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Christmas

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

Xmas Dinner help?

48 replies

DecorChange · 29/09/2021 16:17

Its the very 1st time I'll be cooking Xmas Dinner and I've no clue what I'm doing. Dad normally cooked it for 10 of us. Dad passed away this year so to take the burden of mum they are all coming to mine. What do you normally have? What's a must?

OP posts:
Akire · 29/09/2021 16:27

Do you ever cook a roast for Sunday? If not I’d cook turkey day before and then cut and cool it stays well in fridge. Then on Xmas day you only need do veg on stove and then oven for roast potatoes, pigs in blanket and everything else. Also makes you look much more organised as the main thing is done so pressure is off if you feel under confident.

You can buy everything else oven ready just need judge times on the day

Notaroadrunner · 29/09/2021 16:33

Get everyone to bring part of the dinner. You do the turkey. Get your mother to cook a ham. Get someone else to do veg/mash that can be heated in the microwave. Get someone else to sort desert. No way would I stress myself out cooking a full dinner for everyone.

TeenMinusTests · 29/09/2021 16:33

The main thing you need to do is make a list of timings on Christmas day.

The turkey can come out of the oven a good hour before it needs to be eaten.
So when you buy your turkey see what weight it is & the cooking instructions and work out the timings (add extra time if you stuff the neck).
Then slot in other things around the turkey.

Don't try to run before you can walk, work out your 2 or 3 essentials, organise them, and then only do 'simple' things around that.

e.g. I never used to do roast potatoes, but did frozen potato croquettes instead.

It's like a large Sunday roast, so do a few of them to practice.

Rosiiiiie · 29/09/2021 16:34

Turkey and roast veg! Carrots, Brussel sprouts, sweet potato and potatoes baked in duck fat. Gravy. Xmas pudding. We also do pigs in blankets and finger food for appetisers. We also have a cheese course before the pudding. Plenty of alcohol. We cook everything the day of but we have 2 ovens.

Rosiiiiie · 29/09/2021 16:35

Oh and for the ham, we cooked it in coca-cola last year. It was amazing but took ages.

LawnFever · 29/09/2021 16:36

Remember it’s just basically a Sunday roast with a couple of extra bits :)

You can prep all your veg the day before, make sure you allow long enough to cook the turkey - I usually get a turkey crown so there’s less waste.

MsSquiz · 29/09/2021 16:36

The 2 years I did Christmas dinner, we got a lot of the prepared food from m&s with additional homemade extras.

We had from m&s:
Turkey crown
Stuffing
Pigs in blankets
Mashed potatoes
Parsnips
Mixed green veg
Red cabbage
Sprouts
Carrot & swede crush
Gravy
Cranberry sauce

Homemade:
Roast potatoes
Sausage meat stuffing
Yorkshire puddings

I found it really easy all most of it cooks on the same temp (The turkey was cooked in the morning, carved and kept warm) so it was just a case of working out the timings and fitting it in the oven!

Just work out what you want to have & if it's easier, ask everyone to pitch in! Now we all go to SIL's house (around 12 of us) her parents cook bits and bring it with them, we do roasties & Yorkshires and take them round and me and her mum also help with any prep.

We also put it all out on the kitchen counter for everyone to serve themselves, far easier when cooking for lots of people

RestingPandaFace · 29/09/2021 16:36

Practise by making a roast with chicken and pigs in blankets a few times.

Christmas dinner is just the same, except for the turkey. Turkey is just a bloody big chicken.

Christmas1988 · 29/09/2021 16:37

Buy everything from M&S all prepared for you just stick things in the oven and microwave save yourself the stress.

Turkey with stuffing
Roast potatoes
Mash
Roast parsnips
Roast carrots
Red cabbage
Yorkshire pudding
Gravy
Cranberry sauce

I’d go for an easy starter such as watermelon, mint and feta salad and a easy ready made dessert you can just cut into. You could even get some sorbet as a treat, for in between the starter and main.

DecorChange · 29/09/2021 16:37

I have two ovens 😁 I'm pretty confident about my cooking. Thank you for suggestions on doing a few roast dinners 1st I've never cooked one of them either. I'd be happy with a pot noodle for xmas dinner but that's not gonna be good enough 😅

OP posts:
UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername · 29/09/2021 16:39

I cook the turkey on its own, first. Once it's done, you can leave it in a tent of tinfoil and with some towels over the top, and it'll stay warm for a good two hours. That frees up the oven for the other stuff. Google cooking times for turkeys; Nigella's times are good and don't overcook.

I always do a ham as well; I boil that the day before, then glaze it and stick it in the oven on the day. The total cooking time is 20 minutes per pound, plus 20 minutes.

