people are turning to precooked meals to get food on the table faster.
Some Atlanta businesses, such as Mary Mac's Tea Room, are helping families skip the stove for their holiday meal. All you have to do is stick the delicious food they provide in the oven.
"We can feed 10, 100 - as many people as you need - and you can pick it up today," executive chef Ronnie Holt said.
The classic Midtown restaurant says its chefs cooked nearly 350 families' holiday dinners this year. Management says it's part of a growing trend: opting for a precooked party.
"People come in, and they say, 'Thank you so much. We didn't want to cook this year," co-owner Chad Reynolds said.
The process is simple: fill out a form online, then come in to pick up the food.
"Kat is the busiest one right now. She's putting together all the to-go food." Holt said.
Mary Mac's most popular items: turkey, sweet potato soufflé, and collard greens.
"We pull the meat out, drop all the collard greens into the stock, and let it simmer for three hours. We take the meat off the bone, place it in with the collard greens, and then we're able to pan it up and get it ready to go for all this holiday catering," Holt said.
It's a dinner that chefs say takes an entire day to cook. The precooked option cuts that time down to about 30 minutes.
"By the time the guest gets it, all they have to do is take the lid off, place it in the oven, and that's it," Holt said.
Chefs recommend warming your oven to 350 degrees when heating the food and serving it safely at 140 degrees.