To be scared of hosting Christmas - help!

[goodbyeeee]

I’m hosting for the first time ever. My family are very easy going but my in-laws are coming too. They’re very nice but it adds extra pressure. MIL has been unwell and I want to make sure they enjoy themselves.

It’s the dinner that’s worrying me. I’m a competent enough cook but have never cooked for 12 and I don’t do roasts very often. I’m not looking for a gastro extravaganza but tasty, hot and all ready at the same time would be good....also preferably with time for me to drink a lot of

My plan is to do cold various starters (pate, dips, crudités etc) then a
Turkey crown with all the trimmings. Then lots of cheese. I’ve not got much further than this though ....

Any tips from the Christmas dinners experts of mumsnet gratefully received! [santa]

I do my prep Christmas eve.

Turkey gets cooked. Ham gets cooked.
Beef done on Christmas morning cos we all prefer beef gravy.

Veggies in their saucepans and covered in water ready to go.

Beforehand I prep what veg can be cooked from frozen. So, parsnips are peeled and cut lengthways, bagged and frozen ready for roasting. Also swede, cut up and frozen.

My double oven is a godsend.

I don't do starters anymore, dinner is enough.

Find out if in-laws like bread sauce, stuffing, Yorkshire pudding, thick or thin gravy, cranberry sauce etc. Nothing like a great roast, but everyone has their own way of doing it. My mum makes & brings (the best) stuffing every year, maybe let people help by bringing part of the dinner if they want to, stick on some Christmas carols while cooking on & enjoy it [santa]

Delia's Christmas dinner timings www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2001/dec/09/foodanddrink.recipes1

Save most of the drinking for during/after dinner. Get everyone else to clear up. Prep everything the day before and into saucepans. Jamie Oliver ‘get ahead’ gravy is fab, and you can freeze it. Cooked red cabbage also freezes well. I like Tom Kerridge’s recipe for stuffing, also made the day before. No Christmas pud?

Prep as much as you can the day before, get someone to sous chef, write the timings down beforehand in the form of a plan, open a nice bottle of wine. Good luck, you'll be fine.

Thank you all! Will def check these out - liking the sound of make ahead gravy.

My mum brings a small Christmas pudding as only she and my sister like it....we’re a cheese family really

Slow cooker gammon joint...

Use foil trays.... Less washing up...
Then on the day make gravy in it too keep hot.
Serving dishes are great...
Put it all out on the table, let everyone serve themselves...
Eat late.. We always did sausage rolls hot out the oven midday help yourselves...
Ask for help...
Tell hubby he is washing up...
You don't have to do it alone..

Tell everyone to bring some cheese...
Odder the better...

Par boil potatoes etc a day or even two in advance. Blanch carrots and sprouts, chill, on the day put them into your serving dishes, if they're heat proof, add seasoning a knob of butter, cover in foil and put them into the oven on the day with the roast potatoes. I usually have one dirty pan and the roasting tin on the day and even those sometimes get washed and away before we eat and the kitchen wiped down.
Only do a pudding if people like it, I'm actually buying one this year.

Get stuff pre-prepared from M&S - fairly expensive: but so, so worth it!

I’m cooking for 12 am sharing the load - we are doing main and have asked others to do starter and pudding. We have newborn baby so trying to be realistic and reduce the stress

Work backwards on your timings from the time you want to serve and write down everything on a master list-mine includes every single thing down to "put water on to boil for potatoes". That way you just work your way down ticking off and know you haven't forgotten anything. And don't forget a little resting time for the meat.

Forgot the most important thing, keep everyone out of the kitchen, 'help' is what you don't need!

I follow Nigella's advice which is; if the plates, potatoes and gravy are piping hot, everything else can be lukewarm! (I paraphrase!). I only bring the gravy and potatoes to the table when everyone has served up pretty much everything else.

I also write my list and then get out the serving dishes and put post-it notes in each one so I don't miss out a key component!!

I'm making the aforementioned Jamie gravy this weekend as it's hard to make litres of gravy at the last minute.

Foil trays!

