To ask how the f you cook a Christmas dinner ?

[ilikebooksandplants]

Just that really. Boris and tier 4 has kiboshed the family celebrations and I’ve never cooked one before. Vegetarian - our main is sorted (I’ve made that before) but all the vegetables and sides and stuff? Give me your tips and tricks to make it a bit special, mumsnet.

@Love51 and @Thatnameistaken are in many ways at opposite ends of the spectrum but both have perfect Christmas plans.

Ready prepared red cabbage, cranberry sauce, bread sauce, a nut roast or tart/pie of some sort, stuffing and swede and carrot mash. Then just prepare and cook your roast potatoes and parsnips (I use sunflower oil and season with dried rosemary, sage, thyme, salt and black pepper, afternoon boiling) and green veg.

@MeanMrMustardSeed

Came on to say exactly the same re not olive oil. Rapeseed is brilliant.

No! Rapeseed oil tastes like a film of marg. The reason you use olive oil is that, yes, it takes longer to get a lovely crisp shell, and you need a higher heat, but it is worth it because the potatoes won't taste of nothingy fat.

The best is olive oil with some garlic and rosemary you've been steeping in there for ages, too.

TBH if I were doing veggie Christmas dinner, I'd do saute potatoes rather than roast.

But please let us know the main?

If you're going to get a Christmas pudding and light it then you need to heat the alcohol in a large spoon before you pour it over the pudding. That's what enables it to light up.
We normally have a small jug of brandy which we microwave first. Definitely lights better!

A lot of the traditional sides are meaty (sausagemeat balls, rolled bacon) so you won’t have to bother with those. Bread sauce can be made in advance & frozen; just make sure that you put a good amount of cloves in it. I love Brussels however they’re done, but finely chopped & fried in butter makes a change (any spare ones can be boiled until you forget them & they burn slightly. You can add stock, curry powder & cream, blitz & pretend that you did it on purpose-burnt sprout soup is a family favourite tho it’s never been as good as the accident).
I’d say never go too Nigella: my mother put orange zest in the mashed swede once. Really weird & soapy.

I usually cook the veg in the morning and put in serving dishes. Blast in microwave as everything else is carried through. We always have runner beans (summer's last picking - frozen for Christmas), sprouts and red cabbage.

When you work your timings out, work them out backwards. Establish what time you want to sit down to eat and work backwards from there.

Start with wine. It will be a doddle after that.

Parboil potatoes in salted water for 8 minutes. Drain, return to pan and shake saucepan with lid on. Spread the potatoes on a baking tray lined with non stick paper and freeze. Once frozen, put into a freezer bag and store. On the day, heat rapeseed oil in a metal roasting pan in the oven until hot. Take hot pan out, put on gentle heat on hob to keep oil hot, and spoon in frozen potatoes, turning them as you go. Roast in the oven for about 55 mins, turning once. No faff at all on the day, and the freezer dries the surface slightly so they are mega crisp.

Prepare and parboil parsnips, and freeze as above. Cook from frozen on the day in oil and maple syrup.

Make these carrots and red onions 2 days ahead www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/caramelised-carrots-onions

If you can't be arsed to make your own stuffing, buy a packet. Chop a red onion finely, and cook slowly in loads of butter. Make up the stuffing mix, and add the onions and butter. Sling in some cranberries and chestnuts, then freeze it either in a foil tray, or in balls. Defrost on the day and cook as normal, brushed with melted butter.

Chop leek into rings, put in a frying pan with butter and a splash of water. Cook until almost done, then cool and heat through when needed.

Bread sauce can be made in advance, freeze, then add the cream and butter when it's thawed and heat through gently.

Absolutely agree with a really detailed plan. Whenever I do a big meal (regardless of Christmas or not), I make two lists. First one is a jobs list (set the table / red tablecloth / wine in fridge etc) and the second is a kitchen list - timings for in / out of the oven, which oven / hob, what I'm cooking in and serving on, reminders to make items etc. The jobs list makes it easier to delegate and the kitchen list stops you realising ten minutes too late that your last roasting tin won't fit in the oven!

