Eeek, suddenly cooking for 11 at Christmas. What can I do in advance?

[atticusclaw]

Cooking for 11 is enough stress but added to that we are on holiday right before Christmas and only get back 2 days before. Then to add to the difficulty we are having Christmas day itself at my parents house and the DH's family put Christmas on hold and we repeat Christmas day again on Boxing day since they won't have had the turkey etc. This adds the problem of not having the day before to prepare. Oh yes and I also have three veggetarians to throw into the mix.

So basically I have the time up to 12th December then I have 23rd and 24th. I'd really like not to be running around like a headless chicken. What, if anything, can I do way in advance?

I make cauliflower cheese,mashed potatoes and the stuffing all in advance and freeze it then I just get it out to defrost on Christmas morning.Last year I made the Christmas pudding ice cream,I made that about a week in advance will be making that again as the kids loved it last year.

I buy freshly pre- prepared vegetables(only at Christmas)so that saves me a bit of time faffing about with the peeling and prepping for the veg.We also buy the sausages wrapped in bacon already done as well.

Not sure what were having for starter yet,but it's usually something that takes 10 minutes max to prepare.

In your position Atticus, I would get a turkey boned and rolled breast from the butcher, cook it in advance and slice it, freeze in gravy before you go away. With 3 vegetarian guests you won't need as much meat as you think, especially with pigs in blankets as well.

Make stuffing and freeze in an ovenproof shallow dish or a foil tray, you just need to thaw it overnight and put in the oven, cut up into squares or wedges when cooked. Prepare veg part cooked and freeze.

Do enlist the help of guests to bring other food, drinks and so on.

Some great ideas on this thread! I'm a bit disappointed to only be cooking for one this year now

Steamers are great for freeing up cooker space.

When choosing the vegetarian main consider how well it'll go with gravy (pastry can be a bit dodgy) Toby carvery do a veggie lasagne - I'll never understand why. Who wants roasties and gravy with lasagne?? A shop bought veggie roast is fine -although the cranberry chestnut loaf NCIS mentioned sounds gorgeous. Remember to get some veggie gravy - the green tub bisto is fine. Also if you're using goose fat for the roasting veg, maybe do a separate pan with vegetable oil (cook first then reheat for a few mins in the oven later if space is at a premium).

Oh also as a veggie I am always more than happy to supply the veggie main and gravy if needed so it is worth asking.

Think about how many vegetable dishes you really need, too. We would generally only have three-potatoes, mashed something or other, green something or other.

I've never done a starter for Christmas dinner-it's just too much food (especially after I've spent the morning eating the nougat someone gives me every year). Just serve a glass of super-chilled Fino sherry and pass some poncey almonds round. Job done.

Anyone else have a culture clash with their partner/spouse about which family tradition prevails? We have the War of the Christmas Breakfast every year. My sister and BIL have the Battle of the Brandy Butter (he says yes, she says no yuk, I'm not making it go and buy some, he does, but has to point out home-made is better as he's eating it). My other sister and other BIL (not Christian) have the Christmas Tree Conflict (he's relaxed about every other part of the festivities but the tree ("that fucking bush") gets his goat for some reason. Particularly when the cat pulls it over.

I do like Christmas.

Trumpton! Trumpton! Will you please elaborate on heating the pudding in a slow cooker with a foil tent lid?

How do you make and secure the lid? For how long do you slow cook the pud? Do you put anything else into the slow cooker with the pud?

This could solve a long-standing problem at our house....

I do my pudding in the slow cooker but put it in a plastic lidded pudding bowl. When I make the pud (recipe from Nigella's Christmas book, really easy, divide into two puddings) I cook it for about 8 hours on high and then reheat on the day in the same way for probably for about six hours. I put boiling water in to about half way up the pudding bowl. I've done it that way for three years now and it's really easy, saves timing microwaving or having a steamer with the constant worry of boiling dry and a very steamy kitchen.

Exactly NCIS but as my pudd is in one of these moulds it is too tall to put lid on slow cooker so I just form a hat for the slow cooker.
As my learned friend said add boiling water to about half way up and turn cooker on ( very important ) .

That looks like something out of Dr Who! Seriously impressive and makes my little pudding basin look stunted.

I have had it meny meny years . I make a good cannon ball pudding in it.

Ooo I am definitely doing the Christmas pudding in the slow cooker, that will be much easier!

Thanks a million for the pudding-in-the-slow-cooker ideas, all. (So glad you mentioned the boiling water, too!) I have a metal pudding tin with a clamp-on lid; I have coveted a spherical one for quite a while.

I think this method will be a big improvement to the feast prep -- chalk up another one to MN!

Ace thread :)

Excellent thread, I have 12 to cook for so this will help with my planning!

My get ahead tip is to start boiling the sprouts about now ...