Best - worst Christmas hacks

[Moanranger]

So like most of you, I took a few shortcuts on preparing & presenting the Christmas dinner -
Due to buying a turkey crown ( hence no giblets, etc for gravy) I purchased
Tesco’s Finest Turkey Gravy - ugh, ugh & more ugh - THE WORST! Really artificial & unpleasant.
I subsequently bought Lidl’s Delux Turkey graveyard, quite pleasant, in contrast.
I also bought a turkey crown for £20 from Aldi, a bit bland, but good value - word to the wise: ALWAYS USE A THERMOMETER!! If I followed the recommended cooking time on packaging, it would have been cinders, as it was done one a full hour before the recommended time.
Any other tips or learning experiences?

This sounds like a brilliant idea. Definitely trying this next year

I also spent hours on Jamie’s get ahead gravy one year. Chucked the whole lot away it was so awful.

I bought a cooked side of salmon from M&S. it was bloody lovely and everyone enjoyed it. Job done!

I made homemade ice cream for my gluten free/ Christmas pudding hating guests - 1 tub of ready made custard, 1 tub of double cream whipped together then add maple syrup and freeze (need to whip twice whilst it’s freezing) .To serve, take out of freezer for about 20 mins then pour Baileys or rum or other alcohol of choice over. Was a big hit.

My best thing was to section off the food in the fridge that was available for lunches and snacks at any time . Put them on top shelf .
i then put a note on the fridge door saying take what you want from the top shelf but mitts off the rest.

it really helped as there was no .. mum cN i have .. ?? and id have to think what was for what day..

with three 20 year olds who eat n eat … it really helped and i knew that id not have missing ingredients!

i also arranged for guests to look a meal on one of the days . Whilst i drank wine and put my feet up . Just knowing id get a day off was bliss

we also colour coded the gifts

I strongly recommend being properly poorly fit the entire Christmas period, so DH has to step up. He actually seemed to enjoy not being overlooked and micromanaged, so I think I'll leave him to do all the Christmas food next year too.

Great minds! 😂

I did :
chicken for DS
Quorn roast for the rest of us
once cooked these are wrapped in foil+ teatowels to rest
Roast potatoes and roast parsnips in the oven then set aside to finish in the airfryer for the last 5 minutes
Carrot , sprouts,turnip in to steam
Cauli cheese cooks while the Yorkshire Pudding tins heat then it goes in the top oven
We watch the wonder that is Yorkshire Puddings through the glass oven door while the gravy cooks

Bulk buy paper gift bags and tissue. Loose wrapping of gifts in tissue.

We reuse the bags year on year, colour coded for each person ( no labels on Santa gifts)

I also have a tool box with scissors, tissue, labels, and an assortment of ribbons.

I roast a chicken a few weeks beforehand and use the meat for salads etc but I make gravy from the juices and freeze it. Come Christmas Day, I mix in the Turkey juices and we have chicken and Turkey gravy. Tastes great and is one less thing to do on the day of cooking.

I also ( maybe sadly…) keep a note book.

At the end of each Christmas I look at what worked well and any good ideas or those than can be dropped going forward.

I often use the sales, just now to buy anything we may have needed ( a Christmas apron last year, vintage meat forks another) so that I don't have to run around at the last minute next year.

@anothernamechangeagainsndagain Do you just cook your stuffing balls according to the packet directions? I have leftover Paxo and sausagemeat and bubble to be made tomorrow from Christmas 2 today!

I bought two recyclable roasting trays. Had two joints, a gammon joint and a turkey crown. They both took the same time to cook, and once done i rested them in a warm top oven while i did the veg etc

The trays i simply washed up and stuck in the recycling while the veg was cooking. Horrible meat greasy baking tray gone bah boom. It was a big win for me