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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

Um. I have to cook Christmas dinner this year oh dear...

55 replies

Smurfgirl · 22/11/2006 22:08

I have never ever ever cooked Christmas dinner before. I have actually never cooked for more than 2 people before (without making a big lasagne of something). Oh dear.

It will be me and dp and a couple we are v.close to the two men are v.big eaters but not into their veg. I am the only one out of us that can cook decently so it will prob fall to me. We have a single oven and a steamer and a microwave will this be ok?

Am v.worried, I am not the best cook really I try but am still learning I guess. I want it to be nice for everyone but am scared I won't manage the timings etc.

I don't even know how to cook Turkey ffs. Or real gravy.

Am quite sad that we can't be at my parents really.

OP posts:
TheHighwayCod · 22/11/2006 22:08

practoce

Yorkiegirl · 22/11/2006 22:09

Message withdrawn

pelvicfloorSNOWmore · 22/11/2006 22:10

Cheat
let m and s help you of course or aunt bessie

Gingerbear · 22/11/2006 22:11

Have a trial run - Sunday lunch.
Get the other couple to help out.
Oh, and buy 'the trimmings' ready made (bacon/sausage thingies, stuffing, blah, blah)

ilovecaboose · 22/11/2006 22:11

get this months issue of good food. Loads of good tips in there. Timeplans and preparation (for the days leading up) tips in there as well.

How many shelves has your oven got? Three would be enough to do turkey and stuffing in one tin. Roast veg in another and have one spare for anything else you want to do.

Gravy is easy and you can make it up beforehand and then reheat it on the day. You can use veg steamer if you want to. There are even easy no cook starters you can do.

Make list of what you want to do and then people can give you tips on how to do it.

Gingerbear · 22/11/2006 22:12

Don't buy a huge turkey either.

Original poster
Smurfgirl · 22/11/2006 22:13

Oh and dp has just told me someone else might be coming.

Will roasting a chicken be enough practise? Is it easy to do Turkey? Have cooked a roast chicken once and it was v.nice.

OP posts:
TheHighwayCod · 22/11/2006 22:13

"Gravy is easy and you can make it up beforehand "

HOW?
ypou need the meat juices

pooka · 22/11/2006 22:13

I'm in exactly the same position! Have just said will host christmas this year (wnat to really as think easiest for the dc's). My mother, bachelor uncle and my brother on top of dh,me and 2 children.
Have just ordered on-line with Occado most things that I think I might need, just to make sure I get a Christmas delivery.
Think will be OK. Have concerns about the oven. It's older than me and isn't particularly reliable (we bought my mother's house and this is the oven that has been here since 1972).Still - sure will be alright in the end.

TheHighwayCod · 22/11/2006 22:13

delia
chrismtas
she evn has timings
my rip dont do too many veg
keep ti simple

Gingerbear · 22/11/2006 22:13

Bugger real gravy.
Use the meat juices, boiling water and Bisto Best.

ilovecaboose · 22/11/2006 22:14

use stock. You can save meat juices from another dinner if necessary. Not hard.

TheHighwayCod · 22/11/2006 22:14

VOMIT

TheHighwayCod · 22/11/2006 22:14

Bisto
do normal peopel BUy that>

pelvicfloorSNOWmore · 22/11/2006 22:14

mmmmmmmmhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Bisto

pooka · 22/11/2006 22:15

I won't be doing a starter - we never have in my family. Tend to fill up on smoked salmon during present opening and leaves plenty of room for puddings.
None of us likes Christmas pudding apart from my Uncle and so have bought miniscule one for him. Am thinking might make Nigella's Christmas Creme Brulee and have made profiteroles/chocolate roulade before and they'd be popular with the children.

Gingerbear · 22/11/2006 22:16

Cod
Forgive me, for I am a Packet Sinner

Skribble · 22/11/2006 22:16

Agree have a practice, get a good step by step book or have a look at the seasonal foody/ womans mags a few of them have instructions for the whole meal.

I also go through everything I am cooking and work out what is cooking where, Ie oven or on the hob, and work out times. I write down my time table and stick it on the cupboard door. that way I know when to put what where and don't suddenly find I have 5 trays to fit in the oven at once.

Preperation too, do veggies the night before and cover with water, make sure turkey or whatever is defrosted. You could try a crown roast, which is just the breast meat on the breast bone, quicker to cook and less wastage. Butcher can do these or ready prepared in M&S or supermarket. If going for a whole bird Don't go too big as it will take ages to cook and loads of leftovers.

TheHighwayCod · 22/11/2006 22:16

baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarf bisto
god i ma turinginto moondog

mumatuks · 22/11/2006 22:16

Cosd right, practice is all you need.
Try a Sunday lunch to get started with, the art of it is getting everything ready to go out at the same time. The cooking is the easy part! The meat couldn't be easier either, these days they even print the cooking time on the label. Just make sure you have your tin and cooking foil.

By the way, try roast veg instead of boiled. I did long pieces of carrots and parsnips in the roasting tin with honey (or golden syrup) then mustard seeds and a pinch of salt sprinkled over them. The went down much better than the boiled ones!

Oh and I've just discovered how to do most excellent roast potatoes, will pass on the info if you wish.

Don't bother with gravy granuals, they will ruin your food, if you really want you can buy stock in the supermarket, all you do is heat it up and it makes good gravy. I'm not a bad person for this, Delia Smith said she did it on one of her cooking programmes.

Linnet · 22/11/2006 22:16

I cook christmas dinner for me, dh and our two girls.

What I do is order a turkey crown from Marks and spencer, it serves 10 I think so we always have loads left over and I don't need to worry about carving round legs etc. I pre-order it and pick it up a couple of days before christmas.

I also order a garnish set which is little sausages, little bacon rolls and little stuffing balls.
It's all easy to cook, just cook the turkey, then when it's ready take it out of the oven leave to rest while the little sausages etc go in the oven. I cheat when it comes to the potatoes and use frozen roast potatoes which I put in at the same time as the sausages etc.

for Veg I do some carrots and Broccoli, no sprouts in my house bleugh!

it's fairly straighforward for me anyway I'm sure if you wanted to go this way you'd find it really easy. check out marks and spencer christmas food ordering booklet in the stores they have loads of stuff, from little nibbles, to roasts, puddings, side orders the lot. they also do gravy, I just use bisto

Honestly I wouldn't worry it can be as stressful or as easy as you want it to be.

Good Luck I'll bet you have a great day.

Skribble · 22/11/2006 22:17

I do cold starters that can be prepared and set out ready.

pooka · 22/11/2006 22:17

Veg-wise we'll be having sprouts with chestnuts, roast pots, peas and maybe parsnips.

TheHighwayCod · 22/11/2006 22:17

i used to doa timming hseet
work backwards formt he timet he meat comes out
rememebr the meat can sit for a god while
get deial xmas smurfy

TheHighwayCod · 22/11/2006 22:17

i used to doa timming hseet
work backwards formt he timet he meat comes out
rememebr the meat can sit for a god while
get deial xmas smurfy

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