Christmas Dinner tips and tricks: share them with Aunt Bessie's - chance to win £300

[AnnMumsnet]

The team at Aunt Bessie's would love to know all about your Christmas Dinner tips and tricks - what makes your festive roast dinner go down well with your family? Do you prepare in advance? What really makes it special in your household? What's the main dish - do you have a turkey or goose? Or something else? What about vegetarian dishes? What about accompaniments like bread sauce, cranberry sauce and stuffing - do you make your own following family recipes, buy it in or something else?

Aunt Bessie's say "Christmas Dinner is about more than just great food – it’s about gathering the family around the table and enjoying the moments that we have together. So we’d love to hear how you make the most of this time by telling us your quick tips and tricks that make room for the important things."

Add your tips for the best Christmas Dinner below and you will be entered into a prize draw where one person will win a £300 Love2Shop voucher.

Thanks and good luck

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions Apply

So much pressure on us to make the perfect Christmas Dinner...and I am my own worst enemy! Actually, it doesn't really matter how it all turns out - just so long as we are all sitting at the dinner table together, sharing love and laughter. But my best tip would be - peel the sprouts into layers and fry off in a pan with bacon - it's the only way to eat them!

Cook the turkey the day before - saves so much hassle!

@PuppyMonkey ..how do you do your parsnips in the air fryer? I've just bought one and would love to free up some space in the oven.

Instead of a turkey this Christmas, serve an octopus. That way everyone gets a leg.

@Mrstrumpalot - exactly the same as chips!

Can I just confess that I do the square root of fuck all? I buy food like I do any other week - more of it and plenty of treats - but I don’t do any planning whatsoever. The supermarkets are generally fine except that idiots shop as if we’re on nuclear shutdown. It’s fine. I’ll prep some veg tomorrow and on Christmas Day we’ll eat when it’s ready. And I’m the one in my family who tries hardest. Seriously, it’s just a day. A lovely, family day that doesn’t need spoiling by military precision.

Biggest tip. Save your money. At the end of the day it’s all gluttony and consumerism. There are people going cold and hunger in our towns. Spear a thought for them.

Clear a freezer drawer in advance - we do Operation Eat The Freezer from November.

Clear a fridge shelf for the booze necessary to cope with your in-laws. If it’s a cold Christmas then booze can be stored outside. Warm white wine is gross.

Cheat and pre prep. Nobody cares as much about the food as they do about everyone being happy and unstressed. (Apart from the afore mentioned in-laws).

Hi all. I just have to post because I can’t share with anyone else yet... this is my long awaiting, desperately loved, already adored jellybean! My partner and I have been trying so long and have had there chemical pregnancies, and a year and a half of struggle to get here. We saw the healthy, gorgeous heartbeat and the strong cord and we’re so happy. I would love to see your pictures of your scans!! 26.07.18 due date. So much love for you all!

Sorry totally posted this to wrong thread 🤭

The shops shut in a few hours ,but many will re open 24 hours later ! Don't sweat the small stuff.

Cook the turkey upside down.

My ddad is really ill and my dmum is exhausted looking after him. Christmas is really important to my parents downscaling it is not an option. My dsister and I like cooking so we prepare everything in advance and transporting it to their house. We choose recipes that allow us to dobthat (Jamie's get ahead gravy (minus the star anise), Nigella's make ahead mash, red cabbage that we can freeze. All dmum had to do was to put the turkey in the oven. It was all homemade and absolutely delicious.

We buy all we can in the weeks leading up so it isn't too expensive, buy the fresh stuff a few days before, and prep in little segments so it isn't one big chore

Buy early so there is less to buy all in one go. I found some after eights the other day I had forgotten that I had bought. Also agree re shortcuts. Life is indeed too short for hours of cooking!

I make a red cabbage recipe and swede on Christmas Eve, they can both be warmed up in the microwave on the day, this reduces pans on the go on Christmas Day.

Puddings, I’m afraid I order in M&S the DC’s love choosing them in November and they take an awful of hassle out of the busy days.

I use throw away foil dishes too, life is too short to spend hours washing up on Christmas Day

foil trays get my thumbs up and i make gravy as earlyas posible and keep hot in thermos flasks, Also have a helper just to wash up :)

I think preparing as much as you can the day before helps, but also not to set yourself silly amounts in the first place, do you really need potato 3 ways and 8 different veg options?! Probably not essential!

I cooked for 20 people this Christmas, and the main advice is to prepare food as far as possible in advance. Vegetables all peeled, and potatoes/parsnips par-roasted the night before.
Turkey cooked the night before also, and gammon early on Christmas morning.
Also, accept all offers of help.
We have starters, but easy ones.
I also remember that it is a really nice meal, but that the family gathering is more important. Never get things out of proportion. Good meals are never mainly about the food are they?

Stock up on all the peripherals and frozen food well in advance - also make sure your medicines are well stocked up for the inevitable Christmas illnesses!

I make as much as I can the day before like stuffing, cranberry sauce, preparing the pigs in blankets and also prepare all the veg the night before. I write a list of times that everything needs to go in the oven/out of the oven or on the hob and it works for us

Make Jamie Oliver’s get ahead gravy up to a month before Christmas Day and freeze it. It’s delicious and easy to just reheat on the day.

My tip: use lots of already chopped frozen veg, that way no one has to slave away in the kitchen too long and you get more time with the family :)

Mine is making sure the vegetarians have a proper dinner! I make a vegetable wellington as well as a turkey and make sure all the sides are meat free (or at least some of each are cooked meat free).