Remember when the turkey comes out, cover in foil and a couple of towels to allow it to rest and keep warm this gives you about 45 mins with an empty oven to do roasties, stuffing and pigs in blankets.

Foil trays! Genius idea. Also blanching veg the day before.

Will ask people to bring cheese and possibly a couple of sides all ready to go in serving dishes (cauliflower cheese maybe).

Do Yorkshire’s belong on a Christmas dinner? What are our thoughts on bread sauce?

I wondered about par boiling then freezing spuds and parsnips and cooking from frozen on the day - has anyone tried that?

With the foil trays - make sure you put them inside your normal trays/baking trays as they can be a bit flimsy!

Oh Iceland do sprouted with cheese are lush.

Set the table the day before too to save you time.

We're Yorkshire fans but not on Christmas lunch plate! We don't bother with a starter- nibbles with something sparkling to drink does the job. Make good use of a timer to remind you to check things!

Remember when the turkey comes out, cover in foil and a couple of towels to allow it to rest and keep warm this gives you about 45 mins with an empty oven to do roasties, stuffing and pigs in blankets

Definitely do the above. Stops all the angst about timings, plus the turkey is delicious and more moist for this.

Cook the veg you'd steam / boil in advance, then blanch in iced water. When you're serving cover in boiling water and jobs a goodun

Make ahead gravy - you could do that this weekend and freeze
Boil and cool potatoes the day before so it is just roasting not cooking
Cook pigs in blankets the day before and reheat

Use your microwave for gravy and Christmas pudding
Heat plates by soaking them in hot water and getting guests to dry them a minute before - or do in the dishwasher

I think we're 17 this Christmas. Numbers always fluctuate a bit.

The thing that I struggle with is plates and cutlery. This helps decide the sort of foods I serve. If it's a sideplates starter it needs to be a bowls pudding or soup starter means a sideplates pudding. Sometimes I'm creative and come up with interesting ways to serve things.

DH always has a list of things that need washing ready for another course and is in charge of clearing the table between courses whilst I start prep for serving the next course.

I'm a big fan of writing a plan too. A series of things to do at timed intervals.

I'm doing Xmas dinner for the first time ever this year and not looking forward to it. I got away with it for nearly 40 years. DH invited a friend of ours who lives in another country and is staying with us. That's fine, but she's not flying in until 4pm on bloody Xmas eve so whatever has to be done has to be done before then.
So, I'm doing as much 'convenient' stuff as I possibly can. Starter is going to be fresh soup but from Aldi. Will swirl in a dollop of cream and have some part baked rolls to throw in the oven for a few minutes.

Main is turkey - bought a frozen stuffed turkey breast joint which is currently residing in my freezer, alongside the roast potatoes and Yorkshires. The parsnips will be added when Aldi get them in next week, along with some red cabbage. The pigs in blankets are in there too.
Nobody likes sprouts so that's one less thing to worry about, but I may get some red cabbage and possibly some pea, leek and bacon mix and mash all of which can either be popped in the microwave or else be stuck in the oven alongside the turkey. Same with the stuffing.
Cranberry sauce will be Tesco finest from a jar and gravy courtesy of Mr Bisto!
My friend is making a pudding. I'll buy brandy butter and cream and that's dessert sorted.
Cheese, mince pies and biscuits already purchased.

The more convenient I can make things for myself, the better. I'll be damned if I'm spending half the day in tears in the kitchen!

I second PP's suggesting everybody brings part of the meal; everybody can play to their strengths and enjoy playing their part; you don't have to be a culinary genius to prep vegetables for 12 people, but think how long it takes. If someone is famed for a particular dish, they'll (hopefully) be flattered to be asked. It also means that you're not trying to get it all in your freezer before the big day; they can store it till needed. You might find that somebody in the family can also loan big serving dishes.
As for Yorkshire puddings; if you like them, that becomes one of the traditions you're starting! If something traditional doesn't appeal (I honestly don't like Christmas pudding much, for example) have something you do.
Distribute Buck's Fizz freely as guests arrive; that way, any small imperfections will pass in a gentle haze..........