Christmas Dinner Newbie! Please help

[Bluepenguin20]

Due to an unexpected change in circumstances I am now hosting my family on Christmas day for the very first time.

I'm more than happy to step up but I don't really cook and I've certainly never prepared a christmas dinner before.

Please can you give me tips and any ideas. How do you keep it all warm if the different bits are ready at different times.

God help me 🙀

Buy as much prepared as possible.

Aunt Bessies roasts, ready braised spiced cabbage and ready prepared veg packs, ready made gravy.

I'm veggie but have mixed guests usually so have some form of roast (depends on guests' preferences) and make a raised nut pie, wellington or similar so that they can share the veg.

Ready made Xmas pudding (three mins in the microwave) or alternative ready made pudding (taken out of the fridge) with brandy cream or similar.

Cheeses etc if required with a box of assorted cheese biscuits, celery and grapes.

Next time you do this be more experimental, first time just keep it simple.

Do as much as you can in advance- for example I made mash in advance once then froze it and just needed heating up on Christmas Day. Peel veg the night before and soak in cold water until ready to cook.

Don't go mad, if you don't really cook then cheat and buy all you can ready prepped like red cabbage, gravy, stuffing, sauces.

If there's only 6 of you a turkey crown or ready prepped breast joint would be easier and less stressful to cook

Work out your timings the day before and write a list with times for when you have to do everything. The turkey will need at least an hour to rest anyway so work this in.

Delegate - other people can set the table and make drinks while you're cooking.
You could ask them to bring desserts too - Christmas pudding is easy, it just needs warming up and you can buy all the sauces for it

1. Time plan as suggested by PP.
2. Take turkey out of oven to rest for 45 mins then you have a whole oven for potatoes etc.
3. Don't cook as much of each thing as you normally would for that amount of people as you will have so many sides etc. (I speak from experience - there was so much waste!)
4. Agree with pp - ditch the starters, buy the desserts.
5. Also ditch the red cabbage 😄

You'll be fine OP - these people love you 🙂

If there's only 6 of you a turkey crown or ready prepped breast joint would be easier and less stressful to cook

Yes, fgs don't bother with a turkey. Get a crown roast and follow the instructions on the packaging! You can buy ahead of time and freeze to ensure you get the size you need but obviously then make sure it's properly defrosted.

Get a meat thermometer - there only a couple of quid . Check turkey is cooked !!!!Peel everything days before - get help with peeling .
Bring spuds for roast to the boil Shake them.around before putting into the fat put oven on highest heat for rast pots pasnips etc .
Prepare stuffing beforehand . You can buy foil trays of pigs in blankets which are handy.
I do get turkey gravy granules - yes I can make proper gravy and I make giblet gravy if I can get the giblets - but I get turkey granules as well for back up .
But then we are Northern so we eat alot of gravy !
We don't have starters and for sweet we just have warm mince pies with squirty cream or a couple of bought in things cheesecake, chocolate log or xmas pudding if the family like it .
Good luck !

We stopped doing a "proper" starter a few years ago as everyone ended up too full. Instead we do breadsticks, hummus, olives, cured meats, nice crisps etc with prosecco with the turkey is in the oven, then whoever is cooking can socialise too. Take the turkey out to rest while you cook the veg and accompaniments.
Buy stuffing and pigs in blankets ready made then they come in trays that you can just bungs in the oven. Same with roast potatoes if you want to save yourself some warm. Ditto gravy - the tubs of fresh gravy can be dinged in the microwave at the last minute.
If you need to warm serving bowls and don't have oven space then boil the kettle and fill them with boiling water for a few minutes.

You will be fine :)

There is no shame in letting M&S do some of the hard work if you have a microwave.

Starters - Cold starters are great as you can prep in advance and keeps your oven and hob free. Pâté, smoked salmon, melon & prosciutto etc. Something light and simple that you can make look attractive on a plate with a bit of garnish.

If you’re stressed about a full turkey get a large turkey crown that will feed 8-10 so you have enough for leftovers.

