Help cooking christmas dinner

[Allbymyself123]

So my mum died young & no one ever taught me
to cook so was rubbish when i first moved out and we ate a lot of bland pasta and beige food. I got better after the kids and can now make quite a few decent meals. I’m not the most confidant cook.

theres only me, DH and 3 kids christmas day so not too much pressure but i used to just buy all frozen then started to get it all ready prepared in m&s when we’ve had to host but the and past few years i have started to make bits myself so can now mange roast potatos as well as carrots and parsnips, sprouts and yorkshires. Thats as adventurous as i have got - i buy ready made stuffing and gravy lol. I spend ages in the kitchen though & i’m scared to change things as i’m not confidant. If i prepare all veg tomorow and leave in pots of water to cook on thursday will my roast potatos come out just the same? Can i boil and air dry and coat in flour in advance or will that affect crispiness? Same with the parsnips. Def prepping tomorrow to make it easier but not sure on prepping and / or cooking in advance because like i said i’m not the most confidant cook or experienced. We’re not big fans of roast dinners so it’s not like i get a lot of practice so plesse help with what i can prep in advance.

I wouldn't leave veg/potatoes in water as they'll get soggy. I usually do the meat/ starter prep/ puddings on Christmas eve, then veg on the day.
Just remember, its just a Sunday roast. Its your family. They appreciate the effort (and should feel free to chip in, even if its only chatting to you in the kitchen while you prep!)
Oh, and wine! Something always goes wrong with an aspect of my Christmas dinner, but after a few glasses I can laugh it off! Good luck, you'll be grand!

tomoro is thursday so you would be preparing xmas eve

soz ment 2 day is xmas eve so from your post you would be preping xmas morning

No preparing today / later i mean? So as not have to do all the peeling and chopping tomorrow? My mum always did i think so do people not prepare potatos and parsnips and carrots etc the night before?

Didn’t realise the time i posted it was middle of the night so today (coukdn’t sleep)

Hi @Allbymyself123 first there is no reason to be worried, you e got this in hand.

I wouldnt leave veg sitting in water, it will go mushy.

Boil the potatoes then pop in the fridge /garage over night. Then heat your oil and fat as normal, coat them with this, season and roast on the day once your turkey comes out of the oven to rest.

same with parsnips and any root veg. You can do the boil part in advance.

With your Turkey, if it’s whole, do ensure it has 45mins or so out the oven and resting.

green veg cook and serve straight away, although you can chop and prep sprouts and so on today.

enjoy experimenting. With savoury very little can go wrong.

The best thing for cooking a turkey is a meat thermometer. Never knew I needed one.
Happy Christmas and I'm sure lunch will be lovely

I agree with a cooking thermometer; this helped me loads as I had a fear of undercooking so ended up overcooking lots of things.
@Allbymyself123 I would leave the veg till last as it’s the quickest. If you tell us exactly what you’re having we can try and help.

I’m planing on marinating meat today, peeling potatoes tonight and leaving them in water, making a dessert (I’ve had one made for days), I’m also making the mix for my stuffing so I can cook it off tomorrow. We get a turkey crown and I usually use the best recipe I can find on Pinterest (I get loads of cooking ideas from there).
On the actual day, I make gammon in coke on the hob early and then put honey and glaze it in the oven before serving. My most important tip would be start early. Things take so much longer with kids interrupting so give yourself enough time so it’s not stressful. Best of luck OP, I hope it all turns out great for you.

Thanks so peel and chop potatos and carrots and parsnips (usually do both in together with honey) and par boil then leave to dry and into fridge? Do i shake and coat in flour before going in fridge too so straight into hot oil tomorrow?

last few years the pottaos and carrors have come out well i just haven’t did any prep day before and adds time on christmas day? My kids are a bit older so not so bad and only us 5 but i’m thinking years from now if i had to host them with partners and kids i’d need to make stuff in advance to manage it and might as well spend a few years getting better now.

also i have to make a but toast (just a chilled one from m&s) so its juggling open temp for the veg with thatbstressing me out.

i do have an air fryer so wondering if stuffing and pigs in blankets can go in that maybe? Again not didnir before but would be less in the oven?

can i make up stuffing (just a packet mix - thats next years “learning” this year its sprouts lol) in balls in the fridge or do i need to cook it?

thanks

Don't leave veg for a whole day in a pot of water. They'll become soggy.
I would just parboil the potatoes up to about three hours before putting them in the oven. I also parboil my parsnips but I cook them in the same way as potatoes, in same pan!

