Advice on hosting my first Christmas!

[ScrabbleChamp64]

I am hosting Christmas this year for my in-laws.

Was originally going to be PILs, BIL and the two of us however BIL now has a gf he wants to spend Xmas with which takes us up to six and MIL has asked if her single friend can join us as she will otherwise be alone on Xmas day so we are at 7.

It will be a squeeze around the table and we don’t have a very big house but I’m happy to try and be accommodating and welcoming to our extra guests.

However a combination of it being the middle of November and having additional people to “host”, I’m now feeling the pressure of “bringing Christmas” for everyone.

Hit me with your advice for hosting Christmas for the first time please?!

Peel the veg the night before and keep in large bags in the fridge using a straw to suck the air out

2 bags of potatoes. One for roasties and one for either mash of normal. (If you mash them they are easily popped in a covered dish in lower oven) (just use maris piper or good potato) Keep these in a bucket of water or washing up bowl
Cook meats night before and save juices in jug SAVE JUICES AND ALSO VEG WATER

Stuffing - loaf of bread blitzed through a processer to make crumbs. Add finely chopped onions. Sage, thyme, parsley and salt. Add some veg stock water and stir. Pop in oven proof dish on low and add cubes of salted butter willy nilly. Cover with foil. Every 15 mins stir and fluff. Add more butter and more veg stock if too dry. Low heat .. constant checking and towards the end uncover so the toP crispens a bit. Best stuffing ever I promise

Use Foil oven dishes for less washing

I used to cook for at least 12 and would cook root veg first and pop in covered dishes in bottom oven on low. Same with peas, carrots, sprouts. Keep on low and as long as lidded will be fab.
I find a dinner easier to do as did so many over the years.
. wash and clean as you go
. A bag if peas can be kept overnight in the fridge for cooking the next day (speedier)

Plenty of gravy - Im a veggie but would always cook beef and a turkey as everyone loved beef gravy

Desserts are easy enough- I would get your visitors to bring them but I would also have something simple like apple pie/custard/cream at hand just incase

Its a lot of fun honest. But main thing is to prep the veg the day before x

Dont parboil potatoes the night before OP it never goes to plan. You can par boil for roasties in the morning. I do a mash too but keep that in the lower oven on low (it doesn’t dry out if u keep and eye and sprinkling a bit of water)

depends if you’re used to hosting? If so, you’ll be fine. If not, don’t worry, it’s more about people being together and having a great time. They want to see you and see you enjoy yourself. Prep or buy ready made. Don’t go overboard if you’ll be in the kitchen all day. Remember most guests are lovely and just want to enjoy the people, not see someone slave away all day.

DH does all the cooking here, due to my disability, he always says it’s just like cooking a Sunday roast, with a few extras, when you think of it like that it takes of the pressure. Give guest jobs, it doesn’t have to be all down to you, it’s your Xmas day too.

This is what I do
Xmas Eve make herb butter and rub under turkey skin, take giblets out. Use giblets, root veg, bay leaves to make stock for gravy. Put the turkey in a disposable foil tray and cover with foil, then back in the fridge.
Make pigs in blankets.
Prep the veg - parsnips, sprouts and carrots.
Xmas day turkey goes in at about 9am, cooks for 3hrs roughly (work out the timings the day before). Add the juice to the stock, thicken with cornflour and throw in some wine. Gravy done.
Put the roasties and parsnips and pigs in when you get the turkey out. Ditto stuffing in trays.
Boil sprouts and carrots. I don't bother faffing with them because everything else is so rich.
Do a ready made starter. I like a salmon terrine usually.
Cranberry sauce you can buy or make a few days ahead, I make the Nigella recipe. Yorkshire puddings I make ahead and freeze or you could buy these.

We normally sit down at 1.
Let people exchange gifts when they like you're not a dictator. Offer lots of alcohol and have chocolates, nibbly bits out. Encourage people to get their own drinks.

Put your feet up after dinner!

Make sure someone keeps you topped up with fizz all day long.

As a side note I think I'd rather be on my own than eat a crap dinner but I'm a fussy bitch with food!

Keep it simple
my lot rarely spot if something has been bought ready done as long as there’s plenty of gravy!
check for any major food issues well in advance.
plan how you’re serving it on the table as well as how you’re cooking it and in which pans etc
keep food coming - mid afternoon cheese and biscuits, later on get the chocolates out, evening time Turkey sandwiches!
most of all try to enjoy it x

Don't use goosefat for your roast potatoes without doing a test run - unless your oven gets hot enough, you end up with a soggy mess.

Get the potatoes into the bottom of the oven to roast early - they'll be the thing that messes up the timings, and you can't really overcook them. As soon as you get the meat out of the oven, crank the temperature and put them on a higher shelf to finally crisp them up.

Tell people what drinks you'll be serving (only buy what you'd normally drink), and then say if they want anything else, to bring it with them (even if they then take the remainder of the bottle home) - otherwise you'll be buying red, white, bubbles, beer, soft drinks, liqueurs, spirits, mixers etc, and the cost ramps up, and you still won't have that random Clementine and fir tree liqueur or dry sherry that someone inevitably says they're longing for.

The night before, lay the table, clean the bathrooms and put out fresh towels and loo roll.

If you don't have many glasses, get glass charms or write people's names with a marker on the glass.

Start the day with an empty dishwasher and kitchen bin.

Load the dishwasher as you finish cooking (or get someone to wash as you go), switch on as you sit down on a power cycle, then you'll be ready for all the plates and glasses after the meal.

I am quite an experienced cook also hopefully the food will be okay - it’s the feeling responsible for everyone else’s Christmas I’m in a spin about!

