Almost 32 and I've never made Christmas dinner! Advice?

[MrsChestyLaRue]

This is shocking but we've always went to either patents but now we are having it in our house, it's just DH, 2 Dcs (4&2) and DMIL.

So, where do I start? What do I need? When do I need to get things? Do I need to order in advance?

I'm thinking:

Prawn cocktail to start, this I can do
Mil will bring soup

So I only having to do turkey and trimmings and a dessert (individual Christmas pudding for mil)

I am hopeless at timings and I don't want to be a slave to the cooker on the day so anything I can do in advance.

Also any good recipes for fancying up the veg, stuffing etc?

Any tips would be great! :)

Make stuffing, gravy and brandy butter in advance. Freeze.

Cook turkey overnight (google).

Par boil tatties the day before and leave cold in fridge, then roast on day in hot goose fat.

Buy packet bread sauce. Ditto cranberry sauce and Christmas pudding.

Good luck

Thanks sundae, I was going to do the ham in coke but DH wants turkey, he'll help but neither of us are very adventurous! :)

I've worked out that people only really care about the roast potatoes, gravy and sausages wrapped in bacon.

Get the roasters right first and keep them warm and everything else will be fine

Mary berry (I think) in good food magazine recommends cooking the roast potatoes the day before and just pop them in the oven for a bit to get them to heat through.

I'd write a time plan with at least 15-30mins contingency and then everyone knows what needs to go on when and can always help!

It's just a big roast dinner, I have never understood what all the fuss is about!

Peel and chop the veg and potatoes on Christmas Eve. Or make someone else do it. Or buy per prepared.

Find out how long it will take to cook your meat. Allow half an hour at 200 degrees per pound/half kilo of meat INCLUDING THE STUFFING, then half an hour to brown off. Count backwards from what time you want to eat, and put it in the oven at the correct time. Make sure you preheat the oven.

Roast potatoes take at least an hour. Bear in mind that if you don't have enough space for meat and potatoes, the meat will have to be out of the oven an hour earlier.

I would buy a frozen turkey joint out of tesco/iceland/asda as they are good and then we have roasties, Boil the potatoes the day before and keep in the fridge. Veg is brussels, carrots, broccoli and sweetcorn here.

I'm in the same position this year, so am very happy you posted this Mrs

Do the turkey first. Check the times on the label. I cover mine in butter and bacon to stop it drying out. I out my bird on top of onion and carrot.

When that is cooked I cover it and keep it warm.

Then I strain fat off the juices in the own. Add flour, water and one of those knorr stock pots. Stir for gravy and then strain to get rid of the carrot and onion.

I put the fatties in the oven which have been par boiled these go in to a hot oven that has had a tray with goose fat heating in it while I do the gravy.

Pigs in blankets also go in the oven

I then have all the veg ready to go in the steamer.

We don't do bread sauce. I pick up cranberry from marks and red cabbage which can be heated in the microwave.

That should be tatties.

Thanks :)

At least now I have a plan. I can see pudding being Eton Mess, DHs favourite so that will be easy and light after a big meal.

I have also never cooked a Sunday roast