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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not know how to cook a Christmas dinner?

86 replies

boto · 18/12/2021 15:50

Ok I need help organising cooking Christmas Day. Please share your wisdom MNers!

(I am a fine cook and enjoy cooking, but usually cook a regular roast dinner for 2 and not a full Christmas dinner for 9!)

I am cooking for 6 adults and 3 children.

Things I definitely need to cook are lamb leg, turkey crown, potatoes (might cheat and use frozen ones), roast carrots and parsnips, Yorkshire puds, boiled broccoli, pigs in blankets (will use ready prepared), stuffing (will use ready prepared)

and gravy.

Would also like to do a Brussels/chestnut/pancetta dish and possibly brazed red cabbage. (But these are only if space and equipment allows)

Have access to small fan oven (can fit 3 trays), separate grill, 4 hobs, microwave, slow cooker, pressure cooker and possibly steamer.

How on earth am I going to have all this hot and ready to eat at the same time Grin

Dinner will be at 3ish. Have time to prepare things the day before (but not great at reheating things and get a bit twitchy about reheating meat).

Please MNers will you help me devise an exact plan for how to make this happen?

OP posts:
Original poster
boto · 18/12/2021 15:52

Can I cook the meats in the morning and keep warm under tea towels and tin foil...?

OP posts:
Nsky · 18/12/2021 15:56

You need someone to assist on the day, turkey crown do in slowcooker, veg in steamer or pressure cooker.
Put carrots in steamer less hassle, buy roast potatoes, Yorkshire puds.
Do not do more than you need, stuffing and pigs in blankets, cook together, why two meats, or get one of your guests to cook it

80sMum · 18/12/2021 16:00

I have a heated tray, like this one
It enables me to keep food hot and free up space on the hob or in the oven, so I can cook the rest of the meal.

The turkey needs to come out of the oven about 20-30 minutes before the intended mealtime, so that gives you another 30 minutes of oven space to cook stuffing, or to reheat sausages etc.

I usually cook the pigs in blankets the day before and then just heat them up in the oven about 20 minutes before we eat.

KindergartenKop · 18/12/2021 16:01

Right...
Look at how long everything needs to cook. Make a timeline and plot timings on it.
E.g
245- Start serving and finish cooking gravy
2:30- Boil broccoli ( pre chopped)
2:15- Pigs in blankets in oven

It's just a mathematical exercise. The only other variable is the space available. I would probably do the lamb in the SC and the turkey and spuds in the oven.

AdaColeman · 18/12/2021 16:02

No mention of beef in your menu, so cross the Yorkshire puddings off your list, one less thing to worry about!

HermioneWeasley · 18/12/2021 16:04

If you know how to cook a roast dinner then you know what you’re doing. As @KindergartenKop says, you just need to plan when everything goes on. I’d do the lamb in the slow cooker and the turkey in the oven. When the turkey comes out, leave it to rest and whack up the heat for roasties, puds and pigs in blankets and they can cook while it’s resting.

LordEmsworth · 18/12/2021 16:05

Ummm... it sounds like oven space is your main issue, personally I'd be looking to see what I can do using something other than the oven.

The meats will be ok to be taken out early - they should come out 30 mins before carving to rest anyway - but will probably be lukewarm after an hour out of oven. Can you part-roast the potatoes & roast veg the day before? www.maryberry.co.uk/recipes/christmas/roast-potatoes 30 mins should be enough to finish those & do the yorkies while the meats rest.

Red cabbage is better made in advance & reheated. Brussels with bacon will be on the hob anyway. And I'd steam broccoli, loads nicer than boiled!

Whatwillbetheendofus · 18/12/2021 16:05

You can freeze braised red cabbage and just warm it up from frozen that might save you some time

Starcaller · 18/12/2021 16:05

@AdaColeman

No mention of beef in your menu, so cross the Yorkshire puddings off your list, one less thing to worry about!
ShockShockShockShockShock
Elzbells · 18/12/2021 16:07

Roast your meat, take it out and rest it covered in tin foil and towels an hour before serving. Turn oven up and chuck in potatoes, add roast veg, pigs in blankets, yorkies and stuffing half an hour later, do veg in steamer

QueenOfThorns · 18/12/2021 16:07

Do the red cabbage the day before (I recommend Delia’s recipe) and reheat it in the microwave.

