The holidays are here, and a feast is expected in every home. It’s no secret that hosting, cooking, and cleaning is a lot of pressure! And while nothing may change this, there are ways the pressure can be eased even just a little bit.

With holiday meals, the centerpiece is usually a turkey or ham. This choice or preference costs more this season, so why not save a few extra bucks and switch things up a little. How? By making fish your holiday meal centerpiece.

Fish is the cheapest of either option, but it doesn’t have to appear cheap. It is the original traditional centerpiece of holiday meals, and it’s healthy!

Think outside the box
Chicken or turkey is usually baked and placed in the center of the table. Since you’re using fish this year, you do not have to conform to these rules. You can decide to chop the fish into little chunks, season them however you would want and serve them as sides. As far as it tastes good, no one will remember there’s no turkey at the table.

Get one large or lots of small ones
There are tons of dishes from the sea, and while some are large, others fall into the smaller category. Depending on your budget, you can decide to go large or go small. However, what’s important is that everyone gets a piece, and there’s enough for leftovers.

Make it spicy
One of the great parts about substituting fish for poultry is that you can decide to prepare it as spicy as you’d want. Spice up your fish with different combinations and on your guests’ preferences.

Garnish
The idea is to make it appear more appealing than poultry; hence, you’ll need to up your garnishing game. Whatever you choose to play with, be it vegetable or fruit, slice them up and arrange them side by side with the fish.

Substituting fish for poultry this holiday will turn out great when done right. Luckily, with the right recipe and gorgeous sides, your guests will want to make fish the centerpiece of their table too.