Xmas dinner - time table

[rock chic]

Hi geeks
I'm having the in laws over for dinner this year. I do love cooking but find i get stressed when i have more people to cook for. Does any have any tips on good prepartion and helping it run more smoothly. Thoght i could perphaps get a website with the info but cant seem to find one. Any Advice geeks:hug::hug:.

 

[bubbabinks]

Cheat!:lol:
Make everything as simple as possible and buy ready to roast bits.
Clean up as you go along and then you won't get in a fluster trying to find things.

 

[loubylou]

Prep your veg and anything else you can the night before,
lay the table the night before,
then have a good few drinks and go to bed and worry about the rest on christmas day lol
(or maybe im too laid back lol)

 

[hannajadem]

Jamie Oliver's DVD 'Jamie's Christmas' is fab. He makes a whole dinner including pudding over 2 days, doing all the prep the night before, i.e. stuffing, chopping veggies etc then all he has to do on the day is bung stuff in the oven and turn the hob on. When I bought the DVD (£4 in Sainsbury's) all the recipe cards for everything he made came with it. hth.

 

[rock chic]

ahh guys thats great thanks a million yeah lou you are laid back but i so wish i was more like you!!:hug::hug: i seen that nigella christmas in asda looks good to might give it a go. Thanks all

 

[suzev]

Same advice really. get all your veg prepped night before pop it in plastic bags in the fridge. You could par boil your roasties the night before too. Good food magazine always seems to have a time plan that works quite well. Basically just try and do everything you can the day before and set the oven timer for the turkey to come on in the morning. The more organized you are the less stressfull it wil be. Oh and remember to take the plastic bag with the giblets in out of the turkeys neck before you cook it! (guilty!!)

 

[Gilly T]

I cheat a little too...

I buy frozen roast potatoes.... ahhh bisto ones, they're lovely. Same with yorkshire puds if we have them. I make my stuffing day before and stick it in fridge then roll it into balls on day and bake in oven.

Also I don't bother peeling and boiling spuds, I buy ready made mash that just needs to go in about 20 minutes before.. so much easier and less stressfull.

One more thing.. I heat up a couple of big serving dishes and put all my veg in one and my potato in the other, cover with foil and keep warm ready for putting on the table piping hot when everything else is out and people are at the table.

.... mouths watering now and all excited about christmas :lol:

 

[marioned]

Buy a turkey crown roast ( basically it's a turkey with the legs cut off) It's so much easier to manage, cooks faster, easier to carve and less waste. xx

 

[Missy G]

I usually grab a December edition of your local supermarket monthly free mag at the checkout , they normlay do a break down in there.

 

[~ Fickle Feet ~]

Buy a turkey crown roast ( basically it's a turkey with the legs cut off) It's so much easier to manage, cooks faster, easier to carve and less waste. xx

totally agree with getting a turkey crown, it makes life so much easier!

like the others have said, prepare in advance whatever you can...i buy aunt bessies roast potatoes and buy tesco finest or asda extra special mash (m&s ultimate mash is also lovely...as you can tell, i love mash!!)

try and pace yourself so you don't get in a flap at the last minute! although saying that, it does all go a bit 90 miles an hour as your dishing up to make sure everyone gets a nice hot dinner!!! my mum would always put the veg and potatoes in seperate turines for everyone to help themselves!

xx

 

[Florriedee]

I think Delia does a good timetable too - if in doubt though, cheat and buy it ready made! Best way, and who says you have to do christmas by yourself - make everyone else do some of it too! Then get everyone hammered so they won't care anyway! (this from a teetoaller!) Lx

 

[tog]

Buy EVERYTHING from Marks and Sparks.
Do the veg the night before.

Turkey crown definitely unless you're feeding the 5000.
Remember it needs to 'rest' for 15 mins or so before you carve it - that gives you time to drain all your veg, warm up your plates in the microwave, do the gravy etc before you serve up.

Get your other half to open the wine and do all the drinks.

Microwave your Xmas pud don't mess about with all that boiling malarky.

If all else fails, be sure to have a large gin and ton to hand throughout the morning's preparations so by lunchtime you couldn't care less if it all goes **** up.

