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I’m 46 and I’ve never made a Christmas dinner

116 replies

nevercooked · 11/12/2024 16:21

And I don’t know where to start.

Just me? Anyone?

OP posts:
SummerBarbecues · 11/12/2024 16:57

I'm actually another one who cook all the family dinners, am fairly good at cooking, but have seldom done roasts. I have made my mince meat and have done one batch of mince pies already. Going to make more mince pies, mulled wine and will have a yule log for christmas. But just normal food and no roast for Christmas.

NovemberMorn · 11/12/2024 17:00

JaneWolfHall · 11/12/2024 16:40

I am envious of those who have never cooked Christmas dinner. I have cooked Christmas dinner every year since 1979.

Snap, I have cooked Christmas dinner for between 4 and 8 every year since we married.

Last year we were invited to Christmas dinner out (and again this year) and husband complained because he preferred mine. (tough)

Tip...I made it easy by buying chicken breasts rather than turkey (too dry) or a full chicken (too messy)

housemaus · 11/12/2024 17:01

Lots of good advice here - especially 'it's just putting things in and taking them out' - don't stress yourself out! If you've ever cooked a full English or any meal with quite a few different timings in, it's exactly like that, but you can do loads of prep beforehand to make it easier and actually it's quite slow moving because the turkey takes ages so you have plenty of time to prep.

Get a turkey (or turkey crown if there's not many of you). Work out the cooking time of that, add an hour or so on for resting (up to 2 hours, if you've only got a small oven and need time for everything else).

Working back from that, work out when your potatoes and veg need to go in.

Buy pre-made stuffing mix and some fancy pre-made gravy if you like. Ditto pre-made pigs in blankets. If you can prep the day before, peel your potatoes/veg and stick em in cold water in a bowl in the fridge, and pre-make your yorkshire pudding mix (always seems better when it's been left to sit overnight anyway, I think).

Day of, throw your turkey in and lay the rest out ready to go - stick your carrots and parnsips in a tray to honey roast or whatever, make your stuffing mix up, get your yorkshire mix out of the fridge after a while so it comes to room temp.

Just before your turkey comes out, stick a muffin or yorkshires tin in the oven with some oil in to get really hot and a deeper tray with fat of some kind, for the roast poatoes. Once the turkey's out wrap it in foil and a teatowel and leave the oven on, then when you're ready chuck your roast potatoes, yorkshires, pigs in blankets and veg in and while they're cooking, do any veg you're doing on the burners (I like shredded sprouts cooked in bacon fat with little crunchy bits of bacon). Not long before it's all ready, heat your premade gravy and throw in some of the juices from the turkey. Done!

OR - and I considered this this year - buy one of the Booths/M&S/Waitrose/whatever Christmas dinners. Much less faff haha.

nevercooked · 11/12/2024 17:01

This is really helpful thanks. It looks like Jamie Oliver is the go to for this?

It’s for me, DH, PIL, a 4 year old and a 2 year old.

OP posts:
Cynic17 · 11/12/2024 17:03

I'm 59 and I've never made any roast "dinner", Christmas or otherwise. And I never will. Because I don't want to eat them. It's not a big deal.

hellohellooo · 11/12/2024 17:03

Lobstercrisps · 11/12/2024 16:27

Don't make it too complicated.

Don't bother with the Jamie Oliver gravy, it's hours of work for something you can create with the turkey juices, some white wine and seasoning in the tray once you've finished cooking.

Do as much in advance as possible such as make the potatoes and freeze them then re cook from frozen.

I cook a turkey upside down, stays juicier. But we never put it on the table whole, I strip it and put on serving platters first.

Good luck. I've done 16 Xmas dinners in a row. Three years ago we swapped to beef filet with m&s chips. My life is infinitely better now that Xmas dinner doesn't consume me.

Amazing ideas 🙌🙌

Mirabai · 11/12/2024 17:04

You must have made a roast chicken. It’s like that but bigger.

You could buy the whole lot from Cook.*

*Except their Christmas pudding which is genuinely the worst I’ve ever had.

BarnacleBeasley · 11/12/2024 17:05

I am in my 40s as well, and I have rarely cooked roast dinners and have only done Christmas dinner once (and that was cheating as I did chicken, we didn't have that many carnivores). But as PPs have said, it's actually not hard, it's just all about timing, and working out the order of things so you have enough oven space. That's why I don't do roast dinners as I can't be arsed with all the multitasking. It was fine though!

Parker231 · 11/12/2024 17:05

Mirabai · 11/12/2024 17:04

You must have made a roast chicken. It’s like that but bigger.

You could buy the whole lot from Cook.*

*Except their Christmas pudding which is genuinely the worst I’ve ever had.

I’ve never made a roast chicken - not something we like.

AuntieMarys · 11/12/2024 17:06

I'm 66 and haven't

DappledThings · 11/12/2024 17:08

Mirabai · 11/12/2024 17:04

You must have made a roast chicken. It’s like that but bigger.

You could buy the whole lot from Cook.*

*Except their Christmas pudding which is genuinely the worst I’ve ever had.