Roasties can also be cooked the day before. Parboil them, shake them up to roughen the edges, and roast them in goosefat, salt and maybe some rosemary. Bung 'em in the fridge overnight, then stick them in the oven for half an hour on the day and they'll be fabulously crispy.

Sprouts, I've just discovered this week, are fabulous roasted for about half an hour in a bit of oil and salt. You could jazz it up more with bacon or something but I don't really see the need.

I quite like potato gratin, especially with ham; it can be frozen for a month and just heated up in the oven.

Stuffings are yet another candidate for making in advance - I generally make mine in November. I do Nigella's gingerbread stuffing, though it's a very love-or-hate thing, and a herb and breadcrumb for the traditionalists. Both freeze perfectly.

Advance gravy making is also possible, though in all honesty, I generally pick some up from M&S because I'm a lazy sod.

Add some carrots roasted with a drizzle of honey, a grating of orange zest and a few thyme sprigs, and you've got Christmas Dinner Grin

You really don't need to do much on the day if you don't want to. Do, though, make out a timetable for yourself. Pick your dinner time, then work backwards and work out what time everything needs to go in. Then the whole thing is a doddle.

Starheart · 29/09/2021 16:40

I think where you can , get people to bring things even if it just things like a soup starter or dessert . Otherwise I second marks and just pre order in advance that way you feel more organised with the main bits covered .

TeenMinusTests · 29/09/2021 16:40

To my mind you have 3 options:

  • try to recreate what your Dad did so it is as much the same as possible
  • do a 'your Dad' meal but the simplified version
  • do something clearly different

No point asking our 'must haves' as every family is different.

LostforWords2021 · 29/09/2021 16:42

I make the gravy a couple of days before and stuffing, cabbage and bread sauce.

I peel the potatoes, carrots, parsnips and Brussels the night before as they keep well in water and make up the pigs in blankets.

I also set the table the night before as I find it less of a faff and have more time to play around with it.

The meat is cooked in the morning. Then I par boil the pots, carrots and parsnips.

Pots in hot oil cook for an hour - I turn them and squish them every 20 minutes.
Honey glazed carrots and parsnips take 40 minutes - turn every 20min
Pigs 25mins - turn once
Everything else just needs are heating - stuffing in the bottom of the oven covered in foil.
Gravy and bread sauce on the hob

I like my brussells fried with bacon and we have creamed leeks.

It's all quite easy, you need to work out the timings and if anything goes wrong drink more gin Grin

DecorChange · 29/09/2021 16:46

Going with something mostly different as it's going to be hard enough without dad this year. He loved cooking always reading up new recipes to try out. He cooked every single night.

OP posts:
gogohm · 29/09/2021 17:04

First time I cooked Christmas dinner I was 11, mum was taken quite seriously ill (not that anyone told me at the time) and dad couldn't operate the oven let only know what to do (begs the question how he thought I did???)

For 10

Roasting joint eg medium-large Turkey
Veggie main course if required
5kg potato's peeled and chopped into appropriate sizes
1kg carrots chopped into 2-3cm chunks
Parsnips cut as carrots
1kg Brussels tops trimmed
I swede peeled and cubed
1kg frozen peas (perfect shortcut!)
Stuffing- packet or premade balls (life's too short to make stuffing)
Pigs in blankets if desired

Turkey takes 40m per kg at gas mark 5/180c fan - the packet may give you a time I find it's too long and take off 15 mins.
Parboil potatoes and carrots for 5 mins in boiling water, drain and roast with the parsnips for an hour at gas mark 6/200c. Swede takes quite a lot of boiling 45 mins but mashed makes a great addition and lower calorie than potatoes. I steam Brussels in a microwave steamer, 10 mins for 1kg. Stuffing can be browned off once Turkey is out.

If all else fails, cheat, buy in gravy etc

MajorCarolDanvers · 29/09/2021 17:06

Absolute must is cook most of the day before and prep all the veggies the day before.

TeenMinusTests · 29/09/2021 17:12

Lost I make the gravy a couple of days before and stuffing, cabbage and bread sauce.

gravy can be bisto gravy granules,
stuffing can be bought,
don't need cabbage unless you all love it,
don't need bread sauce unless you love it (in which case can def make easily in advance).

I peel the potatoes, carrots, parsnips and Brussels the night before as they keep well in water and make up the pigs in blankets.

You don't need carrots & parsnips & brussels (& cabbage), but I agree def prep the day before any you are choosing to have.

You don't need to make your own pigs in blankets (or even have them at all) as they are easily bought in supermarkets.

