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Christmas

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Original poster

Help with ensuring a hot Christmas dinner please!

28 replies

ImALittlePea · 14/12/2023 16:06

We're having Christmas dinner at a family members this year. Each household is providing different parts of the meal. We are getting together at 3pm but not eating until 5pm. Host has a single oven so we don't have a lot of space, so we're trying to work out how to get/keep all the elements nice and hot (and remain crispy where needed (eg potatoes)). I think we have one air fryer and potentially two slow cookers to add to the mix. There's 11 in total so there will be substantial quantities to factor in too 😬 does anyone have any strategies or suggest please?

OP posts:
Chewbecca · 14/12/2023 16:09
  • no starter, only canapés
  • turkey cooks first then rests while the spuds, then snips and pigs in blankets go in the oven
  • all other veg either cooked in advance and reheated in microwave (e.g. mashed swede) or boiled / steamed fresh on the hob
  • plenty of piping hot gravy will cover up any bits which have cooled whilst serving
Sparehair · 14/12/2023 16:12

Pigs in blankets and stuffing will stay pretty warm if wrapped in foil and then kept in an insulated bag.

DuvetCovers · 14/12/2023 16:13

Turkey can (should) rest for at least half an hour.
The bits that really need to be hot are gravy and roast potatoes/parsnips (for crispness)
Red cabbage, mashed veg can go in the slow cooker, all other veg on the top

henrysugar12 · 14/12/2023 16:15

We always usually cook the turkey the day before, when sliced (which is easier when cold!) and covered in gravy, it's absolutely fine. Roast potatoes and gravy should be the hottest things.
All the veg can be done on the hob, or heated up in the microwave

Favouritefruits · 14/12/2023 16:23

pre-prepared veg that you just bung in the microwave for five mins is the way to go here, M&S microwave red cabbage at £5 is the nicest cabbage I’ve ever had!

TherebytheGraceofGodgoI · 14/12/2023 16:36

Our turkey was resting for a whole hour last year and it was the best ever, so soft and carved like butter. So make sure you cook it early and free up the oven to do everything else.
Having hot plates is key and I’m interested to know what others do to get them hot. I did 16 plates last year and if you stack them in the oven the middle ones stay cold.
I have two ovens and at times would like a third. I already use a plug in hot plate in the utility room for the Christmas pudding as it’s out of the way until needed. I’m sure I couldn’t personally cope with just the one oven so I would be tempted to get a counter top oven for the day.

Chewbecca · 14/12/2023 16:40

I microwave my plates to warm them (much to many people's horror). But a very, very good point, hot plates really help.

Nomorecoconutboosts · 14/12/2023 16:46

Hot plates, boiling hot gravy
pre-heat serving dishes too
everyone at the table as the food starts arriving not when it’s all out… in my house if we did that half of them decide to go to the loo or the dcs need rounding up.
maybe cold starter already on table
also check everyone has what they need - so you don’t have to start refilling the salt or looking for various sauces, napkins, drink top ups etc.
put one or two of the adult non-cooks in charge of that big.

Nomorecoconutboosts · 14/12/2023 16:47

**in charge of that job

goingtotown · 14/12/2023 16:56

Hot plates, a drop of water on each one & microwave for a few minutes.

PleatedShade · 14/12/2023 17:06

goingtotown · 14/12/2023 16:56

Hot plates, a drop of water on each one & microwave for a few minutes.

Yup, this is what I do.

AlohaRose · 14/12/2023 17:17

I have vacuum casserole dishes (like large soup tureens with lids) which I bought on Amazon years ago, they are fab for keeping veg hot. I stick some boiling water in them and as veg cook empty the water and pop the veg in there, they will keep things like sprouts, carrots, red cabbage, mash etc hot and fresh for hours. Don't use them for roast potatoes though as they lose their crispiness.

Leafpicker2000 · 14/12/2023 17:19

Plates in the washing up bowl full of hot water with a reluctant teenager ready to dry them when you give the order 😂.

Whataretheodds · 14/12/2023 17:31

I agree with hot plates and serving dishes and sauce boats *fill boats and dishes with boiled water. Flick water on plates then microwave)

Have extra oven gloves available so it's easier to serve up at the table - get the adults to make sure everyone cracks on with it.

You can also get plate warmers and hot plates for some dishes.

Turkey can and should rest for at least an hour under foil covered in towels.

Pigs in blankets, stuffing balls and roasties will do well in the airfryer. So will other roast veggies.

Red cabbage in slow cooker. Sprouts with bacon on the hob. Other veg in stove top steamer.