Don't, but if you must buy it all in 😂😂

It’s a toast dinner for 7
With a few extra sides.

I would go for the items you really enjoy and know family do.

We don’t do cauli cheese or yorkies, in our family those go with other roasts, but obviously you cater to your own preferences.

Personally I think fewer dishes done well are better than a Generation Game conveyor belt of endless bought elements

Good gravy, homemade spiced red cabbage, home made cranberry are all worth the effort IMO, and can be made in advance and frozen. Ditto bread sauce if anyone in your family likes it.

I would never pre roast and reheat the Turkey. Dries it out, and makes it taste like school dinners, IME.

Sausages: good quality chipolatas, and bacon rolled up as bacon rolls are good and better than bought pigs in blankets, IMO.

I wouldn’t do a starter. It complicated your timings, creates issues with the amount of plates, dishes and washing up, and who needs it in front of a massive meal? Instead pass round nibbles and canapés with drinks in the hour before. Bought is fine.

Roast your Turkey and then let it rest for an hour. Wrap in foil when it comes out the oven and then swaddle in lots of tea towels.

Our Christmas dinners are generally for 16 people. Has been 20. This year will be reduced to 11. Possibly 13. But we eat in the evening so the run up is relaxed.

Plan, prep, be confident!

I work my way backwards. We usually eat around 4 so I calculate everything back. Veg is prepped the night before. Table is set the night before. I use a veg steamer so it saves pots. I also use foil trays for the meat, roast potatoes any roasted veg and pigs in blankets so they just get put in the bin after.

It is just a roast with a few extras. An important roast but just get your timings right, ask for help and make sure you aren’t left with the washing up.

People can forgive most things if you have great gravy. If you cook your turkey with white wine, and use the giblets to make stock then use both of these as the liquid, even using bisto, you'll have phenomenal gravy.

I wouldn't be happy if I went somewhere and had a turkey crown as I really only like the dark meat.

Book marking as I'm in the same boatthis year and loads of good advice here. 😊

Oh op it’s just a roast , don’t do a crown or cook it the night before, just cook it in the morning, then wrap in foil and a couple of heavy towels. Stays piping hot for about 3 hours , in those three hours do the veg etc and just work all your timings out, when do the sprouts go on, the stuffing, pigs in blankets etc. do the prep the day before

I personally like to do canapés and bubbles as a starter a couple of hours before hand . I also find the dont open gifts till after weird, so controlling, just open them after the canapés and with some fizz and some crimbo music

Prep veg and meal plan on Christmas evening. Work out a timetable, even include when to boil the kettle. If you have an Alexa then preset her with timings to save you clock watching. Work out what you will cook where - on the hob and in the oven, including which pans and trays to use. Also delegate - laying the table, getting drinks, clearing away and washing up, delegation can include who brings what - from napkins, to chocs, to wine and champagne! I also ban everyone from the kitchen for the last half hour, keeps me calm!

prep on Christmas Eve !!

Sounds like loads of advice for the food, I would buy most things ready made to cut down on work - no one notices. real roasties though.
You could do a secret Santa with a theme or a low budget - gets everyone talking, or play the dirty Santa game - basically 1st person chooses a gift from the pile - 2nd person can choose to steal or keep their present - many variations to google!
There's also the games where you pass some present around following a story - e.g. "she was right", you pass the parcel to the right. When story ends everyone opens the gift they've ended up with. Just buy gifts from £1 shop etc as can be funny.

Try cooking this deep-fried turkey recipe.
www.homecrux.com/thanksgiving-dinner-recipes/147434/#Turkey

@jamespipe great idea I’ve been looking for a reason to use my industrial deep fat fryer 😂

The parboiling could be to do with the amount they are cooked, and not draining them. Or just peel them in advance?

I wouldn't cook the meat in advance and place in gravy-I'd hate that myself.

What I do do is make puddings the day before. Or earlier, depending on what it is. Eg a trifle made in advance eg the fruit, alcohol, sponge and jelly, but add the custard (tin or packet) and double cream later the next day. Or make and freeze a pastry case if using.

Stuffing can be prepped in advance. Gravy can be and frozen.

Remember to take out frozen stuff in good time.

Pigs in blanket,skinny sausages twisted in two the put streaky bacon round once.This is cheaper and you can do plenty and do weeks before if you want.
Work out timing for cooking the turkey leaving 45 mins to rest)cover with tinfoil and towel and it will keep warm.That frees the oven for roast potatoes and pigs in blankets and any other veg you want to roast(carrots/parsnips.)
Then stick gravy to heat with peas/carrots.
Write it down so you know when the turkey goes in and when everything else needs doing then with tweaks you can use year after year.
This came in useful one year when SIL and me had too much champagne,my now ex noticed,looked at the list and seamlessly took over until I remembered I was supposed to be cooking.
I also serve for 3pm and after pudding, cheese and biscuits,coffee no other meal,cooking needed.
Also in our family the men traditionally cook up and tend to eat any food that left too!!
I cook ham Christmas eve so there's no cooking on boxing day!!
I set a timer for when the next thing needs doing so I can enjoy myself until the last bit.

I forgot,I use Delia's turkey recipe and put stuffing under the breast skin.

Agree with so much of this! Roast the turkey on the day, it's such a dry meat anyway.

YY to foil trays. YY to prep the night before and getting the table laid out.

Do a practice run a week or so before with a roast chicken dinner. Peel veg on Christmas Eve & leave in pans of cold water. Also make a pot of soup on Xmas Eve. I use a steamer pan to stack veg. And a slow cooker for the ham to free up oven space. Buy desserts from M&S .

Buy a meat thermometer- few quid off Amazon. No raw or dry turkey