DecorChange · 29/09/2021 17:20

Thank you everyone. Seems its not that difficult if I prepare. We have no m and s up here just a lidls and a tescos

OP posts:
LadyofMisrule · 29/09/2021 17:28

If you are going to do lots of stuff, then the only essential is a really good plan. We eat on Christmas Eve, and I do a lot of the cooking in advance. There are usually loads of us (about 20 on non-COVID years). I have a big range cooker, and also have a slow cooker.

Starters (smoked salmon filo triangles and mini-quiche), stuffing, red cabbage, mashed swede and carrot, leeks in cheese sauce will all be made in advance and frozen.

All rest of the veg will be prepped the day before, with potatoes par-boiled and covered in goose fat. I'll cook the turkey in advance, carve, and keep in the stock, and also make the gravy in advance. Puddings will be made in advance.

So on the day, the time plan will mainly be about heating/cooking so that they are all ready at the same time. Pudding will steam slowly in the slow cooker. Crumble will go in the oven when the main course comes out.

BiddyPop · 29/09/2021 17:34

Start with what time you want to eat at, and work backwards from that for your timings. Right back to when you need to get the turkey out of the fridge to come to room temperature.

When you take out the turkey, it needs to rest for a lot longer than you think. Some chefs say that you rest it for the same length of time as you have cooked it. I go with 1-2 hours, and that seems to work well. So you take it out, put it on the carving dish, cover with foil (ideally, you've been sensible and kept the foil used for the start of roasting before removing to let it crisp up), and cover the foil with a couple of folded over towels. The towels are like a blanket and keep it piping hot, while the foil helps that but also keeps everything else from sticking to the turkey.

The time the turkey is resting is usually plenty of time to cook roast potatoes, all veg, make gravy etc.

Yes to asking others to bring something useful - root veg either already roasted in a serving dish or prepared and in a tub/bag to just pour onto a baking tray; bread sauce; a cold starter or pot of soup; somebody's special brownies or meringues for desert; etc. If that would work in your family. And also consider what are traditions that you all, as a family, want to keep (eg. bread sauce) but are there any you want to drop (eg. only DDad liked sprouts - so do we not do them, or do we still do them but only a small bowl as we know no-one will eat them out of preference), and also are there anythings that you or others would like to do differently (eg. DDad hated trifle so DM never made it, but lots of us like it so we'll have it as part of our desserts; or in my house we love cheese so I will add a cheeseboard before/after dessert)...not rejecting DDad, but giving yourself permission to think about anything you might want to change, or that others might want to change - or you might have dietary requirements to consider.

Do as much prep as you can in advance. We do most of ours on 24th in the afternoon (going back almost 40 years now) - peeling potatoes and leave them soaking in cold water, peeling and chopping the veg (leaving in cold water or in airtight tubs as necessary - parsnips, onions, garlic etc all need to NOT soak), make breadcrumbs for stuffing (we usually completely make the stuffing too), make herbed butter for going under turkey skin before roasting (and leave that out to stay soft!! so much easier to manipulate on 25th), boil giblets for stock (if you can be bothered).....etc. (We also make a bowl of chopped fresh fruit for breakfast, and cookies for Santa, at the same time - but it's nice relaxed family time in our house, and I always have a spare half batch of cookie dough in the freezer from earlier in December in case we only have time/energy to slice and bake rather than start measuring and mixing ingredients).

Lots of people prep a few weeks in advance and freeze items - if you have space, that can be useful.

Can you delegate setting the table to someone? Or do that also the day before?

Also, check NOW what you have in terms of cutlery, crockery, glasses and serving dishes, for the number of people you expect. If you need side plates for starter, will you need the same ones again for cheese/dessert? Soup and dessert both need the same bowls? Had you planned on 1 serving dish of each item on the table or 2 smaller dishes to pass around both ends of the table - and have you enough for all the things you want to serve? Will you need both roast and mashed potato, or just 1 type? Even if you do 2 bowls for most things including veg, you might only want 1 for sprouts or red cabbage, depending on family likes and traditions. Do you have enough jugs (and will they need to hold gravy first before cream for dessert or milk for tea/coffee)? Do you want both red and white wine glasses, and water glasses, and how many DCs need plastic or less fancy ware? (Will you use wine glasses from the table for pre-dinner drinks also, and do you also need bowls for crisps/nuts at that stage)?

Once you've done that, who can you borrow from - especially those who can bring them over the day before?! Or would they be useful enough to think about buying extras? (If yes, go out and organise that soon, not leaving it to Christmas week!).

Do you have a dishwasher to run a wash say after starter - so you have those dishes again after main course is finished? Or would it mean someone washing up at the sink?

