How do you sit and eat starter AND cook the Christmas roast at the same time?! (Hosting novice/thicko)

[SlinkyB]

I'm now stressing about tomorrow, but not sure if I'm just over-thinking things as usual.

Planning on having prawn cocktail for starter (5 adults, a toddler and a 5yr old...tho won't bother doing starter for kids). I'm guessing we'd want to have that around 2.30pm if I'm doing main for 3pm. But 2.30pm is crunch time wrt to cooking all the sides...what does everyone else do?! I'm thinking of not having a starter?!

We have nibbles / canapés at 2pm and open some gifts and then dinner at 3pm. Works out OK as you get a breather between courses and can go and do final prep while people marvel at the gifts.

It's not a race. Eat your starter while the turkey is resting, then go put the veg on. People will be happy waiting ten minutes between courses.

No starter - canapes or crisps earlier

We eat fishy nibbles with Prosecco around midday
Lunch at 2-3pm

I'm definitely doing prawn cocktail!

Shall I just do it for 2pm when I take turkey out and put spuds on then? I'm a fast eater so can bolt mine and head back to the kitchen (I'm not a very good cook so want to keep an eye on everything).

Sounds like a plan.

I opt for eating my starter once I've served main to everyone else. Never ever done fancy or got starters...

Fishy nibbles? That's very specific... Prawn cocktail crisps??

Started is eaten while the turkey is resting and no body cares about the wait.
Take your time and just enjoy the day

Fishy nibbles are the staple diet of the residents of Ponty pansy.

Starter at 2, main at 3. Nice lull and no panicking.

No panicking. Right. This will be my mantra tomorrow! Thank you

Take the turkey out at least half an hour before it's due to be carved, cover in tinfoil with tea towels over the top to rest. Then forget about it until you've eaten your starter

Warm the plates if you have time and always put a big boat of gravy out, that'll cover a multitude of sins. Write out a basic plan of what goes in when. Air dry your potatoes after par boiling them and give them a hard shake and a sprinkle of salt. No fail to impress.

Everyone will be grateful for your effort. Or too pissed to notice. Or both :-)

I have written out a detailed plan of action, but had totally forgotten about the bloody starter!

I'm catering for dh and his parents and Nana. The inlaws are very old-fashioned/traditional, tee-total and wouldn't entertain eating "junk" like crisps instead of a starter (I'd bloody love posh crisps and prosecco!).

I'm planning on shutting them all in the living/dining room with the kids, whilst I'm in the kitchen with the radio turned up and a bottle of champers in the go

I always.put my mum and now my eldest in charge of crackers after the starter. I head to the kitchen while they pull crackers and marvel at the hats and jokes etc.

Ahem. Fishy nibbles = tiny lobster rolls, smoked salmon on blini, crab toasts. and crisps