To ask for your ultimate Christmas dinner tips and cheats??

[AngeloMysterioso]

We’re hosting my parents in law for the first time this year after they (by which, let’s be honest, I mean MIL) have done the hard work for several years on the bounce. I’ve never cooked for them and we’re in a new house, with an oven I’ve yet to do a roast dinner in (Rangemaster 110) and I really, really, really don’t want to fuck it up. I’m sitting here with a copy of Delia’s Happy Christmas that I bought on a whim in a charity shop this morning and I can already feel my blood pressure rising, so I’m now in search of any tips, cheats, short cuts, easy foolproof recipes that will help things go as smoothly as possible! Any really good ready made supermarket sprouts I can just bung in the oven, a lovely gravy, a never-lets-you-down turkey recipe, a good store bought Yule log, honestly any suggestions will be gratefully received! Failing that, recommendations for a nice dinner wine or Christmas cocktail so I can get them so pissed they don’t notice how much of a bodge I’ve made 😂

To add- I have done Christmas dinner before, but it was always just my DM and me (and a couple of times us two and DH post-marriage) and we always ate quite late in the day/early evening and it was fairly uncomplicated. This time it’ll be four adults and three children and everyone is going to want Christmas lunch at lunchtime or thereabouts so it’s a whole new ball game!

i always pre make cauliflower cheese, Yorkshire puddings and sausage meat stuffing. You can make these way before Christmas and freeze. Once you’ve defrosted the cauliflower cheese sprinkle cheese on top then before baking. If you are doing your own pigs in blankets wrap chipolatas in bacon day before and refrigerate before cooking on the day. I've done Christmas dinner before for 22 and have roasted new potatoes before now to save on peeling.

Precook and freeze what you can. I usually do Jamie Olivers gravy, stuffing, cauli cheese, bread sauce and cranberry sauce in advance.

Make a list of timings. Work backwards from when you want to serve to work out when things go in the oven.

Cook the turkey first thing and leave contest under several layers of tinfoil and some bath towels (will stay warm and will be very moist when serving)

Prep all veg the day before or buy pre prepped.

Also write down a list of everything you are cooking along with timings etc and even where you are cooking it eg top oven, bottom oven, hob etc. it’s helps to have a visual list!

If you’re on Instagram look up Sam Nixon’s get ahead Christmas dinner reels. Follow all his steps and you cannot go wrong.

Don’t panic!

Buy as much as possible ready prepped, if finances allow (M&S will be your friend), then decide at what time you are going to eat, and work backwards from there, to the point where you switch the oven on.

If you’re having a turkey, or any large roast, you can take it out to rest (it will carve better like that anyway) 45 minutes to an hour beforehand. This will give you plenty of time for cooking vegetables, roasting potatoes* making gravy etc.
*If making from scratch, parboil them well in advance, so they’re ready to go in the oven.

Once you’ve decided on a sit-down-to-eat time, write out all the timings in time order and stick it on the front of the fridge, or anywhere else it won’t disappear, so it’s easy to refer to.

Personally I never bother with a 🎄dinner starter - just some nice canapés (usually M&S) an hour or so before.

Aunt Bessie for roasties and parsnips and M&S turkey crown. Adding strips of bacon to the crown keeps it moist.

Buy your potatoes for roasting now - I always use Maris Piper. Peel and cut into big chunks. Cook in boiling salted water for 5 - 6 minutes, drain, put them back in the pan, put the lid on and shake until the edges are fluffy.

Put non stick paper on a roasting tray, and set the potatoes on it, making sure they don't touch. Freeze them uncovered until completely frozen, then put them in a freezer bag and forget about them until Christmas day.

About an hour before you need them, heat oil in very hot oven (220). When the oil's hot, add the still frozen potatoes and baste. Cook about 50 -55 mins. They will be the best roast potatoes ever, and no last minute prep at all.

Parsnips are lovely parboiled for 3 minutes, frozen in the same way as the potatoes, then cooked from frozen using Nigella's recipe: www.nigella.com/recipes/maple-roast-parsnips
As you've parboiled them, you can cook them in about 15 - 20 minutes at the same temperature as the roasties.

This carrot and onion recipe is lovely and can be made 2 days ahead then reheated. www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/caramelised-carrots-onions

I've never done a Christmas dinner, but DM always does a 'practice run' a couple of weeks earlier, on a slightly smaller scale. Just as a usual Sunday dinner or something, to remind herself from the previous year. you've got time to do that at least once, even a couple of times before Christmas. Then it will feel a bit less scary cos you've had a practice and learnt things about how long stuff takes, how much room it needs.

