How have I got into my late 20s and never cooked a Christmas Dinner before?

[Acidrain]

I'm in my late 20s and always have been lucky that since leaving home at 16 I've always gone to my friends family or since meeting DH my MIL for Christmas Dinner.
I know it's a glorified Sunday lunch but I'm a little daunted by it all.
This year me, DH and DS3 have decided to have Christmas Dinner at home this year with everything going on in the world.
So hit me with your tips and recipes?
From things like honey glazed parsnips to making sure I'm not spending all Christmas day in the kitchen?
Buy a turkey crown and freeze it? Or get a fresh one a few days before?
DH will help put cooking and organising but for some reason I'm imagining burnt, dry turkey and hard roast potatoes with the expectation!!

[Namealreadyinuse1]

I was in my 40s
Top Tips
Turkey Crown-remember to remove from fridge for an hour ish before going in the oven
Peel potatoes the day before
Foil trays
M&S for everything. Don't faff about
Go all out on decorating the table!!

[goose1964]

When I was about 20 I spent Christmas with my boyfriend and his family at his sister's . She was about 10 years older than me and she'd never cooked a Christmas dinner before. Somehow I ended up cooking the dinner whilst she plied me with alchohol. We don't buy prepared veg dishes as they're usually too salty for me. I usually prep the veg on Christmas eve whilst watching films . We'll have carrots, parsnips and roasties, spouts and red cabbage with the meat. Starters is my domain, garlic and chilli prawns every year with red pepper soup for the prawn haters if they're here. It only takes minutes and are usually served with ,salad and breadsticks. DH cooks the mains apart from the red cabbage. We don't always get to pudding but if we do it's not Christmas pudding as we save that for our bigger family meal.

You can make cranberry sauce days in advance. It's much nicer than the bought stuff which can be overly sweet.

[pinkksugarmouse]

🤔 Maybe you had better things to do. 😁

[whatswithtodaytoday]

Nearly 40 and have never cooked one, my partner does it as I'm crap at regular cooking, let alone something that involves multiple dishes and precise timing

In our late 20s we were still going home to our respective parents for Christmas!

[sashh]

If it's your first then I'd suggest you do a dry run with a roast dinner.

Iceland sometimes have an offer which is meat, potatoes, veg, pigs in blankets and yorkshire puddings for about £10.

Now you might not want to do anything frozen but it's a good way to gauge what you will want to make and what is just the same frozen eg sprouts.

[Lulu1919]

Ps if you can afford it buy as much ready done as you can !!!
Pre cook veg day before to a nearly ready point ....then cool in running cold water
Or even cook and freeze
Par boil potatoes the day before and rough them up ready
Aunt Bessie ..parsnips are lovely
Don't stress it
It's just a meal !!!

[kezziethecat]

I'm in my mid 30s and have never cooked it! Looks like I will be avoiding it this year even if we have to stay home as we are having our kitchen extended and it's unlikely to be ready in time. Good luck!

[Lulu1919]

I was married before I cooked one !!!

[kowari]

I've never cooked one in my mid thirties. I've cooked a lamb roast before, but whenever we've had Christmas with just the two of us I've cooked curry.

[user1497787065]

Think of it as a Sunday roast with a cracker!

The first time I cooked Christmas lunch many years ago unused Delia Smith's time plan from Delia Smith's Christmas as a guideline. But I was cooking for 12.

[CorianderLord]

I cooked my first at 19 :D my turkey was dry as a nuns... well, you know. But nobody cared.

[CorianderLord]

Top tip - if you're worried about timing get a buffet warmer. If things are done early put them in and they'll stay hot until ready to serve.

[HollyandIvyandallthingsYule]

There are lots of variations on adulting...

Anyway OP if you’re doing a turkey crown it won’t need to rest for quite as long so I’d put the potatoes in for the last 20-25 minutes of cooking, then crank up the temp once you’ve taken the turkey out.

