Christmas dinner for 13

[BlackAlys]

How do you manage to cook your Christmas dinner for a large family?!

Any tips? Starting to panic. LFT pending, there's 12 at my dinner table! Fuck!

The Turkey is a mutant so will be big enough and stuffing is no problem but how can I make life easier with the veg!?!

Find another person, quick!

Pre-prepare and freeze par-boiled potatoes. Make and freeze carrot mash.

Cook your turkey on Christmas Eve. It’s a game changer as far as catering goes . Also with such a whopper it gives you enough time to cook it for longer as required. I buy pre prepared microwave veg . Cauliflower Cheese, carrot smash, red cabbage so just a case of heating up and keeping warm . I flatly refuse to be a cooking martyr on the big day.

I’m assuming you will have at least 1 day free beforehand to prep.this is my plan I use every year. All prep done usually 2 days before so I can have a tidy up on Christmas Eve.
Boil potatoes for mash, put mash into an ovenproof serving bowl, dos with butter, cover with foil. Put in fridge. Save the cooking water for gravy.
Boil potatoes for roast spuds. Put in a disposable foil tray with some garlic and a sprig of thyme. Cover with foil put in fridge.
Prep sprouts, into a ziploc bag in fridge.
Cook carrots (I do mine in butter and honey) then put in oven proof serving dish - foil - fridge.
Make cauliflower cheese - foil - fridge.
Cook pigs in blankets in disposable foil tray. (slightly undercook) Cover - fridge.
Make stuffing - foil - fridge.
Prep starter. Always something cold on a serving platter such as mixed seafood, with some nice bread. Cover with cling film - fridge.

Christmas Eve - set the table, get all my crockery and glasses ready. Decant any sauces into serving bowls. Before I go to bed, take the food out of the fridge to come up to temperature (not seafood). Prep the turkey/beef. Cook some bacon for breakfast bacon butties. Make sure dishwasher is on.

Christmas morning.
Empty dishwasher.
Have bacon butties - use napkins rather than plates so minimal washing up.
Cook meat. Cover in loose foil and tea towels to keep warm. Make gravy.
Cook roast spuds an hour before eating.
Cook pigs in blankets 30 mins before eating.
Throw mash bowl / carrots in oven to reheat.
Cook sprouts.
Put everything in a warm oven whilst you eat starters.
Get someone to clear the table and stack the plates in dishwasher - or have a bowl outside the back door to put them in out of the way if no dishwasher.
Make sure the plates are warm.
Throw everything on the table so people help themselves.

Get guests/family to do all the veg prep (pealing/chopping).

Turkey ideally best if it rests as long as you cook it. I rest mine at least 2 hours. So I do turkey and potatoes (potatoes go back to warm later). Then turkey is out 2+ hours before lunch. So plenty of time to cook all veg and the stuffing. Ask someone who can focus on it to make gravy now or use instant. If possible, use disposable cooking trays so less cleaning up and you have enough of all the right sizes.

Thanks! These are a huge help.

Re the pigs in blankets, do you mean part cook them the day before @Soontobe60 ?

Also, are roasted parsnips any good if done the day
Before?!

Doesn't help that I'm having my booster at 12 on Christmas Eve 🙈