Also, red cabbage in the slow cooker is a firm favourite in our family. Plenty of balsamic vinegar. Doesn't need much attention once it's on. If your kids are old enough, could you do some of the prep together like chopping veg, on Christmas eve afternoon. Make it an activity all part of Christmas. Then bag it all up and in the fridge ready for the next day

If i were you i'd do a normal roast in the next couple of weeks - at least you'll learn your oven's ways.

My aunt heats the gravy through early and puts it in a thermos to keep hot for when it's needed. Keeps a ring on the hob free!

Pizza and salad.
Lots of wine.
Sorted (very easy & tastes much better than the traditional stuff too).

Precook and prep what you can, if you are making your own sauces like bread sauce or cranberry sauce they are fine in the fridge for a couple of days.

Veggie dishes like cauliflower cheese or baked leeks are good too as they go from oven to table.

Roast potatoes keep warm fine so start them before you think you need to.

Warm the plates in the microwave and use an insulated gravy just with boiling hot gravy, its makes everything more forgiving if its not piping hot.

As PP I don't do a starter as there's such a huge range of appetites and I could never please anyone so I just put out some canapes.

Also start with a prosecco cocktail to have with the canapes to make it feel posh 😉

https://lovelyindeed.com/gin-and-prosecco-cocktail/

Good luck OP!

Braising carrots in a pan on the hob saves some oven space (and tastes good).

Just chuck them in some stock with butter and herbs for 30 mins.

I’d also say - get a meat thermometer to avoid overcooking the meat, and take it out slightly below the optimum temperature as it will keep cooking. You can then let is rest a long time, which reduces time management juggling. You could take it out before the potatoes go in.

I also sometimes parboil the potatoes first thing so they’re just cold ready to go in later on, again less timing to think about and doesn’t harm them.

I never do proper starters where you sit at the table. I get some nice party food from Mark's and serve about 1 hour or more before dinner Maybe some Bucks Fizz or mulled wine or whatever you want. Keeps people from getting too hungry. Plus let your dh serve while you work at dinner or the other way round whatever works for you.

This all sounds so exhausting. What is the need for such a faff? Save your stress levels and keep it simple 😂

utilise your equipment.

•I use my air fryer for roasts.
•I make my veg al dente and put it in the slow cooker on low to keep warm
•I cook my sides (cauliflower cheese, root mash, roasted veg, stuffing and pigs in blankets) and keep it in the top oven to keep warm (or on the bottom shelf if you don't have a duel oven)
•cook your turkey so it is ready an hour before you want to eat. Cover in foil to let it rest.
•I make my mash put it in a serving dish with cling film on top and re-heat in the microwave

You'd be surprised how long food can rest/ be hot held and taste better than straight out the oven.

I always do Nigella’s (but really it’s mick from Gavin and Stacey 😜) brine bath for my turkey and always cook the gammon and my turkey the day before. Makes the house smell all Christmassy, we eat sausages cooked around the turkey for Christmas Eve supper and then it carves beautifully the next day. The ham I will steam Christmas Eve and bake with glaze on Christmas morning. Then everything fits in the oven, no dramas on Christmas morning.

And my gravy I make mid December a la Jamie with a big load of chicken wings, and freeze it.

Spiced red cabbage, bread sauce and cranberry sauce can all be made in advance and frozen. (You will get top brownie points for home made cranberry -it is so much nicer).

I came on to say this - parboil and freeze roasties and parsnips. They are far far better that way and so much easier!

I would make my roast potatoes in advance and freeze them but I don't have the room so last year, when I hosted, I made them the day before on Christmas eveand reheated on the day. Same with my roasted carrots. I also did a ham in coke in the slow cooker and we had that cold on the day.

Agree to get turkey in on the early side.

I also write all my timings down and I use gravy granules. I go for posh ones and ready made yorkshires. I love cooking but have a tiny kitchen with limited fridge and freezer space so can't do everything from scratch.

It went well last year for 14 people so hopefully same again this year! Enjoy! Ps I find it easier if people don't help and leave me be when I need to concentrate.

Oh and assign your various pans / oven trays etc ahead of time so it's all ready and you know what order you want to put things in. Don't forget that veg can be reheated last minute. Once the turkey is resting that obviously frees up a lot of oven space.

I also put everything I didn't expect to need in another room, so my toaster went upstairs, my kettle was available if needed but my surface space was at a premium!

You can pre prep Delia's parmesan parsnips and freeze to cook on the day. I usually defrost first. I also usually have some desserts and buffet things in freezer. Veg are peeled night before normally. Grave made day before.

Use your fridge and a whiteboard marker to keep on top of what needs to go in and when. I find it easier to look at than a scrap of paper and you definitely won't lose it!