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How am I cooking this Christmas dinner?! Help

40 replies

christmassymcchristmas · 03/12/2019 15:44

Hi, should've had new kitchen by now but haven't. We have 9 coming for Christmas dinner.

If you had one single oven (3 shelves) and one slow cooker, 4 rings on the hob but no microwave how would you do a full Christmas dinner including a soup starter?

Considering doing the turkey/ham the night before, they gravy will warm it up won't it?

Blush
OP posts:
Bubblysqueak · 03/12/2019 16:15

Don't panic! I usually have 12-13 for Christmas dinner with just a single oven and 4 ring hob.

You just need to be organised. I make a list with timings on to make sure there is time for everything.
Last year's timings were roughly-

7.30am turkey in oven
11.30am turkey out roast potatoes and roast parsnips in
12.15 pigs in blankets and stuffing in oven
12.45 Yorkshire puddings in
From 1pm veg on hob (sprouts, broccoli, carrots, potatoes, peas, sweetcorn)
1.15 warm plates and serving dishes and start to plate up.

All ready to serve for 1.30

FoamingAtTheUterus · 03/12/2019 16:15

We did roasties on the hob one year. Plus pigs and blankets. It worked ok, we sort of fried them on the hob and covered baking trays with tin foil and left them on a low setting.

BarbaraofSeville · 03/12/2019 16:15

Not on Mumsnet Aposter. On here most people can't seem to imagine why anyone would use one and see the possession of one as evidence that someone eats nothing but Rustler burgers.

christmassymcchristmas · 03/12/2019 19:05

I know most people have this...and usually a microwave that hasn't gone bang like mine. I'm used to a big oven so this little one is going to be foil tray Tetris for me, that's all.

I'm doing 2 starters for those that asked, normally we all have prawn cocktail but I've invited my friend and her family and 2 are extremely fussy eaters so I gave them an option and they want soup! So soup it is! I've got 5 soups and 4 prawn cocktails so it was a fairly even split.

I'll definitely trial run those Mary Berry roasties! And warming plates in a bowl of hot water!

OP posts:
BentNeckLady · 03/12/2019 19:11

Why you are describing is the cooking facilities that the vast majority of people do all their cooking on. It really wouldn’t be hard. If you’re in any way a competent cook. No one should be using a microwave for Christmas dinner.

MrsPear · 03/12/2019 19:16

Easy peasy op -just write everything down. Slow cooker the ham and make soup day before. Cook turkey then remove and cook the rest. If you have back element rather than floor you can put your grill pan grill on the base and use another tray there - test first just in case it only burns! Also practice what trays for where - I can fit 2 length wise per shelf but not if I turn them width. So practice

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 03/12/2019 20:10

Don't do a starter - just not necessary for Christmas dinner. Or if you must, have something cold, e.g. smoked salmon or something nice and readymade from M&S.

Please don't cook the turkey the day before and warm up in gravy! It's a desecration! Ham is fine to cook the day before though.

Time your turkey to be ready a good hour before you sit down to eat. Wrap it up in foil with a couple of tea towels or towels on top. It will keep nice and hot - and carve better, too.

That hour gives you plenty of time and oven space to cook roast potatoes (have them parboiled and ready to go), parsnips, pigs in blankets, etc.

Don't do umpteen different veg. It's not necessary and just makes the last-minute stuff that much more stressful.

tattychicken · 03/12/2019 20:19

I've got the same cooker and hob but do have a microwave. Have 19 for Christmas dinner. With veggies and vegans. Will make ahead the gravy and the red cabbage, use the hob and microwave as much as poss. Small token cold starters. Loads of roast pots. And wine. It will be FINE!!!

jokerreturns · 04/12/2019 07:37

Sounds like you should do a trial run for this Sunday - obviously don't actually have to cook soup but put the pan on the hob so you can see how much room you still have etc. I always put the carrots on first in the the steamer as they take longer than the guide says (I've got 22 for xmas so it's a lot of carrots to be fair) Ham can be done the day before no problems if you are eating it cold anyway. I use the coca cola ham recipe for the slow cooker and we always get compliments .. just write yourself a checklist with timings on so you don't do my usual trick and forget the pigs in blankets and have to dish them up just as everyone finishing Grin . Oh, and wine helps too Wine

BiddyPop · 04/12/2019 10:40

Cook the ham on Christmas Eve.

