Christmas dinner in small oven

[Sea62648]

Have moved to a new house and will be hosting for the first time. There will be 4 of us and the oven is on the small side!! Any tips on how to cook Xmas dinner with a small oven?

Take the turkey out, cover it in foil and a towel.
Then put your potatoes, stuffing, pigs in blankets etc in.

^^ This. Properly cooked turkey needs to "rest" and will keep warm longer than you think.

The most important thing is to chill your own tipple.

I'm sure someone with more experience will come along, but my tips from a couple of years hosting for 10+ with what I named the Hobbit oven: Cook meat and then cover in foil and loads of tea towels- will stay hot while you cook roasts (I stick roast veg and pots together in one tin to save space!
). Steam some veg in the microwave, make Yorkshire's and mash in advance and then reheat as you are carving meat/serving out. Have something cold for starters.

You can cook turkey in oven first, then leave it covered in foil and I put a clean tea towel over for resting, then you put part boiled potatoes in the oven on highish heat and they will be cooked in about an hour. The turkey will still be hot and moist due to resting. You shouldn’t need a big turkey for 4 people. I only have a standard size oven, I put a thin baking tin on the bottom of the oven to make another shelf, so I can do roasted parsnips, pigs in blankets and stuffing.

Thanks all !!! One of us is vegetarian so will only be a turkey crown, and will also be doing a gammon in slow cooker. Will definitely take on board about cooking the turkey first and then leaving it out in foil!

I’ve recently discovered the art of freezing roast potatoes. I think I saw it on a BBC food show. They reheat in a hot oven from frozen really well and saves loads of time at Christmas - www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/freeze-ahead-roasties

Just realised the link I gave is slightly different to the ones I do, I part roast them first for 15 mins (or before they get too brown) then cool and freeze them on a tray uncovered, before popping them into a freezer bag.

Letting the roast rest isn’t just a tip for juggling oven space - it is the secret to a succulent bird!

How many hob rings have you got? Some of the veg can be done on the hob.

4 rings on hob - will definitely be doing the veg on there. We are big roast potato fans so will have a go beforehand with freezing them and seeing how they turn out! I know it's somewhat controversial but we will be having yorkshire puds too has anyone tried making these beforehand and then reheating in microwave? Or would they not taste as good

I use the guidance here for freezing and reheating Yorkshire puds www.saga.co.uk/magazine/food/cooking-tips/best-ever-yorkshire-pudding-recipe

I do as above with the Turkey so it’s resting as I cook the potatoes, pigs in blankets, parsnips, carrots, cheesy leeks, stuffing etc.

The day before I do the gammon (we have it for Christmas Eve dinner).
I do get ahead gravy and tweak it on the day
Red cabbage is done afewdays before and microwaved
Carrot and swede mash, done before and microwaved
That just leaves sprouts and greens boiled on the day.

As everyone else has said, do the turkey first, then cover in tin foil and tea towels. Gordon Ramsey says you should let the turkey rest as long as you’ve cooked it and if it’s good enough for Gordon....

Tin foil trays from Asda and Wilkos are invaluable at Christmas if you have a small oven. You can get them small enough to get two or three on one shelf if you arrange them right, they’re brilliant for left overs and they’re recyclable. Also, packets of steamed veg that can be done in the microwave are highly underrated if you like quite a variety and need the hob for more substantial veg.

I know it's somewhat controversial but we will be having yorkshire puds too grin has anyone tried making these beforehand and then reheating in microwave? Or would they not taste as good It would be controversial not having them! I find they come out a bit soggy in the microwave. I do home made frozen for casseroles etc. Once they’re defrosted and I’m dishing up, I whack them back in the oven for 8ish minutes to firm up again.