Get veg sides from M&S (red cabbage, broccoli, carrot/swede mash, cauliflower cheese, whatever.) Decent ones that come pre prepared that you can bung in the microwave in the last 15 mins. Same as gravy, buy a decent tub of some and stir in a bit of the cooking juice.

Dessert - trifle you can make the day before. Choc log. Cheese and biscuits.

@Bluepenguin20 Ive never done a starter but we have champagne and nibbles mid morning or Bucks fizz. Everyone mucks in! I buy a Christmas pudding but you need to know people like it. We do but another desert might be better if you are uncertain. We flame the brandy but for a first try it’s daunting!

The idea of getting everything from M&S is perfect. Definitely a crown to feed 8 plus. You might then get a bit of space in the oven for potatoes. Turkeys are very expensive. Just chill out on champagne and you will get help from guests!

Do any of the adults coming own an air fryer? It might help for you to have more than one so they could bring one with them

Thanks everyone. What kind of thing would I use an air fryer for? The sides? Thanks

Yes, you could use it for anything you would put in an oven really. Maybe stuffing balls? Pigs in blankets?

I don’t have an air fryer. Microwave is useful for Christmas pudding. Also you can quickly heat up gravy and veg in a microwave if you need to. I do plain carrots and peas with butter. Red cabbage as suggested above. You don’t need to over complicate this! We do like roast parsnips though! Sprinkled with maple syrup.

Oh I see. Yes, makes sense. Thanks

I haven't read through all the other posts so apologies if this advice is doubled up- I do this every year with a small kitchen and one oven. It's hard lol. The worst thing is 'oven pan tetris' buy or borrow roasting trays/ oven pans/ oven ware that can fit (really fit) side by side on the oven shelf. Do as much as you can on the hob sides wise, leave the oven for what really needs to be in there. Double together things so you're not wasting space- eg boil veg together, roast veg together, pig in blankets share a tray with stuffing balls in my house. Don't worry about using premade stuff like aunt bessies or microwave sides ready made- I get m&s microwave cauli cheese every yr. It's nice and just enough. Serve a cold dessert. I write all my dishes down in a matrix in the am missing nothing, inc gravy and write out how long they take and where they cook. Its like a military operation.

lastly, decorate/ lay your dining table in the am or the night before! you wont have time while you're doing the food! I know some people would say delegate that but when they're under your feet fetching glasses out the kitchen, they will get in your way lol.

Food network - loads of programs for Christmas dinner prep - I'd recommend watching Jamie Olivers Christmas prep.

Don't feel you need 103937 types of veg, keep it simple. it's a roast dinner at the end of the day. Buy what you can ready made (stuffing, red cabbage , pigs in blankets) or prepare in advance and freeze. M&S do amazing turkey gravy in pots in the fresh section the you can freeze if you need to buy earlier.

Don't bother with starters ( maybe just get nuts, crisps to have out) as dinner is filling.

maybe someone else can bring dessert?

Don't have too much to drink before the dinner goes out.

Write lists and timings down, ( use Alexa too )

Check you have enough pans/dishes/plates etc now.

you will be fine xxx

I have made Christmas Dinner most years for decades now. I find it far easier than a Sunday dinner. Pudding is Christmas pudding, which I know everyone likes, with brandy cream, whipped up the day before. Starter is something cold, prawn cocktail, melon, or homemade pate. The main course is all about timings. Pre prepare anything you can. Delegate drinks and table laying. Provide plenty wine for guests.

Relax! The atmosphere is just as, if not more, important than the food. Even the odd minor mishap won't spoil things.

Got to agree with other posters.....Delia is your friend.

Keep it simple!

It's just a big roast and you don't get awards for being a martyr

Choose your meat / veg option based on your likes and dislikes. All meat eaters makes life easy - I'd opt for a traditional turkey, not too big and you baste in oil or fat, season then cook for 40 mins per kg at 180 degrees. You can stuff it but add the weight on!

Roast potatoes - Maris pipers, peel and par boil for 5-6 minutes, toss into a pan of hot seasoned oil for 45 mins to an hour shaking a couple of times.

