Christmas Lunch - What can be prepared on Christmas Eve

[DiscoDizzy]

I'm quite a good cook but for some reason when my mum comes for Christmas Lunch, I just go to pieces, its like i've never cooked before. I think I must find her really intimidating because she likes to 'help' out in the kitchen whilst drinking my wine.

So has anyone any tips about what they prepare beforehand and how they heat things back up afterwards (so food doesn't go dry).

Also do you hand over full plates or do you let people help themselves and if so how do you make sure your food stays hot at the table? Please spoonfeed me these answers, I can be dim at the best of times.

I am surprised that people didn't know how dangerous it is to pop turkey in gravy to heat it up a bit

Taking DD to nursery but will read these later. Thanks

I don't think I've ever cooked a xmas lunch sober and I've often done all sorts of things the health and safety police would arrest me for but I'm still here to tell the tale.

Have managed to cook for my family for 20 years without giving them food poisoning

Spuds - parboil, cool, open freeze on trays, then bag up. On the day heat the fat (goose fat is good, or sunflower oil) and toss the frozen spuds in.

Carrots, sprouts prepare and put in airtight bags in the fridge the day before. Boil carrots and steam the sprouts over them if you have steamer pan.

Aunt bessies parsnips are good.

Red cabbage - use delia's recipe, make a day before & reheat.

Turkey doesn't need to be slow-roasted. I blast mine in a hot oven. Then it sits whilst i make the gravy and roast the bacon rolls, chipolatas. This year I'm going to do mini toad in the hole in a muffin pan.

Plates & serving dishes sit on top of the boiler to warm.

Gravy is the last thing to go to the table, withe the pan left on low heat for seconds.

Pudding will be 'steaming' in the slow cooker.

Get yourself a copy of Good Housekeeping. It always has a step by step Xmas dinner which you can adapt.

my top tip for succulent turkey is to roast it upside down. then all the juices collect in the breast, making the breast meat really yummy! we always cook the turkey on christmas eve, then on christmas day slice it up and put in tin foil in a warm oven to heat up. similarly on christmas eve we cook the sausages and sausages in bacon and reheat in tinfoil on the day. also cook stuffing in pyrex dish on christmas eve and reheat on day. we prep all the veggies and cook the leeks in white sauce on christmas eve. that leaves roasting the potatoes and parnsips and cooking the carrots and sprouts on the day. for the gravy - fill the gravy boat for firsts then when it's time for everyone to have seconds go and refill boat from the gravy pan which has been sitting over a low heat.

Gordon Ramsay says the worst thing about a roast is timing it right so don't bother. Get the veg ready early, get meat out to stand, make gravy and reheat veg just before serving.