As a home entertaining expert with years of holiday hosting experience, I've seen how gourmet cooking transforms stressful dinners into fun, interactive gatherings. Learn everything about gourmet sets, how it differs from raclette, and pro tips for delicious results everyone loves.
Heading into the holidays? Skip the kitchen chaos and let everyone cook their own meal on a gourmet set. It's interactive, customizable to tastes, and perfect for using leftovers from festive feasts like Christmas dinner—saving time and reducing host stress.
Gourmet cooking lets guests prepare personalized mini-meals in individual non-stick pans heated from above on a gourmet set, often topped with a grill plate for meats and fish. This Asian-inspired tradition suits 6–8 people and includes spatulas for easy flipping.
Don't confuse gourmet with raclette. Gourmet features meats, fish, and veggies cooked in pans or grilled. Raclette, a Swiss cheese fondue-style dish, melts special raclette cheese scraped over potatoes, pickles, and onions.
Start with a quality gourmet set. Plan for 2–3 hours of relaxed cooking time and patience, as small pans heat slowly for perfect results.
The beauty? Total customization. Tried-and-true options include:
1) Meats/Fish for the grill: bite-sized chicken fillets, sausages, meatballs, shawarma, satay, shrimp, or fish (no large steaks).
2) Vegetables (pre-cooked or frozen): broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, mixed veggies, mushrooms.
3) Eggs: Pour beaten egg over veggies for an omelet.
4) French Bread with garlic butter.
5) Potatoes: Boiled, or mix with egg/cheese in pans.
6) Grated Cheese: Melt over veggies.
7) Sauces: Ketchup, mustard, mayo, BBQ, satay, cocktail, or curry.
8) Herbs/Herb Butter for flavor boosts.
9) Your favorite drinks.
– No solo hosting burden
– Fun for older kids
– Personalized portions
– Simple setup
– Creates cozy vibes
– Great for groups
– Repurposes leftovers
– Time-intensive (plan hours)
– Requires patience
– Can get pricey with premium meats
– Hot pans need supervision around young kids
– May bore impatient children
What’s your holiday go-to: gourmet, cold buffet, or traditional feast?
*Cover photo by Shutterstock
