British X-Mas: easy to cook & delicous?

[Sasun]

Hello everyone!
This will be my first British X-Mas and my whole family is coming over from Switzerland as I am not allowed to fly anymore being pregnant in my last weeks.
So I really want to impress them with some local dishes. I love to cook but only when it is not too complicated and the results are delicious ;)
Can you recommend me any typical delicious X-Mas dishes that are easy to cook?

Many thanks....

This is a good recipe for Roast Parsnips Potatoes and Carrots. I'm assured by friends overseas that parsnips are scarce outside the UK.

The other one that is a complete mystery to non-Brits (or places like NZ) is Mince Pies. Very easy to bake as you can get the shortcrust pastry and the filling ready-made.

Thank you! The Jamie recipe looks really delicious and easy! And a mince pie would be a good match! But I have to try that first, never had or made that before!

If you've never tried one you can get ready-made mince pies for a dime a dozen at this time of year. Lovely warmed up with a little cream. I introduced some Belgian colleagues to them one year and there was much sniffing, poking and suspicious looks. But I made a few converts!

Well the traditional Christmas dinner is roast turkey with roast potatoes, stuffing, vegetables including brussels sprouts, of which parsnips and carrots could definitely feature! Also pigs in blankets (little sausages wrapped in bacon and baked) and lots and lots of gravy, and cranberry sauce - not sure how much of this is standard in Switzerland?

It's fairly easy, it just requires precision on the timing and to be well-organised in advance.

Sounds like a lot of work, but I think it is worth it! All of this is not at all standard in Switzerland... and the Turkey Roas makes me a bit nervous ;)

And the "pigs in blanketts" sound really cute... I am going to make the kids cooking them, I am sure they will have a lot of fun helping with the cooking.

If you go to any UK supermarket in December, they have turkeys for sale which come with a little poppy-out thing (I'm sorry I don't know if it has a name!) which tells you when it is done, so it's really easy to make sure it's properly cooked.

I tend to buy pigs in blankets already rolled because you need the very thin streaky bacon which is not the standard bacon in the UK!

Roast Turkey is the easiest part really. 1. Place in oven 2. Retire to a safe distance for several hours with a bottle of wine. 3. Remove from oven. :) OK, there's a bit of basting every so often but it's hardly taxing...

Jamie Oliver - all you need to know :) www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/seasonal/christmas/jamie-oliver-christmas-recipes

Cogito is right though, no need to put anything in with the turkey or do anything fancy, you can literally just put it in and leave it. Basting stops it from getting dry.

Clear out your freezer.

Lots of things, such as roast potatoes can be prepped now and put in the freezer. If you freeze it in disposable trays you can cook direct from the freezer and throw the trays.

When you buy your turkey (traditional way is to order from your butcher but most people get one from the supermarket) if it is frozen there will be giblets in a plastic bag inside, giblets (assuming you don't know, sorry if I'm telling you things you already know) are the neck, liver and some other bits of turkey, traditionally used to make gravy.

Because you said you were nervous about a turkey roast, when you buy one make sure it is small enough to fit in the oven with room for at least one more tray for roast potatoes.

OK I don't celerate Xmas, but a few years ago I did an Xmas meal for someone - long back story.

There are some things few if anyone makes in the UK. Xmas cake - you need to make it 3 months in advance so too late to make it now. Xmas pudding, mince pies and chocolate log.

Turkey is easy but as sashh says make sure it fits in your oven

Trimmings... there's this traditional British thing called 'going to Marks and Spencer' where you will find trays of pigs in blankets, chipolata sausages and stuffing

Then prep some veg - carrots, potatoes, parsnips and you have to have Brussels sprouts even though no-one really likes them (except me!) and you're done!

Thank you so much... not nervous anymore ;).
I will defenitely serve the stuffings seperately and the gravy with "giblets" sounds adventoures...

Wish you all happy christmas preperation!!!

Practice by doing a roast chicken - chickens are relatively cheap and if you ask on mumsnet I'm sure you'll get ideas to use up the leftovers - bit of a standing joke that people can make a chicken last for about 100 meals

Absolutely agree about practising with a chicken. And in all honesty although I always make real gravy for every other roast, I seem to mess up with turkey. I'd bin the giblets and maybe buy a pot of ready made gravy.

Roast potatoes are essential

If you're not catering for lots of people, I would consider buying a turkey crown.