How do you cook your dinner?

[ohforgodssake135]

Just that really!

So what meats do you have, and what's your method of cooking do you use? Same for veg.

What do you buy/prep/freeze in advance?

I'm after ways of keeping our Christmas dinner easy but also tasty

I usually do beef on Christmas Eve and chop and let cool and pop in the fridge. Then on Christmas Day it'll go in gravy in the oven to make it nice and soft. Yorkshire puddings are also made Christmas Eve and frozen. Veg and potatoes prepped early Christmas morning.

M&S all prepared chucked in the oven when we get up, it takes care of itself. It's sad to say, but the kids don't really eat much of a Christmas dinner, either because it's a bit too rich for them or just too much excitement of the day, but I've learnt not to stress over the dinner and spend that time with the family instead.

I stuff the turkey and boil a ham on Christmas Eve, cook Turkey on Christmas Day. Then per Gordon Ramsey, I let the turkey rest for ages while I faff about making gravy, roasties and sides.

I used to cook my own sides, then went through a phase of freezing them in the run up to Christmas, and then just started buying them. The trick is to check that they can all be cooked at the same temperature.

I honestly don’t find it difficult, and if we have guests I’m happy to escape to the kitchen.

My dm and I used to get a 9lb turkey. It cooked overnight on gas 1/2, bunged in the oven at about 12:30am after church. Veg prepared Christmas morning, cooked after church at 11am. Lunch 1pm - soup, turkey roast spuds, sausage, stuffing, carrots, bread sauce, followed by Christmas pudding from a 1930s Atora recipe book.
All washing up done, then in to the sitting room to drink damson gin and watch 'the speech'. Then presents !

Bread sauce, red cabbage, mashed swede and carrots and stuffing done in advance and heated through on day. Pudding (no one except me likes Christmas pudding so I make cheesecake or similar) made Christmas Eve and potatoes peeled left in water. Table set day before with flower/candle/green from garden etc arrangement, napkins, crackers. Buy turkey crown, pigs in blankets, make easy starter (salmon or prawns) and vegetables etc done on day. Make some nibbles, do salted almonds a few days before to have with drinks before the meal when opening presents. Eat about 1.00. Pretty much how my Mum always did it so rather old fashioned but it suits us.

Make in advance and freeze-

Jamie's gravy
Stuffing
Infused milk for bread sauce
Breadcrumbs
Cranberry sauce
Red cabbage
Christmas pud (no need to freeze this)

Then on the day just cook the turkey, potatoes, pigs in blankets, sprouts, peas and carrots. I don't do multiple meats (beyond the pigs).

Oh and usually do a ham for Christmas Eve.

Prep the veg on Xmas eve. Put the meat in low, late Xmas morning then go for a long walk. Get back, put the veg in, then serve drinks and starters - stuffed mushrooms, smoked salmon etc. Then main course.

Evening meal for anyone still hungry, is buffet of nibbly bits, salad, mince pies etc.

Boxing day, left over roast and chips 😋

Turkey in the oven.
Jamie Olivers get ahead gravy is made in November.
Jamie Olivers best ever roast potatoes are prepped the day before. Also parsnips.
Red cabbage comes out of a jar and into the microwave. (Lidl)
Green beans wrapped in bacon come out of the freezer and into the oven. (Lidl)

We eat our meal in the evening of Xmas Eve. Sandwiches for lunch, turkey curry for dinner.

I send my husband to the kitchen and he calls me through when he needs help haha. He has Christmas dinner down to a fine art and doesn't like anyone else in the kitchen. We prep as much as we can on Christmas eve and are pretty relaxed about what time we eat so everyone can relax as much as possible on the day.

Roast chicken stuffed with sausage meat and an onion. Herb butter rubbed under the skin. Bacon covering the chicken.

Pigs in blankets.

Roast potatoes, parsnips and carrots and onion

Petit pois

Bread sauce

Cranberry sauce

Gravy (made with chicken juices)
it
I don't pre-make anything as it is just a big roast

Ooh and Christmas pudding and sticky toffee pudding with brandy butter for pudding.

Can I come to your house???

