WWYD about dinner in this situation?

[DeathByLaundry]

DH will be leaving at 1.15pm on Christmas day. My parents will be here from late morning.

I'm planning a 12 noon dinner (I know!). Maybe cooking the turkey on Christmas eve. Any other suggestions?

Slight tangent: what is on your plate for your perfect traditional Christmas dinner? For me it's turkey, roasters, gravy, sprouts, carrots, chipolatas with bacon,oatmeal stuffing, bread sauce, cranberry sauce and any other random veg I have in.

Why is your Dh leaving then? is he back later or Boxing Day? could you not have Christmas dinner on a different, less difficult day (24/26th?) and just have a 'normal' roast on the 25th instead?

We have all that and Yorkshire pudding and parsnips too.

12 lunch is perfectly fine, you can have yummy turkey sandwiches for late tea.

DH has to work and won't be back until late.

I feel like cooking the bird on Christmas eve is cheating, but it'll make the morning much easier.

I might also be organised this year as DH will be away much of Christmas eve too so I'll spend the evening prepping veg, starting things off etc. And drinking something nice :).

Yorkshire puds is a great idea. If I do the turkey on Christmas eve I'll have loads of room in the oven so that might work really well :)

do evening, my work colleague does that, and an ex neighbour did that.
why not?

If I cook turkey (rare as not a fan), I cook it over night. Could be an idea for you?

Do beef instead.

We have roast potatoes, sprouts, carrots, parsnips, broccoli, pigs in blankets, Yorkshire puddings, stuffing & gravy.

DH won't be home until midnight. Think the DC will be fed up by then! Overnight might be a plan.

I could do something different but I love my Christmas dinner and the best bit of boxing day is the leftovers so no cooking! I'll also have a big ham on the go.

DH doesn't like beef

Although i could do beef while he's out. I'll get him a one person ready meal top take to work

Just give him a tin of beans and a slice of bread.

Don't forget the can opener though!

I cook a turkey crown as it's much quicker and no waste. I've done a whole turkey the evening before and it wasn't the same as having the turkey smell on Christmas morning. I'm cooking similar stuff to you but adding red cabbage coz I love it.

Could you set an alarm clock to wake you just to go down and turn the oven on at the right time?

I've pondered a crown but I'd miss the curry, sandwiches, broth and fajitas!

Somebody on another thread cooks her turkey on Christmas eve, carves it up & then covets it in gravy in a roasting tin to keep it moist. Could this be a possibility for you?

Not cheating, what with there being no actually laws against when you cook!

At Christmas do what ever feels easier for you.

We always cook our turkey on Christmas Eve, our oven is small and we have a large turkey so can't fit everything in together. Plus it makes Christmas Day easier.

Get on Waitrose website today, you can still order your turkey today, although you'd need to collect it (no delivery slots left available). Anyway, they do one that comes all pre-stuffed, prepared etc, enough for 8 people (so the left overs you want) in a oven bag (I know, sounds minging, but is fabulous!) you cook it for less than 2 hours. So as long as you can have it in the oven by 9:30am, so it'll be cooked by 11:30am and you can allow it to rest, it'll be perfect. If your DCs are anything like mine, you'll be up at 6am, so having the oven on and hot by 9:30am won't be an issue at all, and you'll all be starving at noon (unless you do a big breakfast, don't, bring out treat food for a party tea once your DH has gone to work).

You can quite easily get everything on the table by 12noon, but do a simple meal, and buy as much pre-done/"bung in the oven" ready as you can.

I always cook mine Xmas eve. Much easier