Make the soup ahead of time as well - Christmas Eve/23rd for fridge, or earlier and freeze.
Agree about parboiling potatoes early or even on 24th and allowing to cool before roasting.

Roast the turkey. Take it out up to 2 hours before you plan to eat (75 to 90 minutes is plenty). Cover it entirely with a layer of foil and then a large bath towel doubled over to keep the heat in. Make sure it is sitting on a tray that has space for any juices that seep out.

Turn oven up high and heat the fat for roasties. Baste potatoes, throw into the oven for 45-60 minutes.

At the appropriate time, add in your roasted root veg - there are recipes that require steaming/parboiling before roasting, and others that you give a longer time but put straight into the oven. You could use the ring for soup (see below) for parboiling/steaming purposes as they need to be in the oven by the time you want to be heating the soup.

I would also do a pot of mashed potato for large groups, so that needs 1 ring.

You probably also need a ring to steam and then toss in a pan with bacon lardons (and chestnuts if your family likes them) your brussels sprouts.

And 1 to reheat the soup. You can either make the gravy before heating the soup, or make that ahead of time also and reheat while enjoying soup. (Either way, you'll probably want to give it a quick blast just before serving).

If you want another veg, I have 2 ideas.

A cauliflower cheese - yes it takes your last ring to boil/steam, but you can have the cheese sauce made earlier (or steam before cooking mash to give you that spare ring for sauce) but it is very nice if you get it into the oven (15 minutes is plenty) or under the grill (about 5 minutes?) to brown it up before serving.

Frozen petits pois peas - pour them straight from freezer into a heatproof bowl/dish in the morning to allow them to thaw. Pour off any runoff water. Boil a kettle and pour that over the peas as you come back to the kitchen from soup to start plating up mains. Ignore for about 5 minutes. (If you really want to make sure they're piping hot, boil a second kettle at that point, drain 1st off, pour 2nd over). Pour off the water as you are ready to serve and they are perfectly cooked.

I also do baby spinach leaves by pouring a full kettle of boiling water over them draining into the sink in a colander - they are perfectly wilted by that amount of heat. But that may not be special enough for Christmas.

IF you have time and oven space, while eating soup, put your plates/serving dishes into the oven to warm. If not, put them into the washing up basin filled with hot water (and no washup liquid), and they will be plenty warm when you come back - just quickly (assign someone to) dry off to serve onto. I usually fill gravy jugs with boiling water to heat them before filling with gravy.

AdaColeman · 04/12/2019 10:50

Serve chilled soup, Vichyssoise or gazpacho or borscht!

christmassymcchristmas · 04/12/2019 12:42

My friend has very specifically asked for chicken and leek soup! So no chilled soup here. Although I've loads of tips now so I'm sure it'll go smoothly. The turkey in a towel helps massively!

OP posts:
Disfordarkchocolate · 04/12/2019 12:43

Perhaps the friend could bring the soup?

JoshMumsnet · 04/12/2019 13:33

Hi,

I know this thread is more about kitchen/oven logistics rather than turkey cooking per se, but I thought I'd highlight a video we made hosted by Paul Kelly, a turkey farmer, who explains the dos and don'ts for cooking a Xmas turkey.

May be of use :)

WonkyDonk87 · 04/12/2019 14:43

Frozen veg! Do your veg as if you were about to host a week before and freeze it all. When your meat comes out of the oven to rest, frozen veg goes in on full whack for 10 mins IIRC. Don't knock it until you've tried it!

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