I never have. DH does all our cooking. I made a roast dinner once (pork) but he had written down all the timings and temperatures for me step by step.

housethatbuiltme · 11/12/2024 17:11

Buy ready made stuff that just needs heating.

Turkeys are a PITA too cook. No one can force you so just refuse or get turkey chunks or turkey breast to cook instead which will be much easier too cook through.

housethatbuiltme · 11/12/2024 17:13

Mirabai · 11/12/2024 17:04

You must have made a roast chicken. It’s like that but bigger.

You could buy the whole lot from Cook.*

*Except their Christmas pudding which is genuinely the worst I’ve ever had.

Nope I'm veggie so never made a roast chicken. My husband cooks his own chicken but has never roasted a whole one.

Missionimprobable · 11/12/2024 17:13

If you've never cooked a roast before I'd go the easy (more expensive) route.
Buy a turkey crown and cook it in a slow cooker overnight or put it in the oven covered in foil on a low heat overnight.
Buy frozen, ready to roast goose fat potatoes.
Buy ready prepped veg that you can heat up in the microwave.
Frozen Yorkshire puds.
Ready made pigs in blankets.
Packet of stuffing, mix with water roll into balls then put in the oven to crisp up.
Then buy a jar of cranberry sauce or whatever you like to go with it.
Hopefully you can knock up a bit of gravy 😀

Comedycook · 11/12/2024 17:15

Made my first Christmas dinner in my twenties...it's actually really easy, don't be intimidated. It's just a roast dinner. Hardest part of a roast dinner is timings...and if you're cooking for a large crowd, oven space! But the actual cooking is easy. And it's fine to go for shortcuts...good quality pre made stuffing, yorkies and gravy are all absolutely fine.

Isobel201 · 11/12/2024 17:16

I'd go out for this year, then start practicing with smaller roast dinners for next year.

mondaytosunday · 11/12/2024 17:16

Yes it's just a roast dinner with a few extra bits. Plenty of online Christmas dinner schedules. You can pre-prep quite a bit. You can also buy frozen roasties snd prepared cabbage sides- in fact you can buy most of the dinner oven ready if you wish.

Parker231 · 11/12/2024 17:17

JaneWolfHall · 11/12/2024 16:40

I am envious of those who have never cooked Christmas dinner. I have cooked Christmas dinner every year since 1979.

Why not have someone else do it, have a different meal, a takeaway or at a restaurant?

nevercooked · 11/12/2024 17:17

Parker231 · 11/12/2024 17:05

I’ve never made a roast chicken - not something we like.

I do like it, but I’ve never made it.

OP posts:
CrepuscularCritter · 11/12/2024 17:17

You've had loads of great advice.

One final point here is about checking that the trays/dishes that need to fit in the oven together will actually fit. It helps that the meat will come out of the oven to rest, but you will need to jiggle everything else. Maybe consider some stovetop veggies.

Don't ask me how I know this. The tottering tower of tins was not my best moment.

Iloveyoubut · 11/12/2024 17:17

Can I just say that this is everything I love about Mumsnet. Every time I feel like humanity is over I see a thread like this and reminds of of how many lovley people there are who are all rallying and wanting to help. I know that’s a bit ‘goodwill to one and all or what ever it is’ but fuck it - well done everyone on this thread! ❤️

HappiestSleeping · 11/12/2024 17:18

@nevercooked beans on toast is a perfectly acceptable dinner. You could always add some fish fingers.

Seriously, a roast is one of the easiest dinners to cook. The hardest part is getting everything to be ready at the same time.

There are tons of youtube videos on how to cook a roast dinner. As long as you plan for the potatoes and veg to be ready a little before you need them, they won't spoil if they're kept warm for a few minutes while you finish the turkey.

Good luck.

Parker231 · 11/12/2024 17:18

Vicliz24 · 11/12/2024 16:48

Me too since 1981 . Would love a year off .

Unless you’re eating on your own get someone else to do it.

Parker231 · 11/12/2024 17:23

TwixForTea · 11/12/2024 16:51

@Parker231 what goes in your buffet please? Need help as that’s what I’m doing this year - ironically it’s the first year I haven’t cooked a roast turkey in about 15 years! I especially need things for vegans, that are somehow Christmassy. I’m stumped.

We only have cold items so no one is stuck in the kitchen cooking or heating anything up.

We have different breads, pasta, rice dishes, huge selection of cheeses and cold meats, lots of dips, every salad you could think of. We’ll be with family in the US so will be raiding the local supermarket and deli.

rookiemere · 11/12/2024 17:27

Oh gosh don't be stressing yourself with Jamie Oliver.

First course smoked salmon with some oatcakes.

Main course- turkey crown ( much easier to cook than a whole turkey), frozen Aunt Bessies roasties, shop made red cabbage, some posh sprouts from the supermarket with bacon and bits, pre-made stuffing and sausage tray, some supermarket turkey gravy. Bung into oven or microwave as timings dictate.

I enjoy doing a Christmas dinner as it requires no imagination about what to cook.