HesAWankerOp · 14/12/2023 17:43

We do the Jamie Oliver turkey recipe, so it comes out and gets covered in a double layer of tin foil, and a couple of tea towels and left to rest for 2 hours. You think it would go cold, but it really doesn’t. This means the oven is totally free for all the other bits. Red cabbage is great in a slow cooker.

Agree with wetting and then heating plates in the microwave, and bowls/jugs with hot water. I’m going to have to look up @AlohaRose vacuum dishes!

MunchMunch · 14/12/2023 19:15

I bought a hot server with 4 sections (2 small 2 larger) it was so much easier last year. Everything was hot and I was much less stressed as everyone just lined up and helped themselves and then went to their seat. We could all eat together rather than me having to stand about re-heating plates of food that wasn't quite hot enough. Dm is the worst for this as if her food isn't lava hot it's not hot enough!

Iizzyb · 14/12/2023 19:17

Leafpicker2000 · 14/12/2023 17:19

Plates in the washing up bowl full of hot water with a reluctant teenager ready to dry them when you give the order 😂.

Are you my dsis?! Grin

MentalLoadOverload · 14/12/2023 19:50

Red cabbage and gravy in the slow cookers

snottymcsnotface · 14/12/2023 20:12

I always heat the gravy in the slow cooker - if you're really stuck you could put the meat slices in to the gravy?

I'd use the air fryer for crisping up the roasties/pigs in blankets.

Original poster
ImALittlePea · 14/12/2023 20:42

Lots of tips - thank you!

There won't be starters - not our families' style, so that's something.

I believe the intention is for the food to be cooked at our respective houses, taken to the host's house, and then somehow reheated and brought together. But there are so many elements and little oven space.

I'm on potatoes so a bit wary of the delay between the cooking part at my house and serving for dinner. They must be crispy!! If I cook them until they're about half an hour off being done, then add them to fresh hot oil/fat later on, will that work?

I'm also on gravy duty, but I think that can be done in advance and reheated/thinned and kept hot on the hob easily enough.

Hot plates is definitely something to consider too!

And agree, the turkey is the least important to reheat.

OP posts:
caringcarer · 14/12/2023 21:04

I have a hot buffet server. Pigs in blankets/stuffing balls, Yorkshire puddings and roast potatoes all go in it. Then I leave gravy simmering until the last minute once everything else is on the table in serving dishes. Then take boiling gravy in.

Caffeineislife · 14/12/2023 21:13

If anyone attending has any of those food warmer / server appliances like @GettingStuffed has linked ask them to bring them. Pretty sure they were on sale in b&m/ lidl/ aldi one year. I swear by mine - I host between 12 and 16 some Christmases and have 2 after seeing them at one of the shops mentioned the other year and it is a lifesaver. Everyone serves themselves, you don't have to worry about who wants what and who can't have certain things touching.

Potatoes half done and then finished off in hot fat/ oil will be fine. Soft veg will be fine in slow cooker or if mainly cooked then bunged in oven wrapped in tin foil for 10 mins or so. Pigs in blankets in air fryer. Boiled veg blasted in microwave to warm up then bunged in food warmer with a bit of water in the bottom. Gravy done in advance and then reheated once there. Make sure it is really hot. If you are tight on hob space what about camping stove or plug in hot plate.

Prep as much as you can. Logistics wise if you can get trays that fit side by side longways in the oven you can get more in. Make the most of as many appliances as you can - slow cookers, air fryer, microwave. If anyone attending has these ask them to bring them too.

Make sure all your serving dishes are hot before putting food in them. Same with hot plates - put them in the microwave/ washing up bowl of hot water or ask if anyone has a plate warmer - I got mine from Lakeland in the sale one year and it is amazing. Anyone who wants lava food can bung it in the microwave and blast it to lava temperatures.

Make sure the table is well and truly taken care of so all condiments, cutlery, drink glasses ECT all set out. I do pour your own drinks set up at the end of the kitchen unit but away from the food server. If there is space on the sideboard in the dining room I do it on the sideboard. That way you have 2 queues one for food and one for drinks.

Don't martyr yourself. Most guests are more than capable of putting their own food on their plate and pouring their own drinks. They are also usually capable of using a microwave if they want food the temperature of the centre of the earth.

Leafpicker2000 · 14/12/2023 21:16

@Iizzyb 😜

HesAWankerOp · 14/12/2023 22:31

I’ve previously cooked my roasties until just a little under done (as in, brown and crisp, but needing another 10 mins or so), then frozen them, and then put them frozen into the air fryer and they came out great. I can look up the timings if you like, I wrote it down somewhere. I also did the same a good few years ago and did them from frozen in the oven and they came out good then too.