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Christmas

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

Hosting my first Christmas Dinner this year. Any cheats/tips/advice welcome!

59 replies

Fluffiest · 14/11/2018 14:43

This year DH and I have decided to host Christmas day for our family. We are really excited and want to put on a good day.

We'll have six adults and one three year old. One of the adults has to have dairy/gluten free food so any tried and tested gluten and dairy free recipes will be especially useful.

We are thinking we would like to do canapés, no starter, traditional Turkey dinner and some sort of pudding (not Christmas pudding because only my DF likes it)

We might have a couple of extra people joining us on the evening so I'd also love to hear some Christmas cocktail recommendations.

Please Mumsnetter, share with me your collective Christmas wisdom!

OP posts:
nogooddeedgoesunpunished · 14/11/2018 18:55

Somebody at worked recommended putting the gravy in a flask once you've made it. That why it stays nice and hot and you can just top up the gravy boat when you need it. I did that last year and it worked a treat. Def get disposable trays from B&Ms/ £ shop. Can't over estimate how quickly the dishwasher will fill up and need constant emptying/ re- stacking. Loads of GF Christmas food in all of the major supermarkets and packet GF gravy/ stuffing etc works well. Good luck !

Fluffiest · 14/11/2018 19:38

Gravy in a flask is genius!

I also like the smell of the roast cooking, although normally I smell it in my mum's house!

I like the idea too of setting the table on Christmas eve. In my head that will feel a bit like decorating the Christmas tree!

OP posts:
anonkneemouse · 14/11/2018 20:47

Use disposable tin foil roasting trays, saves on washing up.

Buy as much ready prepared stuff as you can afford.

Don't stress if the little one doesn't want to stay at the table or eat the dinner.

Paper tablecloth, napkins etc. Rubbish bag by the table for all the tat out of the crackers.

Washing up bowl filled with hot soapy water when you sit down to eat, then chuck plates, cutlery in to soak before washing or putting in dishwasher.

Ask,for,help if you need it, delegate!

TheWiseWomansFear · 14/11/2018 22:12

@Fluffiest some friends of mine bought me the buffet heater as a gift because I agreed to host twelve of us one year - it was a life saver

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 14/11/2018 22:30

Do as much prep as possible (or get readymade from M&S!) the day before.

Most useful is to work out your timings backwards, from the time you plan to sit down to eat.

So, sit down at (say) 3,
so turkey out of oven at 2.30 to rest,
So turkey in oven at x hours,
So oven on to preheat at x,

Ditto with roast potatoes. If you want them ready at 3, in the oven at 2, so on to parboil around 20 mins before that.

Etc.

Write down your timings in order and stick it on the front of the fridge, or anywhere else where it won't get mislaid.

BTW if you're short of oven space for turkey and spuds, the turkey will keep perfectly nice and hot for an hour if you wrap it in foil with a couple of tea towels on top.

mando12345 · 14/11/2018 23:18

In addition to many hints already mentioned I parboil and baste my parties the night before. I cook them in a proper roasting tin as I find they don't crisp up nicely in a disposable foil tray. I use foil trays for everything else.

mando12345 · 14/11/2018 23:18

Parties!! Potatoes obviously.

TheSandgroper · 14/11/2018 23:42

Now is a good time to audit your kitchen. How much bench space do you have? Is getting out the camping table a good idea? How much oven space do you have? Would the camping stove be useful or bbq? Can anything be done in the slow cooker?

Don’t underestimate the usefulness of getting something organised an hour ahead because of the slow cooker rather than trying to squeze it into the last ten minutes.

How many serving dishes do you have? Serving spoons and tongs need thinking about. How many tupperware containers do you have for after?

An essentials checklist: toilet paper, soap, baking paper, foil, kitchen towel, butter. I have started stocking up on these. My big prep day is December 23rd when I get out the camping table and load it with flour, bowls, scales etc so I am not constantly going in and out of cupboards.

Also, you are cooking. It is your house. You are the boss. You can do it your way. You don’t have to take shit from anyone. Have a nice Christmas.

VanellopeVonSchweetz99 · 15/11/2018 00:05

Waitrose do a frozen New York cheesecake that's gluten free AND lovely. I would serve with tinned mandarin segments on top or a raspberry coulis for a festive touch.
Waitrose also do gluten free mince pies.

VanellopeVonSchweetz99 · 15/11/2018 00:10

P.S: Sorry, I missed the dairy free requirement!
Waitrose gluten free mince pies are also dairy free, and they do a gluten + dairy free lemon dessert from the brand 'Food Heaven'.

