Mise en place is a French phrase that literally means “putting in place.” For chefs, it constitutes the bulk of the work in getting a station, or an entire kitchen ready for service. Equipment is ready; ovens preheated, sauté pans stacked near the stove. Ladles and whisks are clean and ready to grab. Meats are broken down into individual, ready-to-cook portions. Sauces are prepared and held warm in a boiling water bath or “bain-marie.” Vegetables are washed, trimmed and in some cases par-boiled and ready to finish with a quick sauté in butter or a plunge into boiling water. Condiments and garnishes are prepared and placed near the plating station so that they can be scooped or plucked to order.

Home cooks can use the principles of mis en place too.

Start with a menu. Sometimes even the simplest meals can benefit from a written list of the dishes and condiments they contain. The menu leads to a list of recipes. And with the recipes in hand, a cook can make a shopping list and a prep list. These lists, written or mental constitute a plan for your mis en place.

Before you start cooking, consider organizing ingredients by recipe. Put all the ingredients you need for each dish on a separate tray or cookie sheet and as you complete one recipe, put those ingredients away and move to the next recipe. Most recipes can be prepared up to a point and finished just before serving.

In preparing for holiday meals, these advance preparations afford a cook the opportunity to enjoy family gatherings without stressing over too many last minute preparations. If the green bean casserole is already put together and ready to pop into the oven, then there’s no confusing pile of ingredients cluttering the counter. Sweet potatoes can be cut, seasoned and readied for the oven too. Desserts and garnishes for the dessert can and should be prepared a day ahead.