What are your top time-saving tips for preparing Christmas dinner?

[JoshandJamie]

We're hosting the family this year. Am keen to cook everything myself, but am looking for some shortcuts. Anyone have any timesaving secrets?

prepare the veg and leave in water/in fridge ovenight -

Prepare veg the day before. Eg if you are having sprouts get them cleaned etc and in a pot. Par boil potatoes ready for roasting. Have turkey pepared in the fridge so you just need to pop in in the oven in the am. Get family to set the table the night before.

I have a recipe that says you can make gravy in advance by using the turkey neck and giblets (which in itself turns my stomach but hey ho). My question is, could I make it the day before and reheat or would that not be safe? Anyone?

The Kbears love carrot and swede mashed together with our roast and I always make it in advance and freeze and reheat in microwave on the day. Also prepare fresh veg night before.

This year I am saying bugger the turkey, it's just been too much hassle and worry every year, ordering it, picking it up, finding space in the fridge for it, cooking it to perfection, dealing with its hulking presence afterwards... bluegh. Am ging to buy some type of fancy turkey escalope thingies from m&s or somewhere and sling'em in a pan.

snowleopard - the freedom of a turkey-free Christmas! Makes sense to me if you're not feeding a crowd.

Go to your Mum's - that's what I'm doing

Read in good housekeeping mag this week that the best way to make roast potatoes is to par boil them and shake pan to rough them up a bit, then open freeze them in a tray then store in a bag in freezer till needed - roast (from frozen) for an hour or so... Could save a bit of time i guess. Think you'd be okay making gravy the night before - just add the pan juices from the turkey before serving.

Yes you could make the gravy and freeze it or certainly leave it in the fridge overnight to reheat. I will def do my gravy early with giblets as that is the part of my roast where it all goes wrong. You can even do the roast pots parboiled then freeze then cook from frozen on the day. Do all veg and put in water night before. Sod the starter IMO. I have a Nigella book Feast that is full of shortcuts....or is it the Good Housekeeping xmas one??? Anyway have fun!

Well the thing is, we've always gone somewhere else but we've moved into a new house and want to have Christmas at ours. My SIL who usually hosts Christmas is a very good cook but tends to only make one or two things herself and buys the rest ready prepared.

I love cooking and take huge pleasure in it - and to me buying ready prepared stuff feels like it's fake. BUT I hate the last minute trying to roast everything and get veges heated etc at the last minute. Which is why roasts are my least favourite things to cook. I want to make as much in advance as possible but don't know how to do it - particularly with veg which to me, when reheated go soft and oogy. (oogy being a technical term you understand)

Also, anyone know where I can buy pinhead oatmeal??

Ah x-posted. Must have been GH's tip about the frozen pots.

Another mag said to roast all veggies then there is no juggling them to be ready at the same time.

Loving the idea about frozen pots. Am definitely going to do it. She says...thinking...oh my god..what if it all goes horribly wrong...

Am also going to be shortcutting big time - no starter but lots of ready prepared canapes. Got the brochure from Sainsburys recently. Yum. There's noway I could make something that is going to taste as good and canapes take forever to do.

In fact I am thinking of giving them a test run this weekend as am hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for 8 - just because I have nothing else to do besides run a business and look after two small children.

I agree about reheating veg but swede and carrots should be oogy so that is a good one and red cabbage can't be overcooked either....then roast carrots with parsnips and red onions and maybe sweet potato?? It will be fun. I always aim to have it all ready half an hour before I tell others then they all think I am on time lol.

Love red cabbage. And you're right, that does hang about pretty nicely. I think I have a recipe for red cabbage with cranberries - delia maybe?? Good plan.

I hate red cabbage lol but dh loves it and it is SOOOO festive. I have been reading too much Nigella.......

Well I par boil my veggies the day before. Parnips are par boiled and then whilst still hot sprinkled with grated parmesan. I lay them out on a greased (spray oil) baking sheet and fridge overnight, all other veg prepped, however I don't DO fancy veg, I do plain carrots, broccoli, sprouts, parmesan parsnips and sometimes cauliflower cheese (Pre made)

Personally I love roasts as they are bung it in teh oven and do shag all as far as I am concerned. ALL the bits and bobs (bread sauce, cranberry sauce, sausgages and bacon, stuffing) are made in the DAYS before.

Christmas morn bung in turkey, drink champagne, wait until about 1/2 hr before turkey is done, then bung in potatoes, 1/2 hr after that, sausage/bacon, stuffings, parsnips, cauliflower cheese go in as turkey comes out to rest (need the oven space) WRAP turkey in foil and leave while cooking last minute veg (I use microwave or steamer, non soggy veg) and reheating gravy with added cooking juices, bread sauce etc.

Personally don't DO starters, I would do a max of salmon on brown bread canapes or prawns on thai bites (thai bite, blob of TOTAL tzatski, King prawn - mmmm) that can be nibbled as I cook and others mingle.

However I love coking for a crowd and I adore doing roasts.

My main tip is my list.

I work out what time we are going to eat, then work out in adavnce what time things need to go in oven etc. This makes it almost fool proof (do it days before, not on Christmas eve) as you can stick it to the fridge and know exactly when everything needs doing and it it perfectly ready at the same time.

j&J I love dong canapes. I did loads for my dh's 40th a week or so ago

Quails eggs - easy peasy, cook, peel (while watching trashy telly) and serve with little pot of seasalt with ground black pepper.

Mini sausgaes, everyones fave

Prawns on thai bites (see previous thread) - my 7 yr old makes these!

I also did goats cheese toasts (bought mini crostini with thin slice goast cheese grilled 3 mins), posh olives, buffalo mozzerella and cherry tomato sticks - easy but a bit more time consuming and smoked salmon on brown bread - each slice of bread cuts into 4 or 6, remove crusts, job done

Seriously - you all have me salivating. Crunchie - I know roasts tend to be a bung in the oven affair, but I find that it's the last minute pulling it all together that I find stressful - usually because I've had several glasses of champagne.

By the way, I have a FAB recipe for cranberry sauce if anyone wants it. I used to live in the US (hence why we continue the thanksgiving tradition) and I made this out of a Bon Appetit magazine. It is really easy but so bloody gorgeous - and I don't know why, but when serving up home made cranberry sauce, I feel more of a domestic goddess than at any other time:

. This can be made a week ahead if it?s kept covered and refrigerated ? so no last minute rush either. Makes about 3 ½ cups.
o 1 and 2/3 cups port
o ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
o ¼ cup packed golden brown sugar
o 8 dried black mission figs, stemmed and chopped
o 1 6-inch spring of fresh rosemary
o ¼ teaspoon grown black pepper
o 1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
o ¾ cup sugar
Combine first 6 ingredients in medium saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Discard rosemary. Mix in cranberries and ¾ cup sugar. Cook over medium heat until liquid is slightly reduced and berries burst, stirring occasionlly, about 6 minutes. Cool and transfer to a bowl. Chill until cold.

Wow what is a mission fig??
Parmasan parsnips sound yummy, is that a Delia recipe?
Agree totally on plain veggies. Lots of other rich food around. Crunchie I am hungry now too. Mmmm.
Am impressed making cranberry sauce. That is deffo where I would use a jar.

Skyler - cranberry sauce is so easy to make and truly, when you serve it, you will feel this warm glow inside. Sounds absolutely bloody ridiculous, but mark my words. Go and make some and you'll see.

Mission figs are just the black figs - probably get them from Waitrose

You are right I would feel like the perfect hostess serving that up. I will think about it.....

Snowleopard - just found a Christmas recipe for your turkey escalopes