I usually do
turkey crown, gammon, pigs in blankets-oven
stuffing and meat stuffing-oven
roast potatoes and parsnips-oven
carrots, sprouts, peas- steamed
gravy pre made or granules

this year I’m cooking for 24 though so may need to rethink

Oh and mashed swede
and bread sauce
and red cabbage 🤦🏻‍♀️
what else am I forgetting??

We don't have a turkey, we tend to do either beef, gammon or salmon.

I prep all the veg the day before, so the carrots, parsnips and potatoes get peeled, chopped and parboiled, popped on the trays and then sat in the conservatory as it's bloody freezing in there.

If it's gammon, it gets boiled in cider with carrots, onions, apples, celery, bay leaves and cloves the day before, cooled, and then roasted in the oven the next day with maple syrup and wholegrain mustard.

If it's salmon, I make the pastry the evening before, and then chill it overnight.

If it's beef I just do it on the morning as it takes less time.

On Christmas eve We prepare all the veg, make cauliflower cheese, sautéed leeks, apple crumble and chocolate concrete. Also lay the table,Dress turkey breast too. I always do a timing list so I roughly know when to put stuff in the oven. Christmas Day I use a hostess trolley so as I cook veg I just pop them in there to keep warm. Always work out what serving dishes I'm going to use and put them in hostess trolley to warm. Make custard early and put in a flask to keep warm. Game changer for me was moving lunch to 2 -2.30pm albeit to accommodate granddaughter's nap! The morning is so much more leisurely and no tea is required then. Just help ourselves to deli stuff out of the fridge.

For the ones that prep the veg on xmas eve, do you just peel and chop and leave in a pot with water? thanks

Yes this is exactly what I do just saves a bit of time.
I also set the table on Christmas Eve too.

Why have i never thought of this!!!!!!

I cook for 22 people so im very organised with table laid out and put together, turkey cooks on xmas eve and rests through the night as does the ham.

But ive also stood prepping all the veg and potatoes on xmas morning 😬

I don't.
I have zero interest in Christmas Dinner. It's the part of Christmas I find utterly baffling.
However my husband does a roast dinner - just a regular one for him and my daughter plus mother in law if she is with us.
I don't eat it because I don't like any of the foods in a roast dinner.
Call me Scrooge. I don't care 😂

I truly find it so bizarre that someone comes on and says this in a Christmas thread within the christmas forum. Your reply is pointless, why even bother?

Its like someone saying whats this restaurant like, and someone replying sorry havent been 😂

I prepare all veg Christmas Eve except the parsnips, just change the water before bed and in the morning again especially with the potatoes. We also have lots of time between courses, so starter is usually pate and toast or soup about 12, lunch about 2-2.30, pudding about 4.30 -5 then you don't feel too stuffed, and dogs get a small walk in between dinner and pudding. And clearing up in between is less stressful than it all being in one go. Presents get done here and there in between. Bingo in the evening with just crisps nuts cheese and crackers, I've just made my chutneys to go with anything we have over Christmas last weekend.

Christmas Eve,
Prepare veg
Roll bacon around sausages
Make breadcrumbs
Make stuffing
Make brandy butter
Make cranberry sauce
Make a pudding for non dairy / non Christmas pudding people eg meringue or jelly or tart of some sort
Get out cutlery/ crockery etc ready for table setting
Make stock from giblets
Write out my timings

Christmas Day
Cook lunch in the same way as if it was an ordinary Sunday roast chicken
So, get meat out early to come to room temp
Stuff bird ( I buy the smallest turkey that will work for my numbers)
Roast Potatoes
Roast parsnips
Sprouts
Carrots
Bread sauce
Gravy at end in traditional manner using the goblet stock
Smoked salmon on triangles of bread/ bought blinis with lumpfish roe as starter
Cheese board
Christmas pudding to steam with cream/ brandy butter/ ready made custard

@Starlight86 sorry to annoy you 😂
I don't know why I posted here really but
seriously it is the part of Christmas I just don't understand.
Maybe by reading comments like mine some people might think "wait.... I don't have to do this if I don't want to".
I feel sorry for people who spend a large part of Christmas stuck in the kitchen. Do people really enjoy it?

My kitchen is open plan to my dining area so everyone is in the same room mucking in, yes i love it