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 🙀

For an easy version if doing turkey, then defrost a medium one from the 22nd in a cool room like a utility area if space, and by the 24th it’s fully thawed. Pop it in a roasting tray with sides and season with salt, pepper and some dried herbs plus butter if you wish., (check the cavity at each end as may have a bag of turkey offal plus the neck) and keep aside.
pop turkey in the oven covered in foil and roast for 2-3 hours.

pop the neck and offal in a pan and cover with water with an onion cut in half and throw in a carrot also cut in half. Simmer on low with salt and some peppercorns and a bay leaf if handy.

when the turkey is done, pour the juices into the pan you’ve simmered and there’s your stock for gravy. (Add 3 heaped teaspoons of corflour plus same of bisto powder and blend in a just under half a mug of water) and add to stock to thicken the gravy.
Leave the turkey to rest covered in foil for a good couple of hours and slice later and place in a nice big oven dish and pour a third of the gravy over it to keep moist. Cover dish for heating on Christmas Day.

Then on Christmas Day it’s just the veg to do (again prep the night before) and leave in pans.

if you like bread sauce then use a packet mix and add a dash of cream and a knob of butter plus half a peeled onion studded with a few cloves to make it look and taste homemade.

For starters a good old prawn cocktail is fab. Buy 3 packs of prawns assuming they all like them?
sauce is just mainly mayo, a third tomato sauce and if you like a dash of cream, squeeze of lemon, dash of wostershire sauce and sprinkle of mustard powder. Those are optional and sauce can be done day before and fridge. Use a sprinkle of paprika to serve and a sprig of parsley….again optional.

@Bluepenguin20 if you follow @chickdaft 's gravy recipe (and I wouldn’t) please separate the fat from the juices before adding to the giblet stock.

I do make giblet stock, but freeze it for another day. Too much going on to make gravy on Christmas day.

@@TizerorFizz

Don't frighten the poor woman. How many people have 2 ovens??? No one I know yet they all manage at Christmas.

You can prepare stuff ahead I read the other day about preparing the potatoes and freezing them . Obvs you have to then defrost them. Cheat as much as you can - frozen veg. Buy a Christmas pud etc etc.

Jamie Oliver has lots of tips and as another poster said - buy packet bread sauce if you like it. I never minded packet bread sauce. My brother only made in once but I would be happy with it made from a packet.

Good idea that another poster said do a roast a week up until Christmas, then you get a feel for how long to cook things for and what you can cheat at!! After all what is a Christmas dinner but a roast???!!!

@Deathraystare I asked if she had! Most people do have a microwave which is helpful. All my subsequent advice has been for one oven. Maybe read it before you comment.

You are not out of your depth lovely. You can do this.

Here's what I do and it's fine every year

Get that bird in the oven at 7am. Let it cook, check it's wellbeing a few times.

Get that bird out when it's time. Cover with foil and a towel. I promise, it WILL stay warm.

Roasties - grab a ready to cook tray fro tesco/marks/wherever

Cauliflower Cheese - CHEAT. get a ready go cook tray and just add some extra cheese to the top for extra naughty - marks do big 8 people one.

Piggies in their blankets - marks have the best ones.

Stuffing - cheat, buy ready to bake

Yorkshire pud - Aunt bessies are great at

Parsnips - again, aunt bess.

Boring Veg time - girl, just grab some carrot batons and peas and shove them in the micro. If you're into sprouts get them but we don't often bother.

Gravy - you for some options here:

BISTO best - it's actually OK.
Supermarkets now do big pots of the stuff - grab 4 of those.
Or make your own... Search Mary Berry or Jamie Olivers recipes. These are how I lwarbed to make gravy.

Dessert - don't faff about, grab a yule log and a black forest from the freezers and serve.