Don't worry, you'll be fine! Remember the turkey can be kept warm while you finish off the other bits. If oven space is an issue you can cook pig in blankets and stuffing right at the bottom of the oven with turkey if you leave them in for longer. That saves needing the space towards the end.

I bet your dinner will be delicious. I hope you've got plenty of help on the day from your kids though? Get them involved in chopping, peeling etc.

So it’s basically just the meat (i’m ok cooking rhat as just turkey crown) but have but roast this year too. Shop bought gravy and red cabbage and stuffing mix. Trying to increase year on year so i am making it all myself as i gain more confidance.

i have pigs in blankets to cook and Then to make roast potatos and roast parsnips & carrots with honey and then sprouts which i don’t eat but husband wants roasted this year so thats an experiment. I’ve got yourkshires in the freezer. Not the most traditional dinner but what they like and is only the 5 of us.

in my head i know its easy theres no hard dishes no major cooking and just us 5 but its still the timings and as i said i want to get better and more confidant to cook more myself and for more people years down the line so i need to learn what i can prep or cook in advancr and how. Husband not keen on roast dinners so i don’t tend to cook them throughout the year and if we did have one i’d buy ready to cook potatis etc in m&s for quickness

thanks

You can leave the potatoes in water. I always used to put things like sprouts and parsnips in sealed plastic bags in the fridge and they were always fine.

The timings are easy once you get used to it. Turkey in the oven, once it’s done take it out, wrap in foil with a tea towel, turn the oven up and put in potatoes and carrots and parsnips to roast. If you have space pop the stuffing and pigs in half way through the veg cooking, they won’t take anywhere near as long. You can do the stuffing and pigs in the air fryer if space is an issue. Look at the cooking time for the nut roast and, if you have space put in the oven with potatoes and veg (assuming stuffing etc is in the air fryer. If everything needs done in the oven and you don’t have space, once the roast potatoes and veg are cooked take them out, cover in double foil and put the stuffing, pigs and nut roast in - they’ll take about 20 mins or so so by the time you’ve carved the turkey, got everyone to the table etc they’ll be done.

It’ll be ok, I’d suggest you get confident doing what you’re doing just now before worrying about doing lots of prep ahead of time. Once you feel more confident you’ll start to learn where you can pre-prep and what will save you time.

You’ll see lots of people stressing about prep, getting up at the crack of dawn to put the turkey in etc while makes it sound more than it is. It’s a hopped up roast dinner.

I sometimes double roast my potatoes which saves a lot of time on the day as they are part roasted the night before, Mary Berry has done this . Carrots and sprouts you can do any trimming and peeling the day before but I store mine in airtight containers in the fridge not in water. Parsnips can have the tendency to turn brown if peeled and chopped in advance so I tend to do these on the day unless they have been parboiled. You sound like your doing a good job

Thanks. I do want to get better / quicker i know it’s stupid but even freezing something like sausages then defrosting overnight in fridge i’m scared i’ll poison us the next day cooking them. Grew up
on a diet of turkey drummers and spaghetti hoops and have really tried over the past 10 years or so to master some basics (bolognaise, chilli, curry, pasta dishes nothing fancy) so my kids can eat home cooked meals. Years back i’d cook for my dad and aunt etc as well but as i said i used mainly frozen aunt bessies then and past few years i’ve been proud when things like roasties are a success (always paranoid they won’t be) but its just me, husband (does no food prep or cooking or help) and the kids and the food is least important part of the day to them. We can also suit ourselves and ear any time so no major stresses but peri has shot my anxiety up!

i’ve no decided not to pre prep anything for my anxiety but instead of leaving it all to do at cooking time and peel a bit sooner and par boil etc a while before we eat so they are all ready just to go in the oven. Hopefully be alright! I do have a dessert (just cheesecake) and soup which we usually have lunch time if anyone is hungry then dinner about 4/5) which are made to - albeit basic but i’m trying

probably sounds stupid to those who
host for 10/12/15 but we’ve not much family anyone so only ever been 8 i’ve cooked for and again no actual cooking on my part -
husnand is veggie hence nut roast so
i don’t cook many roast dinners!