I do mashed swede (use the potato pan) peel cube and boil for 50 mins, mash with salt pepper and plenty of real butter.

Brussels take about 10 minutes to boil.

I cheat and buy lidls frozen cauliflower cheese.

Red cabbage is my favourite, bit more complicated but reheats and freezes well so make ahead. Chop half red cabbage and one red onion, cook for 2-3,mins in a little olive oil, add 2-3 cups boiling water, 1-2 chopped apples, 4tbsp balsamic vinegar, 3 tbsp brown sugar, handful raisins, 2 bay leaves, 6 cloves, a tsp cinnamon, salt and pepper, bring to boil, cover and simmer for an hour, top up liquid if needed. Can do in oven too.

I use gravy granules for use adding any meat juices.

Cranberry orange sauce is a must for me
Heat zest and juice of an orange, 4 cloves, 3tbsp sugar and a packet cranberries (think they are 200g on a medium heat stirring occasionally and they start to pop, keep cooking until desired consistency, (whole vs smooth) and sweeten to taste

M&S is your friend.

Remember to order well in advance.

Keep it simple as PPs have said!
It'll be fine.

Avoid the awful advice to get a turkey crown. It's all white meat and is really bland.

If you can get hold of a Delia Christmas book she not only does step to step instructions but a timing list.

I agree with resting the turkey whilst you do veg & spuds. It really does make a difference. I'd also not worry about too many side dishes. It's easy to get carried away. If I had my choice it would be carrots and cabbage. DH insist on sprouts and roast parsnips too but I don't eat them so he prepares & cooks them.

Also don't go overboard on the dessert, really you only need Christmas pudding, anyone not wanting it can have cheese and crackers.

DH cooked Tesco beef dripping roast potatoes in the air fryer last night - they were really lovely!

@GettingStuffed In a single oven, a crown takes less space and it can still be a gold turkey or free range. Cooked (not overcooked) properly it’s very tasty! Buy wisely. My local butcher has great turkey crowns - it’s a case of being pragmatic with little space. Plus handling a turkey is much more difficult in a small kitchen.

Honestly OP if you're not a confident cook then I would scale it right back and use pre prepared stuff it's perfectly nice.

Buy a pre stuffed turkey crown. You can even get cook in the bag ones. Follow the cooking instructions exactly or Google how long and what temperature to cook it by weight. Cook it first then wrap it twice in tin foil and just leave it to rest.

Get some of the frozen roast potatoes from Cook, they are excellent. Or Tesco do some decent fresh ones. Put those in the oven when the turkey comes out.

Buy some carrot and swede mash, prepped brussel sprouts and red cabbage pre prepared and microwave them.

Buy some stuffing balls and pigs in blankets and cook them in the air fryer.

Get some tubs of fresh turkey gravy from the supermarket and heat them up on the hob.

The main thing is cook the turkey first and let it rest. It's fine on the side wrapped up well for up to 2 hours. That gives you plenty of time to cook the vegetables and sides and it's just a case of juggling timings. Follow the instructions on the packets and use Alexa or your phone to set timers. It isn't complicated at all, it's just juggling what is going into the oven when but you can prepare your timings in advance.

Make sure your gravy is piping hot so it doesn't matter if other things have cooled a bit.

Forget the starters. Put out bowls of crisps and nuts and some slices of salami and cheese (again, you can buy all pre done) and just let people nibble before dinner.

Christmas pudding you can buy one and microwave it and buy a tub of pouring cream to serve with it.

It is honestly nothing to stress about. You're allowed to buy it all prepped if you want. I think doing some practice roast dinners over the next couple of weeks is a good idea.

Create a spreadsheet with timings, it's all about timings! I have an itemised list of when each food item is to be prepped then cooked, and stick to it. I then always ensure I've got enough space in the oven/air fryer/microwave and it's all hot when served.

If you have removed the turkey then you can put potatoes and pigs in blankets into the oven and warm up oven proof serving didhex too. There should be space. If op doesn’t have an air fryer, there’s no need to think about borrowing one. The oven will do for just potatoes and pigs.