To be worried about Xmas and cooking for 12 people

[MagicMary1]

So I am to be cooking my first big Xmas dinner. I have cooked Xmas dinner before but never past me and ds1 and ds2.

In exactly 10 days I have too cook for, dh myself, ds1 (17) ds2(16) ss1 (17) sd(16) ss2 (13). Sister in law, brother in law, there two teenage sons and teenage daughter.

Oh plus two 2 years old but they don't count, cause they won't eat the main meal.

Help how am I going to do it, a family with many fussy eaters.

Helppppp

Agree with the posters who said do all the prep on Xmas eve and then once you've cooked the turkey leave it to rest covered in heavy towels. Keeps it very hot and surprisingly moist as it's rested. You can then use the oven for everything else.

It's really just quantities. There is no difference between cooking for four or cooking for 12 other than how much you cook. Have a plan in your head for the timings.

Also make sure you've got loads of drinks and nibbles in, some Xmas music on, set the table before they arrive and put hubby in charge of drinks, one of the kids in charges of coats and shoes, and have a black sack at the ready for wrapping paper and rubbish, and have enough glasses, for soft drinks, beer, wine, then also the glasses that will be on the table. You can buy ice from the supermarket.

Yep, id let your Dh do it. It's his family mostly.

OP would your OH go to such lengths for your family? Where is he in all this planning?

All the tips and ideas about cooking for 12 are fine, but I'm not prepared to give any if it helps facilitate some guy sitting on his backside.

I do no major cooking at christmas- Oh does it all- and the planning and shopping.
We have 14 for boxing day and I make myself useful by lighting candles and sipping prosseco.

I have never cooked Christmas dinner-DH is much better at cooking than me-and certainly wouldn't start with that many!

Most of them seem to be your husband's family-why isn't he cooking?! Whose idea was it to invite that many people?!

Stupid question.... how do you cook amazing roasties?

Like you OP I'm cooking for 12 this year as I do every bloody year but in my case over Boxing Day as well and 27th also.

I've pretty much much got it nailed now. We don't eat until late 6pm Xmas day so the in laws can go to church locally before they travel to us.

Ok my plan this year:

Christmas Eve:

I'll cook a large ham and soup and cauliflower cheese.
In addition I'll be cooking a vat of cock-au-vin
Then I'll cook a curry for me, DH and the kids to eat that evening. I double portion and freeze half.

I set the dining room table.

Christmas Day

I lay out the ham, plus some lovely pate, cheese and deli items on the kitchen table for everyone to nibble on and help themselves.

For the main event I'll serve the soup I made as a starter.

Controversial I know but I don't do turkey. Firstly I don't like it and secondly it's all the pfaff of the the trimmings that's a pain (stuffing, pigs in blankets, cranberry/bread sauce etc).

I will be cooking a huge rib of beef which looks spectacular but also means I can forget all those fiddly trimmings. I'll serve it with roast (I'll be buying pre-prepped ones cooked in goose fat) and mash potatoes (I'll cook double of the latter), the cauliflower cheese I made before, glazed carrots and broccoli - plus lashings of red wine gravy that I'll make with some bought in stock.

There will be xmas pudding and a bought in posh chocolate dessert option.

Boxing Day

I'll cook an English breakfast to fill everyone up.

Then we'll eat again around 4pm (so I get to skip cooking lunch and dinner)

This will be the cock-au-vin with jacket potatoes. So all I have to do is re-heat the chicken, shove some potatoes in the oven and cook some green beans.

We will have cheese and biscuits (left from the xmas day deli spread) for dessert.

27th:

Bacon sarnies for breakfast

I'll make a chicken and ham pie with the left over ham and serve it with the rest of the mash I made on xmas day, plus some broccoli.

Pudding I'll probably buy in something like and apple pie and custard.

Then.....by 8pm when everyone has gone I'll open a well deserved bottle of champagne

For the next few days we will survive on leftovers and curry so I don't have to cook anything!

Ana.

I'll be buying mine in cos I'm lazy but I can make them really well.

Firstly par-boil your potatoes for about 10 mins.

