First time cooking dinner- help appreciated!

[ScarlettBeauregarde]

I’m hosting Christmas for the first time this year. Wasn’t overly concerned about the dinner as I’ve made plenty of roasts in my time, but I’m a bit confused about the turkey.

From Google I’m seeing most turkeys take 2 hours, but I seem to recall my mum getting up at 6 to put the Turkey in. I asked my sister and she said her husband (who does the cooking) puts it in around 7/8. This seems so early considering we eat around 2:30! What am I missing?

Considering we are still in August I say do a trial run now with the turkey and slice and freeze the obvious left over turkey for future roast dinners or for some lovely mid week sandwiches. Then when you come to cook another turkey on the day if that is what you are doing it isn't your first go at a large turkey.

As for oh it's not difficult to cook and slice a turkey on the day it depends on the size of your kitchen, worktop space for resting the turkey, laying out plates and having space for everything you have removed from the oven ie the veg. Before we had a kitchen extension plating up meals for only 4 people was problematic.

Back in my student days I was a waitress and we served Christmas day dinners in a pub, the turkeys were cooked earlier that day, rested, sliced and warmed through for service. No one wanted a bird carcass carved at their table.

Check what type of turkey timings are for, apparently black and bronze cook quicker than white, probably due to meat to bone ratio

I personally wouldn't buy a crown, the breast is tasteless compared to the leg. Don't serve sauces if no-one eats them, every year DH insists I make cranberry sauce but he's the only one who eats it and it usually goes mouldy by new year

The turkey takes hours, all depending on the size.

Make that the first thing you cook early in the morning. You can leave it resting in foil for the rest of the day whilst you do all the sides.

Time depends on the weight of the bird including stuffing. A smaller bird with no stuffing will cook in about 2 hours.

Meat tastes better rested, and at Christmas in a normal kitchen you might not have the space to cook everything together, so being able to rest the turkey for an hour or two while you cook other things is a huge help.

Servings depend on how many people you’re cooking for, whether there’s a second meat option, whether they’ll be having seconds and if you want leftovers. Only limit is the size of the oven.

Another factor is what type of meat the guests like. When I host my family I get a smaller turkey and extra legs (my four legged turkey is famous) but if I’m hosting the in-laws, I do a big turkey for extra breast, and send my pils home with a big chunk.

I don’t personally like the taste of reheated roast meat so I won’t cook the day before. I do all the other prep so on the day I’m really just sliding dishes in and out of the oven on a schedule.

Turkey is easy to cook in a modern oven that heats evenly. It needs a bit more care and attention if the heat is uneven, and if you have to keep opening and closing the oven door to turn it and baste it, then that will affect the time it takes too.

<<Feel free to ignore , I'm a vegetarian so cooking turkey isn't my thing >>

Back in the days when there was a crowd, it was often easier o cook 2 chickens . Easier to fit in the oven , one could have stuffing or bacon on the top , flavoured butter . The other more plain .
I cook chicken breast now for DS (the only non vegetarian in our house) he just has it plain roasted , no add ons . Even a small amount like that needs resting

Sort out your roasting pans before and do your foil for the "tent" -2 sheets of foil , lengthways and sideways .

Make a space where they can rest after cooking , and teatowels or similar to insulate them.

All the vegetables I do the day before except potatoes (they;re done on the day)

Cannot help with beef or gammon.

All the cutlery and plates ready , and your serving dishes , big spoons , glasses . Borrow if you need to
And write a list of everything and all the times ( I have a chalkboard in my kitchen ) when something goes In, when it comes Out .

I do:
roast potaoes in sunflower oil ( parboil in the morning then cool)
carrots - steamed - cut the night before and put in he fridge in a sealed container)
cauliflower cheese (make the sace ahead and freeze it)
sprouts steamed and chestnuts (vacuum pack)
roast parsnips - prep with the potaties
red cabbage (bought)
bread sauce (made and frozen)
new potatoes
gravy ( use the vegetable water and vegan Bisto + Knorr veg stockpot)
Yorkshire Puddings ( I make the batter in the morning and cook them last minute)

We have a Quorn Roast and Sage&Onion stuffing on the side

Oh - and a sharp carving knife

As someone else has said, higher welfare turkeys are much quicker to cook. We get ours from a local farm, it also comes with a thing (?) that pops out when the correct temperature is met.

Ok now save yourself from the nonsense of cooking turkeys for hours on end. I’ve tried every way and Nigella saved me. I used to brine and all that malarkey but now just baste, cover with foil and roast for about 2.5 hrs for a 5kg bird. I don’t stuff it apart from half a lemon and half a onion.Then take out wrap in an extra foil, a big towel and leave it alone while potatoes and stuffing and everything else roasts. Steaming hot, moist turkey every single time! I actually had to write next to the times in case I doubted it the next year!😂

Remember that it carries on cooking while resting.
Other tips: Peel and chop potatoes and veg the night before, lay the table the night before. I make cranberry sauce and bread sauce ahead and freeze because they make it Christmas and I don’t want to be faffing on the day. And remember it’s just a roast dinner.

Much excellent advice here. I just wanted to say I would hate not to have the lovely smell of turkey roasting spreading through the house on Christmas Day. I find the idea of re-heating previously roasted meat quite soulless.

I also endorse what's been said about Delia Smith. I have her Christmas book and rely on it totally for our Christmas dinner.

I agree @Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g but someone it’s whatever makes you feel more in control. My sister once cooked the bird on Christmas Eve and reheated the next day but covered it in a good stock whilst reheating and it was very good.

Yes, I'd say you should always do what works for you and your family, whether that's chicken nuggets and micro chips, or a 10-course tasting menu!

I put this tip on every year, but heat up a slow cooker so that you can put cooked food in it to keep warm should you require (I've done this when doing Xmas dinner for very large numbers).

I have to say I wholeheartedly agree with this . My kids who have grown up say that they really feel christmassy when they can smell the turkey cooking on the day , with the herb butter and the smoked bacon on top and I have to agree with them 😋 .

Just to recommend the Taming Twins website and their plan for Christmas dinner - last year I followed most of it and had the most stress free day I've ever had!

Parsnips and carrots prepped the day before and finished on the day with just a little more effort than Aunt Bessie's but soooo much nicer.