Seriously though, you should also consider duck or goose, both of which are much nicer than turkey (Imo)!

[notacooldad]

Awww it’s actually really nice to cook your very first Christmas dinner - a rite of passage into proper adulting
55 and I've never done one.
Its DHs territory.

[Jinglebellissimo]

Oh and I do microwave mash as well

[HollyandIvyandallthingsYule]

Gravy can be made beforehand and frozen, as can braised red cabbage. I’ve always found supermarket red cabbage perfectly fine, although I do prefer to make my own, and microwaving doesn’t impair the flavours/character at all.

[Jinglebellissimo]

I love cooking Christmas dinner. Timing is the key - and also some cheating!
My cheats - but a crown it’s just easier. Buy microwave red cabbage, and buy frozen parsnips (I swear they come out better).

Timing - do a backwards countdown. Consider oven space - what will need to be in at the same time - even for reheating.

[HollyandIvyandallthingsYule]

The most important thing to remember is that your turkey (if you decide to go with that) can sit quite happily for about an hour and a half once done - it needs to, in fact - so there’s really no need to have a mad rush trying to get everything ready all at once. Take the bird out, cover it, leave it & forget about it. Put the potatoes in, a while later put in the stuffing, pigs in blankets and carrots/parsnips. When they’re almost ready start frying the Brussels sprouts/pancetta/chestnuts, put the braised red cabbage into the microwave to warm up, and heat the gravy through on the hob.

Job done!

(Obviously you can substitute any side dishes but the principle is the same)

You definitely need a meat thermometer! Takes all the guesswork out of it and your turkey won’t dry out.

We always do a bog standard supermarket dried stuffing with turkey (but a fancier version), because we’ve tried lots of fancy and quite labour intensive fresh versions over the years and we’ve really never found it worth the money, effort and time spent. If we do duck or goose we do stuff it with prunes/apples/whatever.

We don’t do a starter.

We don’t have pudding either - we prefer to have a cheese board, Christmas cake and cognac later on in the evening.

[Acidrain]

Thanks everyone!! Seems like preparation is key! And working backwards i like, I will succeed haha!

[33goingon64]

I didn't cool my first til I was well into my 30s. DH does it now. Prep the week before: red cabbage, swede and carrot mash. Prep the day before: peel potatoes, parsnips, sprouts. Don't underestimate how early you need to put turkey in - allow at least 30 mins for it to rest before you carve. Top tip: follow Delia Smith, you won't go wrong.

[JayAlfredPrufrock]

I was in my early 40s when I did my first.

Second nature now.

[Mother2princess]

I prep and cook most the night before so I'm not in the kitchen much Christmas day

[ScreamingBeans]

I don't know how the hell you've managed it, but I salute you.

Just make your husband think he needs to do it all.

Then you might get away with it for life, I can't help wishing I'd known this 25 years ago.

[NotWithoutMyMerkin]

I’ve got three children so I aim to leave Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as free from cooking as possible.
So I make and freeze in advance;
Yorkshire puds
Red cabbage
Pigs in blankets (buy and freeze if you want)
Stuffing (again you can buy and freeze)
Gravy

I also;
Par boil roasties, coat in oil and freeze
Ditto for roasted parsnips and carrots - will glaze before I cook

Most of the above can be reheated or cooked from frozen, otherwise defrost the day before.

List of timings - write what time you want to carve your turkey and work back from that. So everything has a written timing of when it needs to go in/come out the oven. (That way anybody can help out on the day rather than it all being in your head) - just cross things off as you go

It is a Sunday roast but with the addition of pigs in blankets, sauces, stuffing and extra veg you may have it does become a faff and time consuming to do all on the day.

Plus the more that can be cooked from frozen the less space it takes in the fridge!

[TheYearOfSmallThings]

That's nothing - I'm in my 40s and I've never cooked one. Allegedly vegetarians don't belong in the kitchen at Christmas.