I don’t want to cook but I’m hosting. What’s the best pre-made?

[broceaulys]

No option to eat out because I’ve baby twins and a toddler. Hosting for the kids, me & DH, my parents and my sis. I would love to do the works from scratch and I did when I only had DD but with baby twins it’s just out of the question. Do I go all M&S? Or all Waitrose? Is there anything where shop bought just isn’t as good?

What ?
How did you agree to this ?
Planning and cooking needs to be divided up by the adults, and agree on who is sorting out the kids.
I do not envy you x good luck I think you'll need it

Seriously, don’t worry about anything not being as good as proper home made. In your circumstances, do what’s easiest all the way!

Can you farm out some stuff to your guests? I’d happily bring home made bread sauce or cranberry sauce (the only things that I think really do taste much better home made) but buying would be totally acceptable.

Aldi's frozen roasties in duck fat. Chuck into oven and that's it. I make sure I have plenty of practice runs with those

Cook your ham (if you are doing one) the day before. Or get your parents and sister to bring it, and dessert!

The shop Cook is very good, but I tend to pick and choose which items I want to buy prepared and those I'm happy to make at home - so I haven't tried the whole range.

Have been in your position several times and this is what saved me every time! www.cookfood.net/menu/christmas

If you like red cabbage it freezes really well and could be made well in advance. I'm not the biggest fan of his but Jamie Oliver does a get ahead gravy that also freezes very well. Ham the day before. Like others have said would you consider asking all to bring something.

Why isn’t your DH cooking?

Exactly Bertrand

I’m a bit too much of a control freak to let anyone else take over. I should maybe get over this. My fam are coming up 2 days in advance from 2.5 hours away so will prob not be able to bring much with them. If there’s anything I can make now and freeze then I will have time!

DH will be out visiting elderly DFIL at prime prep time.

The others can all help out.
If not the easiest option is a takeaway.
If the others want the traditional dinner nothing stopping them from doing it. Embrace people taking over. It's liberating.

For Xmas dinner I do the potatoes in advance. Par boil them like normal a week or so before. Lay them out on greaseproof paper on baking trays and freeze them overnight in the freezer. Then next day you can put them in freezer bags and back in the freezer. On Xmas day you can heat oil in baking tray in oven and add the frozen pototoes. They’ll take about 1hr15mins, and are just as good as made fresh.

I prep all my veg the day before, and do ready made supermarket desserts.

And prime time prep?

Prep can be done anytime. And some things taste better the longer they are left before cooking.

Well if your family are going to be there 2 days beforehand then they all help as does dh as surely prime prep time is Christmas Eve
Make a list of everything that needs done and divey the tasks up. Easy.

I’m not sure having loads of helpers is all that helpful. I’d get them on childcare, go into the kitchen and close the door. That’s my happy place, especially with mulled wine on the go.

A few years ago I bought xmas dinner for 6 from M&S. It all came in one big box and I bought ready made gravy and bread sauce. It was lovely, lots of the sides could be microwaved and the the turkey was a crown. My only criticism was the roast potatoes weren't as good. It wasn't the same as all homemade but it was still nice.

I can't believe you have to take all this on when your mother father and sister will be there.

That said I would agree with ham the day before. Buy a stuffed turkey crown and you could serve baby potatoes (boiled and served in herbs and butter) You could cook the day before and reheat. I would also make carrot and parsnip mash the day before and reheat (Get dh to make it)

Lidl sell lovely mini potato gratins in a box of four (freezer section). Microwave a Christmas pud and ice cream.

I’ve done the Booth’s Christmas dinner. It was fine, not amazing but dead easy.

Get everyone else to cook!

Maybe the op doesn’t want everyone else to cook? I wouldn’t!

I’m not sure having loads of helpers is all that helpful.

There's the cutlery drawer. There's all the veg. Pans whatever are there. Herbs, spices, meat is there. I'll be having a soak. Someone keep an eye on the dc's.

A list isn't needed.

When it comes time to cook, Give them jobs to do. Whilst you're relaxing, someone go and check on the whatever. You still control the things you want to, but without doing it all.

Or seriously take-away.

If you're sleeping under my roof, everyone has to help. I'm not a b&b or whatever, taking care of guests needs, providing them with everything. Whoever mentions making a cuppa, gets up and makes one for everyone.

Delegate. Get the others to bring starters, pud, cheese and biscuits etc. Buy M&S turkey crown and ready prepped veg.

Pre-prep the lot. Waitrose ready prepared shove in the oven bird. Aunt Bessies spuds and yorkies, ready made microwave sprouts and bacon, microwave red cabbage, ready to shove in oven parsnips. Xmas pud. Several packets of smoked salmon and blini starters.

All you're really doing is opening packets and putting in oven or microwave. Then onto nice platters.

When it comes time to cook, Give them jobs to do. Whilst you're relaxing, someone go and check on the whatever. You still control the things you want to, but without doing it all.

I couldn’t relax with other people on my kitchen. I find cooking relaxing! From what the op’s said, she sounds the same.

I did M&S last year, couldn’t have been easier.