Get your oven up to its max temperate and heat up a roasting tray with a good quantity of goose/duck fat or beef dripping. Don't skimp on the fat (you need about 1/2cm depth and it needs to be volcanically hot.

Drain your potatoes. You need to make sure they are really dry. Then shake them in the colander to break up the edges and rough them up - this is how you get the lovely crispy bits.

Tip them into the hot fat (carefully) and roast at the highest temp for about 40/45 mins.

Job done

Oops - forgot to add Ana

After 20 mins turn the potatoes over and baste them.

Clear the fridge and freezer out beforehand if poss.
Store veg and drinks in plastic lidded box outside if you can.
Make a timetable.
Make and freeze as much as you can ahead (put a reminder on your timetable to take them out of freezer)
Prep veg the day before.
Set table the day before.
Start thinking now about what cooking tins you'll need, serving dishes, serving spoons etc.
Don't hide away in the kitchen while everyone else is having a good time in another room - get people in to stir the gravy etc while sharing wine with you.
Have cling Film, foil, Tupperware etc to hand for chucking the leftover in.
Delegate.

I'm a vegetarian 'cooking' for 8. I am also tardy. I don't believe in the valor of having a drugless birth or slaving away over food prep unless you enjoy it. Therefore, like my births, I take every cheat going to make life easier.

Xmas lunch in foil trays:

I have bought
Turkey joint boneless, pre prepared in silver tray (Tesco)
Gravy pre made in pouch x2 Tesco
pigs blankets frozen
pre prepped Roasters in foil tray, and then frozen
pre prepped arsnips, silver tray as above
will buy red cabbage and other veg in microwavable trays next week.

Did this last year and nobody died they all loved it.

I agree - do as much in advance as you can. Veggie prep and laying table on Xmas Eve. I was just going to add that I have ordered most of mine from Morrisions even stuffing and sides etc. I am going to do Ham in slow cooker on Xmas eve and then it just needs to be sliced on the day. Turkey I will do in the morning and my MIL swears by one of those stacked steamers for the veg so I am going to try that this year which gives me more space in the cooker. My kids are older so are a good help as is my hubby - get anyone you can to pitch in and help most people are glad too xxx

Thanks ES&L!

At what point would I freeze them? Could I precook them on Xmas Eve, refrigerate and reheat on the day in oven / halogen oven or Actifry?

I'm thinking - turkey, vat of cauli cheese made day before and reheated, roasties, carrot and swede and sprouts.

Could also have a steamer. What could go in there?

Make sure you delegate all the simple tasks like peeling stuff. Take control of the important things like the timing.

I get that some people like to prep ahead (although sis and I do dinner for 12-15 every year without finding it useful) but I really don't get pre prepped gravy - surely you need the turkey juices to make that?

Sorry OP forgot the helpful hints bit! If you can do a roast for 4, you can do it for any number. The rest is just quantity. Delegate the time consuming tasks like peeling veg and you'll be fine.

Ana - I'd pre-cook them until they are pale golden - so about 30 mins rather than 45.

Then you can re- heat and finish them of on xmas day. Should take around 15/20 mins.

Ana you can steam sprouts.

I'm not doing them this year but again I usually pre-cook them then on the day cook some pancetta/bacon cubes in a pan - when yet are crispy add the cold sprouts and toss them with the bacon till warm - about 5 mins.

Makes them taste lovely.

I cook for 12 every day, including a roast every week. It really isn't as bad as you imagine, just everything on a bigger scale.

Some formidable probably women posters on here!

Get your DH and your DC to help. Then get someone else to clear up.

The biggest mistake to make is to run yourself ragged while everyone else sits on their backsides.

DH is our main cook - he's better at it and I hate it. On Christmas Day he gives everyone their tasks and it's the one day of the year we all do as he says without arguing!

Those throw away roasting trays / thick silver foil trays are great, for dealing with big numbers.

So turkey out and precooked potatoes in. Cauliflower cheese in one halogen oven. Precooked sprouts in frying pan with pancetta on ring one. Gravy on ring two. Carrot and swede on ring three. Pigs in blankets and stuffing in second halogen oven. It will all be fine :)

Forgot the parsnips! Can they be precooked and reheated? Do you parboil then roast? On a low carb diet so never cook carby veg!