I just buy loads of posh stuff and fling it in the oven.

I occasionally make my own roast potatoes but this year frozen is crying out to me.

Tastes bloody good too....well to me and DH

Kids will eat bugger all....well except for pudding! That's what happens with chocolate for breakfast.

You're asking how to cook vegetarian dishes but you've never done it before?....Are you 12? Jesus, YouTube it or whatever.

Do a couple of dishes beforehand.
Carrots and parsnip mashed and ready for the over two days become.

Easy peasy garlic potatoes.
Steam a pot of potatoes, turn into a dish and gently break up with a fork, add garlic cream.
Garlic cream.
In small pot break up two veg stock cubes and micro plane grate a full bulb of garlic, add freshly ground black pepper, good pinich of rosemary or thyme, and 200ml of water.
Heat for 15-20 minutes, add 500ml of cream, boil for 10-15 minutes.
Pour on top of potatoes.
Top with cheese if you like and bake for 45 minutes in an medium oven.

Great made 2 days before Christmas.

@YouJustDoYou no, I’m not 12. I’m not a dickhead either unlike some people.

I’ve never cooked a roast dinner before, believe it or not, if I fancied one I would either go to my mother’s house or to the pub. Both options unavailable now due to being in tier 4. I am a fairly competent cook though and I was asking for tips and tricks which might make it a bit special - which many helpful people have supplied - so thank you all! Mumsnet is full of people who know stuff!

Torn between all the advice for the roast potatoes and what oil should be used. More research is necessary, I think! I’m definitely going to drink a lot of wine though so by the time we eat no one will give a shit, probably!

I’m veggie too! These are the sides I always go with:

• crispy roast potatoes (par boil until fluffy, shake about in pan after draining and add some plain flour and shake it up, roast in hot oil for about 40 mins)
• roasted parsnips (just bunged in same tray as potatoes)
• roasted carrots (same as parsnips but for 1/2 hour)
• mashed swede with loads of butter
• roasted sprouts (20 mins - you’ll never boil or steam them again!)
• leeks in white sauce

Sainsbury’s are doing really delicious “pups in blankets” if you fancy as well!

I couldn’t care less about the main any more, all I want is sides!

Good quality rapeseed oil doesn’t taste like margarine. I use the cold-pressed stuff from Aldi.

Obviously roast potatoes are not a health food but it’s not good for you to eat oils or fats which have been heated significantly above their smoke point.

@NotOfThisWorld

Roast Potatoes: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/ultimate-roast-potatoes (for vegetarians use olive oil)

Never use olive oil for roasties, use rapeseed oil.

Bottle or two of red usually helps me. I tend not to care too much about the dinner after one. 😂

Sprouts - chop in half and boil for five minutes. Drain, Chuck in a frying pan with oil, onions, garlic and bacon lardons until they smell divine.

Carrots - boil in orange juice for 1, drain and roast in the oven covered in honey and salt.

Red cabbage - pan fry with oil, thyme and onions then add cider until evaporated.

Creamed leeks - fry with onion, garlic and pepper until soft, add cream until brown (keep stirring).

Roasties - par boil for seven minutes, drain, put back in the pan on the heat for a minute, throw in a colander and fluff, add polenta, seasoning and flour. Add to a tray of smoking oil and Chuck in the oven for 45 mins. Turn 1-2 times.

Carrots should say boil for 10

Well I've never done it before either, but this year I'm just going to roast a chicken and have with potatoes, carrots, pigs in blanket and some m&s side like red cabbage or cauliflower cheese

If you are that bad a cook, why not go to M&S and buy pre prepped stuff and just warm in oven? Simple.

Prep all the veg the night before, over a bottle of wine.
Then write out a timing sheet and stick to it so they don't get overdone. Have a good one

Definitely roast your veg. And add honey to carrots and parsnips.