BiddyPop · 15/11/2018 09:16

Prep veg the day before, peeling and chopping and leaving in water (spuds, carrots, sprouts). Onions and parsnips go in airtight containers with no water.

Take the onion and carrot peelings (if clean) and throw into a pot with the turkey giblets and any herb stalks you have, cover with water and let slowly simmer to make your turkey stock for gravy. You can even mostly make the gravy (tou’ll Probably need to open a bottle of wine for a glug into it, so chef usually needs to test that!😉) on 24th, just leave it a bit thick to add the turkey juices from roasting tin.

Think about both cooking pots/trays and serving dishes - do you need any to do 2/3 things and get washed in between, do you have enough salt and peppers, milk jugs, gravy boats etc for the table? Do you have a a large teapot and coffee pot for later? What can you borrow to supplement your own, or what do you need to buy (whether disposable for 1 use or that you will use again so more substantial).

Where possible, I would make things that need to be different (gf stuffing) the same for everyone. Perhaps have seperate gf crackers for cheese but plenty so everyone can have some (M&S do lentil based crackers that are nice).

Work out what time you want to eat at, and work backwards from there for your timetable. Cover turkey with foil and a bath towel folded over it when it comes out - to rest for at least an hour, stays hot up to 2. That gives you time to turn oven up high and cook potatoes, roasted veg etc.

Make sure you have at least 1 roasted per person, but if oven space is an issue, think about what can cook on the hob - so maybe a bowl of mashed potatoes to supplement the roasties, steamed broccoli or sprouts, steamed cauliflower with a cheese sauce just pooped under the grill to brown for a couple of minutes at the end...

Frozen petite pois peas can be put into a pot or heatproof bowl in the morning to defrost and just need a kettle of boiling water to cookt them enough as you clear the starters dishes.

Baby leaf spinach in a colander with a full kettle of boiling water poured through it is enough to cook that (I usually use a clean serving spoon/masher to squish out any excess water before actually serving it), also a last minute as you serve item.

Starter should either be cold (prawn cocktail, smoked salmon, pate etc) or simple to cook/reheat (soup, tray of stuff to literally just pop into oven with no prep ont he morning).

Dessert should go in oven/steamer as you sit but be pre-prepared. Pudding, a crumble, sticky toffee pudding...
Or else cold - pavlova (last minute throw cream and already prepped fruit and crushed flake over it), fruit salad, cheesecake, chocolate tart, lemon tart....(jelly and ice cream?). Don’t go overboard - max of 3 types no matter how big the numbers. Expand the quantities not the variety.

Have a bowl of cream whipped for the table as someone will always want it over their dessert. (Or is that just our house?).

Hand out jobs if you can but be specific - both in advance and on the day. Take control of the kitchen, only allow those in who will actually help and not get in the way, or someone who will sit with a glass of wine and chat to keep you company (and not get in your way).

Put the drinks somewhere else - dining room on the side, sitting room, out of the way in the kitchen - but not in the areas you will be working. Glasses, slices of lemon/lime/orange (if you want those - and chop into airtight container on 24thbif you do), ice in a bowl etc should all be in that area too, before visitors arrive.

Try and have a few nibbles , in case timings don’t quite work, so there are not starving horses demanding food when you are flapping.

But you won’t flap!
Relax, work out the timings beforehand, write down the plan so you know what should happen and when, and enjoy!

If it’s not in your way, have someone washing up as you go. But at least have ge sink full of hot sissy water to soak pots and to wash the knife that falls on the floor to reuse it again etc. have tearowels rwadilt accessible for willing helpers.

And once dinner is served, chef is off duty and other do the clearing up!

theredjellybean · 15/11/2018 09:26

Only tip... Remember it's just a roast lunch.
You really do not need twenty billion side dishes and vegetables.
Everyone will have a lovely day of you just had two veg, roast potatoes and pigs in blankets.. Buy ready made canapés and a ready made pudding.
Lots of fizz and enjoy yourselves

BiddyPop · 15/11/2018 09:55

If you do ice cream for dessert, or sorbet, it’s a good idea to make balls ahead of time - sit one evening with a jug of hot water, your ice cream, a scoop and a baking tray. Scoop out balls, place on the baking tray, and pop the tray back into the freezer to harden up again. Once hardened, put the balls into a ziplock freezer bag, or even into a Tupperware type tub (can put pieces of grass proof paper between the layers in the case) and then on the day you just serve them up in seconds.