InTheLabyrinth · 18/12/2021 16:17

The lamb will be fine out ov the oven and under foil while the pigs, yorkshires, stuffing and roast veg cook.
Not sure how long a Turkey crown stays warm, but would imagine that would be fine too.
So, you need to work out which treats fit all the stuff that takes under an hour in the oven will all fit in, then work backwards as to what time the lamb and Turkey need to go in.
The hob will be fine - do the cabbage the day before, and reheat, Brussels on the next ring, broccoli and gravey - 4 rings.
I think the oven for all the roast extras will be the difficult bit.

Palavah · 18/12/2021 16:21

Yy to doing braised red cabbage in the slow cooker day or two before and heat up.

Get ready made yorkshires.

Lamb in slow cooker.
Turkey in oven and out poss 45 mins before serving so you can get the roasties, yorkshires, PiBs and stuffing in.
Veggies on hob.

SecretSantaSquirrels · 18/12/2021 16:32

Nothing to add but the idea of doing a Turkey crown in slow cooker is interesting.
I have 4 vegetarians and 4 meat eaters so my second main dish is a veggie one. I also have a variety of veggie stuffings and even with two ovens space will be an issue. If I can put the Turkey in the slow cooker that's a massive bonus.
Has anyone done it?
I usually use slow cooker for things like beef or pork, never poultry.

ItsJustTheOneSwanActually · 18/12/2021 16:35

The meat can rest for a good hour covered in foil and tea towels.

Shehasadiamondinthesky · 18/12/2021 16:35

When I don't know how to cook something I just look it up on youtube, it's a mine of information!

BatShitBitchChops · 18/12/2021 16:38

I saw buffet servers in aldi this week, infact I brought one for this exact reason! Keeps the food hot and has 2 big and 2 small trays. I'm quite excited to use it actually 😂

ChristmasRobins · 18/12/2021 16:45

Definitely do the meat an hour ahead so you have oven space for the rest. It will be fine, shouldn’t be piping hot anyway as it needs to rest and as long as your gravy is hot it won’t seem cold.

Red cabbage- do ahead and reheat.

Mary Berry’s recipe for YPs is great. If you are using pre-prepared stuffing and pigs, they will have instructions.

www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/brilliant-brussels/ According to Jamie these sprouts can be done ahead and reheated.

ChiaraRimini · 18/12/2021 19:29

You've had some great advice. I always buy ready made pigs in blankets.
The lamb and turkey can be cooked in the oven then left to rest covered in foil and a teatowel for an hour and will be fine while you cook everything else
would just add that you (or an assistant) can do the following prep the day before:

Peel and prep all the veg
Cook the red cabbage
Make the stuffing
Make the batter for the YPs
Store all the above in the fridge or a cool place overnight

PaintYourDreams · 18/12/2021 19:36

I would cook all the veg the day before then assemble it nicely in a large dish/tray that just needs reheating on the day. Saw Mary Berry do this the other night - if it's good enough for the queen of cookery... It looked beautiful too - she'd arranged it all nicely in colourful 'rows'.

Then cook your two joints on the day - take them out to rest for 30 mins whilst you warm the veg and cook your pigs in blankets. Potatoes should fit in whilst the joints are cooking. Frozen york puds for 5 mins. Gravy. And you're done!

WorraLiberty · 18/12/2021 19:44

@AdaColeman

No mention of beef in your menu, so cross the Yorkshire puddings off your list, one less thing to worry about!
🙄

😂

Lucifersleeps · 18/12/2021 19:51

Get the aunt Bessie’s Yorkies that take 5 min in oven.
Be glad you’re not my ex, who I had to rescue on the first Xmas he had our child post split and put everything on at the same time… yes he really did that. Was an interesting Xmas lunch with potatoes and pigs in blankets several hours before the roast…

Original poster
boto · 18/12/2021 20:05

Thank you so much!
Plan of action is

  • make the cabbage the day before
  • roast the carrots and parsnips the day before
  • Meats in so that they come out an hour before eating
  • once meats out then 2 trays of potatoes in and the stuffing and pigs in blankets

But hmm how would I reheat the carrots and parsnips? Oven for 15 mins?

OP posts:
Original poster
boto · 18/12/2021 20:06

And yes definitely not faffing around making Yorkshire puds from scratch but am a firm believer that Yorkies are a part of all roasts and not just beef... Grin

OP posts:
EbonanzaScrooge · 18/12/2021 20:08

I am the same! In my 30’s and never cooked a Xmas dinner before, never had it in my house! Thanks to covid it’s just the 4 of us this year so me and DH will have to do it. Thanks for posting this because it’s gave me some help! Good luck for the big day!