Planning always makes a clear picture of what you want to make on the day so you can fill the kitchen inventory in advance.
If you have to make meals for a large gathering, prepare the gravies a day before, freeze them in ice cube trays, and use them for cooking right away.
Instead of making everything from scratch, use premade gravy bases, bread sheets and dough to make work easy.
To make work easier, employ kitchen tools for making larger batches of food quickly.
Preparing a little extra portion will assure you that everyone is well-fed to their heart's content.