DontCallMeCharlotte · 15/11/2018 10:02

My tip is think about portions. You will be doing several extra "side" dishes so don't use the same amount of peas (for example) as you would normally do for six people.

I speak from bitter experience and, twenty five years on, I still feel guilty about how much food got thrown away that year.

DontCallMeCharlotte · 15/11/2018 10:14

Also work out a timetable in advance and use cheats as much as you can.

Bittermints · 15/11/2018 10:27

That's a good point about leftovers, but in our house leftovers are one of the huge boons of Christmas food! All the leftover turkey, veg and gravy gets used up over the next couple of days. This probably only works, though, if you've got a decent amount of fridge/freezer space or aren't paranoid about having cooked veg kept in a cool place (covered) overnight (I do this and haven't poisoned anybody yet - priority in the fridge goes to the leftover turkey).

Fluffiest · 15/11/2018 10:45

Thank you this excellent advice coming in. Especially that this is just a roast. I always feel calmer when I have a plan and a timetable so all these points on when to prepare what are really useful to me.

DH is a good and keen cooker too so we will be sharing the load. Although he is more "relaxed" in his timekeeping than I am! Grin

OP posts:
GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 15/11/2018 13:13

Just to add, I do so agree with whoever dislikes the idea of cooking the turkey the day before and reheating, presumably sliced in gravy.

Eeurgh - what sort of Christmas dinner is that?? The smell while it's cooking is def. part of Christmas Day - the turkey needs to go on the table hot and whole, in all its golden glory.

Meet0nTheIedge · 15/11/2018 13:26

Doing the turkey the day before is a no here, it goes in first thing, comes out about 90 mins before dinner and rests wrapped in foil and towels here.

Keep it simple - we've ditched bread sauce, braised red cabbage as they hardly get touched and have never done cauli cheese.

My dairy free relative can have goat products so we get goats butter, cream and ice cream from Waitrose and use those. I take the cow's butter away from its normal place on the kitchen counter so I don't forget and rub the turkey with it or similar.

And yes to a timetable and checking for serving dish requirements etc beforehand. I get my parents to bring extra oven trays etc if needed, we wouldn't use disposable ones.

troodiedoo · 15/11/2018 13:48

Gravy in flask, why have I never thought of that! Brilliant idea.

Plates can be warmed in the microwave (as long as not metallic) with a mug of water. Or in a bowl of hot water or the dishwasher. Hot gravy and warm plates can cover a multitude of sins.

bahhumbuggery · 15/11/2018 14:16

Some great ideas there. One thing I will add and that's re the leftovers.

I gather everything together, and I mean everything, spuds, roast, veg, stuffing, bits of turkey etc., and gravy. Blend to the consistency of your choice. Make into patties like hamburgers. Dip in flour and fry off. Make more gravy, they are the most delicious fritters you will every have, so easy to do.

Christmas bubble and squeak really...

And I (by my name) am not a Christmas mad person at all!

Nicknamesalltaken · 15/11/2018 14:20

Once cook, the turkey needs to rest for a good long time. Foil, tea towel and a bath towel on top to keep it warm. Buys you loads of time and frees the oven up long enough to do your roasties.

To the person who suggested the flask: thank you. To some of my children the gravy is the best part of the meal (it’s the Jamie Oliver one).

Seafour · 15/11/2018 14:26

Years of experience here, nine kids, in laws, extended family etc every year, my tips are

Veg prep the day before
Cook the ham if you're having one on Christmas Eve
Goose fat for roasties
Warm the plates and serving dishes
Set table in the morning
Allocate jobs to people ahead of time so that everyone knows what to do

Most importantly when you get up early on Christmas morning to put the turkey in, have a generous glass of croft original and take top ups at regular intervals throughout the day.

BouleBaker · 15/11/2018 14:29

Cook the turkey sonits ready an hour before dinner. Let it rest in a cool box which will hold the heat in while you cook the potatoes, parsnips and gazillion other things. Then carve the turkey and go.

DontCallMeCharlotte · 15/11/2018 17:11

we've ditched bread sauce

We cannot be friends.

I introduced bread sauce to DH's family, including his brother's wife who is a pretty good cook. Her kids were disgusted to have been deprived of it before. Went round to theirs for lunch this Sunday. Beautiful lamb. Home made mint sauce - marvellous - but no redcurrant jelly - HEATHENS! Some people just can't be helped.

Sorry. I digress.

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