(Have you enough chairs, and a large enough table? Can others bring chairs, does someone have a folding table you can use? Would it work having everyone at 1 long table of a few stuck together, or do you need to have tables scattered in different areas/rooms? Do DCs usually sit with you or is there normally a separate DCs table, and do you want that to change or stay the same? And when you think about these, also think about people getting up and down for bathroom breaks, serving and clearing courses, moving hot food around etc - will there be space when chairs are occupied or will some people be stuck in their seats until the meal is finished?)

Apart from other things, I try to have a sink full of hot water while I cook, especially as we get into the main bulk of things getting finished and put into serving dishes to stay warm, so pots etc are finished with. Having a bowl of hot water already means I can turn around and dunk a pot in there, or even wash it quickly, once I'm finished with it. There are usually a few quiet points that I can sort out the buildup of washing up - and I ask someone to come and dry them intermittantly. I also try and run the dishwasher after breakfast, so it is empty as I start the main meal and those clearing the table after starter/main etc can put the dishes straight into it, saving my worksurface for other purposes. I also try to start the day with all the bins empty (rubbish, recycling, compost), and have useful things like plenty of teatowels, rubber gloves, washup liquid, spare bin bags and kitchen towel etc all easily accessible. And spare apron, oven gloves etc.

It might be useful to have designated people in advance to be in charge of various jobs - taking coats of guests on arrival and knowing where they go; serving pre-dinner drinks and snacks; minding and playing with smaller DCs; doing washing up or drying to assist in the kitchen; keeping chef's glass topped up (whether water, sugary fizzy drink or something alcoholic) as needed; and also any sous-chef assistants that YOU WANT (who will HELP and not get under your feet) or who are just designated company for you to "sit there and chat with our drinks" (and not get under your feet).

One final thing - once you have served main course (or dessert if you really must), you as chef are off duty. Others have the job of pouring you a wine and clearing away afterwards.

LostforWords2021 · 29/09/2021 19:52

@TeenMinusTests

Lost I make the gravy a couple of days before and stuffing, cabbage and bread sauce.

gravy can be bisto gravy granules,
stuffing can be bought,
don't need cabbage unless you all love it,
don't need bread sauce unless you love it (in which case can def make easily in advance).

I peel the potatoes, carrots, parsnips and Brussels the night before as they keep well in water and make up the pigs in blankets.

You don't need carrots & parsnips & brussels (& cabbage), but I agree def prep the day before any you are choosing to have.

You don't need to make your own pigs in blankets (or even have them at all) as they are easily bought in supermarkets.

Eh? @TeenMinusTests Op asked what we have.

I like to make an extra special effort at Christmas and I enjoy cooking. Bisto gravy, shop bought stuffing with One veg is a mid week mini roast not Christmas dinner in our house.

Homemade pigs in blankets work out cheaper than shop bought and take no time at all.

And everything we have makes fantastic left overs for bubble on boxing day with pickles and ham.

I've always done it this way Smile

NorthernDramaLlama · 29/09/2021 20:35

I echo others saying practice with Sunday chicken dinners. The year I knew I was going to be hosting we did this and varied the sides until I felt confident. Cold starter so there's less fuss. My family are all happy to get down from the table after the main course, have a rest and then eat pudding / dessert on their laps which gives me breathing space!

WhatWouldTheDoctorDo · 29/09/2021 21:07

I always start with a list of timings and work back from there. Turkey comes our the oven at least an hour before we eat which leaves the oven free for everything else.

We normally have a cold starter that can be prepared ahead or soup.

I usually make ahead and freeze:

  • soup for starter
  • red cabbage
  • gravy (using Jamie Oliver make ahead gravy recipe)
  • stuffing

Veg and potatoes get prepped the day before. Sometimes will part-boil the potatoes and keep in fridge.

I always buy cranberry sauce, pigs in blankets and dessert.

BBC good food & good housekeeping magazines are useful for simple recipes and I always dip into Jamie & Nigella recipes.

Glera · 29/09/2021 21:15

Lots of ideas on here already but I'd say, be easy on yourself and buy the following:

2 x chicken in a bag. No mess. No fuss. No basting. It states the times. Bish. Bash. Bosh.

Lidl. Ready made gravy around Christmas time in the fridge. Microwave for 4 minutes. Lovely jubbly.

Yorkshire puddings? Aunt Bessie's batter puddings from the freezer. As close to home made as you can get. Nice.

Then, you've just got to get helpers peeling potatoes for roasting and veg too. Pigs in blankets are better when made yourself I think and stuffing is easy peasy too.

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