Your best hack for cooking Christmas lunch

[Birdbuggerup]

I’ll be honest, I’m having a bit of a panic. I’m hosting lunch this year. Only for 6 but I’ve only done a couple of roasts so I’m worried about timings.
Bird is a frozen turkey crown and I’ve got all the usual trimmings.

Any tips for what can be prepped / cooked in advance? I’ve got a decent sized oven, air fryer, slow cooker and (I think) a warming section in the over.

I don’t care how out there the advice, how can I make my life easier?!
thanks in advance

I’m cooking for eight this year and have done a bit of reading on this.
So much can be prepped or prepared in advance.
I’m making the stuffing, red cabbage, cauliflower cheese, bread sauce and gravy on Christmas Eve (will add turkey juices to the gravy on the day) and peeling/dicing all of the veg.
Fully cooking our ham, apart from the final 45
minutes. Brining the turkey this evening and will prep it tomorrow eve.

I write all the timings down on paper I work backwards from when I want the meal.

Use the resting time for the meat as time to cook things that only need 20-30 mins or less in the oven.

I use steamer baskets for some of the veg so you can cook carrots / potatoes on the bottom in boiling water and bung other veg on top to steam for the last few minutes.

Veg can be prepped in advance especially carrots and potatoes just leave in water.

Go to PIL.

You can do your peeling the night before and then put it all in a big pan or bowl or water overnight.

If you are doing mash you can do that the night before too and reheat it.

Allocate jobs to people. Setting the table, etc. Having someone just wiping the benches or washing/drying every so often if helpful.

If you've got a dishwasher, think about when you are going to put it on. You don't want to finish your dinner and have nowhere for everything to go.

My preference is to get as much done beforehand.

Par boil veg, drain, just need 10 minutes on the day or straight into a pan with oil & garnish for roasting

Stuffing balls made then in fridge

Gravy made up, cooled then in fridge

On the day, the focus is getting the meat on then just finishing of the trimmings.

You'll be grand.

Decide on when you are going to eat and then work backwards on timing everything and write a timed list of every job. Dont forget to allow time for the oven to heat and potatoes to boil before you roast them, resting meat and carving time

think about what oven trays fit on what shelves and at what temp

get out your serving dishes (if you are going to use them) and utlentils and label each one with what goes in them

dont forget to heat the plates

you can use foil trays (sat i side the proper ones for stability) to minimise clean up

try and start with an empty dishwasher and kitchen bin

cook as much today as you can and store it in the fridge to warm or finish on the day

Ham/gammon in the slow cooker tomorrow, slice and pour the cooking juices over it. Then reheat on the day.
Prep all your veg tomorrow. Roast carrots/parsnips together.
Par boil potatoes then stick them in your roasting dish with your turkey about 30 minutes before the end of cooking time.

Decide what time you’re eating and work everything backwards.

If you have fridge space, do your mashed potatoes tomorrow and then reheat.

Write all the timings down for everything on a bit of paper. After that it should be like clockwork.

Depending on how much you are prepping from scratch, most of it can be done in advance:
Veg peeled
Bread sauce and cranberry sauce - use Delia's recipes
Stuffing
Red cabbage - very forgiving, can be reheated a ridiculous number of times

Make sure someone else is doing the washing up

Defrost the turkey

Mary Berry twice cooked roast potatoes- you can cook them in advance!

Prep everything night before.

Tip 1: Decide when you want to eat and write the timings down working back from there. Make sure you stick to the schedule and factor in prepping time not just cooking time.

Tip 2: Make sure you and your guests are well lubricated with alcohol, that way it won't matter so much if timings slip.

Haha yes I was going to say "get FIL to do it"

Don't forget to defrost the turkey!

You can parboil the potatoes day before and then you just need to roast them

Clear up as you go along and keep using the dishwasher . Use air fryer and oven . pigs in blankets are better in air fryer

I cook the entire thing the night before then refrigerate in containers. Next day, plate up and microwave everything and it's absolutely perfect.

Focus on your meat, potatoes and gravy. As long as they are tasty the veg just falls in place

Cook meat first and have it resting which frees oven up for everything else and you can turn the temp up for the roasties.

For 6 I would plate up the meal, rather then using serving dishes at the table. Just simplifies everything and the.food tends to stay warmer.

Love the tip start with an empty dishwasher and bin too.

Good luck! Let us know how you get on!

Cook your turkey first then cover in foil and wrap in a towel to keep warm. Then the timings if everything else are easier to manage.

Do the roast potatoes , parsnips and veg almost all the way cooked on Christmas Eve and refresh the veg in iced water to keep colour. Roast items into large foil trays ready to finish while turkey is resting - veg can have butter and seasonings added and finished in microwave or on hob again while turkey resting

Placemarking OP! I've never done Christmas before and don't know where to start!

Get someone else to do it

Get someone else to do it - DH does ours 😁

I find roasts and veg So easy to do. Basically chop and marinate all veg the day before and same with all meats. Next day it's just sticking in the oven, I don't understand the panic about that.
I'm Indian so we do a whole other type of spread- try cooking a Briyani, tandoori's , curries etc and then you will be glad it's just a roast 🤣 we spilt the dishes though so everyone makes a dish.

I do Jamie's make ahead gravy, so that just needs to be microwaved. Stuffing is done, that just needs put in the oven. I'll prep pigs in blankets tomorrow and peel veg.

Get going on the main meat early so that can be resting while spuds and veg are being crisped. I make great use of my warming oven.

My best ever Christmas dinner was the year I had a few sherry's whilst I was cooking. 😂

Just keep telling yourself it's just a roast.
I did all my veg the other day and froze it. I even saved the veg water and froze that too for the veg water.
You absolutely don't have to do everything from scratch. Ready chopped veg are fine.
Give everyone a job to do

Lots of good advice. I would add that meat needs to rest. So don't start the veg too early or you'll end up with a soggy mess.

From personal experience try not to drink too much as you'll always end up forgetting something and it'll still be in the oven when everyone has finished.