Give guest numbers and kitchen limits before asking for dishes
‘Make a Christmas menu’ leaves out the constraints that decide whether dinner is manageable. Count adults and children, include ages where relevant, and confirm vegetarian, vegan, allergy and access needs with guests. Then list the actual equipment: hob count, usable oven shelves, tray dimensions, pans and fridge space.
A menu can sound attractive while requiring three oven temperatures at the same time. Ask for those conflicts before shopping. Children and vegetarian guests are not an afterthought to add once the rest is planned.
Plan a three-course dinner for [adults] adults and [children with ages], including [confirmed vegetarian, vegan and allergy needs]. We have [hobs], [oven dimensions and shelves], [trays and pans], [fridge space], [helpers] and [budget]. Ask about missing constraints, then propose two feasible menus with portion assumptions and equipment conflicts. Do not guarantee allergen safety or invent safe cooking and holding times.
Check quantities before buying packages
Ask for required ingredient quantities separately from packages to purchase. Combine only compatible units and subtract a measured pantry inventory. A handful, a packet and a gram amount are not interchangeable unless the missing information is supplied.
Check allergy-relevant ingredient labels and possible cross-contact independently. A proposed substitution is not a safety guarantee. Do not use AI to decide whether food of uncertain storage history is safe.
Use only the approved recipes [complete recipes and servings] and inventory [amounts]. Scale and combine compatible quantities, show the arithmetic, and group the grocery list by aisle. Separate required amount from package amount. Mark unknown weights and ingredient-label checks rather than guessing.
Work backwards from the main-course serving time
Place fixed serving times first, then recipe steps, oven use, hob use and helpers. Mark active tasks separately from waiting time. Check whether the proposed trays fit, whether one cook has simultaneous tasks and which steps require verified cooking, cooling or holding guidance.
If the schedule does not fit, change the menu or simplify the service. Do not solve an equipment clash by accepting an invented safe storage time. Ask for a revised plan that leaves uncertainty visible.
Main course is at [time]. Use the agreed menu, actual recipes and equipment [details] to make a backwards timetable. Show active work, supplied cooking requirements, oven shelves, hob occupancy and helpers. Highlight clashes and safety details needing independent verification. If it does not fit, suggest which dish to simplify rather than hide the conflict.
Check what changes if guests or serving times change
Try practical changes: two extra guests, one less helper or a main course thirty minutes later. Request only the affected quantities and tasks to change, then check those changes yourself. These are suggested review exercises, not measured AI test results.
Keep a compact final handoff: approved menu, guest needs, shopping list, recipe references, timetable and unresolved checks. This is more useful on the day than a long chat containing several abandoned menus.
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How to use this guide
This guide was written with AI assistance. Its sample situations are examples, not customer results. We have not systematically tested the prompts on live models. Check important results against the original sources and ask a qualified professional where needed.