HAVE FUN HON! :lol:

 

[1999judy]

I buy a turkey and cook it myself....thats about as far as the work goes tbh.
M&S supply THE BEST in the world....I couldn't compete....so I push the boat out once a year on the veg etc.
We're not a great family of sweet things so an asda choc trifle does the job....for the kids really tbh.
This year I WILL miss my mums mince pies....nobody could ever make them like her and I wouldn't try but it's weird how something as daft as mince pies makes you miss your loved ones?
The first year EVER without her mince pies. It's gonna be tough at times I guess but hey...that's life I guess.
I miss my mums mince pies.
And I miss her too.

 

[Jaffacake]

Glad this thread came up! lol this year i'm cooking for 8, first time ever for Xmas dinner!!

I bought myself a hostess trolley yesterday from ebay (sorry for swearing lol) my mum has one and its great! every year I say i'm going to get one and never do but I dont think I could manage without it this year!

It has 4 glass dishes with lids on the top to keep veggies etc warm and a hot cupboard underneath for meat, potatoes, plates etc etc.... basically everyone can just go up and help themselves and it will be sooo much easier for me, plus I dont have to worry about things going cold whilst I'm dishing up, that is the biggest stress for me when cooking normally!

ok, here's my newbie xmas dinner cooker questions.....
1) how big should I get my turkey crown to feed 8 adults comfortably? I am going to have gammon or something else too

b) How long does it take to cook and how do I cook it? I am sure my mum cooks her whole turkeys upside down to keep the breast nice and moist. Can someone tell me what temperature (electric) and for how long per lb or something? I'll probably cook it the day before so that I only have to worry about veggies and potatoes on the day.....

Looking forward to it already!! :green: :green: :green:

 

[rock chic]

well i have not a clue jaffacake but that trolley sounds like a fab idea so much less stress! yeah it is keeping everything warm aint it!

 

[wobbly]

Glad this thread came up! lol this year i'm cooking for 8, first time ever for Xmas dinner!!

I bought myself a hostess trolley yesterday from ebay (sorry for swearing lol) my mum has one and its great! every year I say i'm going to get one and never do but I dont think I could manage without it this year!

It has 4 glass dishes with lids on the top to keep veggies etc warm and a hot cupboard underneath for meat, potatoes, plates etc etc.... basically everyone can just go up and help themselves and it will be sooo much easier for me, plus I dont have to worry about things going cold whilst I'm dishing up, that is the biggest stress for me when cooking normally!

ok, here's my newbie xmas dinner cooker questions.....
1) how big should I get my turkey crown to feed 8 adults comfortably? I am going to have gammon or something else too

b) How long does it take to cook and how do I cook it? I am sure my mum cooks her whole turkeys upside down to keep the breast nice and moist. Can someone tell me what temperature (electric) and for how long per lb or something? I'll probably cook it the day before so that I only have to worry about veggies and potatoes on the day.....

Looking forward to it already!! :green: :green: :green:

I buy my turkey crown from M&S about 3 - 3.5kg for 8 people, (depends if you want leftovers or not)
my trimmings: sausage and bacon rolls and stuffing balls and cranberry sauce. Then I prep all my veg the night before.
On the morning I wrap the crown loosely in foil, (to keep the breast from getting dry, it kind of steams it, but remember to baste it with some butter too!)
Then I would cook it for about 2 and a half hours ish. (Check it though)
Take it out of the oven about 15 -- 20 mins before you want to carve it and make gravy, heat bacon and sausage things and stuffing, I put my veg on here too but I like it crunchy! Then Bobs your uncle and it should all come together! Hope this helps.x
Tina x

 

[bubbabinks]

We get everything from M&S firstly cos you can't go wrong with them, all their food is yummy and secondly it tells you how many it serves on the packet so we didn't have to try and estimate if we had enough.:lol:

 

[marioned]

M+S tell you the temperature and the time too if I remember rightly.

 

[Les]

I think Delia does a good timetable too - if in doubt though, cheat and buy it ready made! Best way, and who says you have to do christmas by yourself - make everyone else do some of it too! Then get everyone hammered so they won't care anyway! (this from a teetoaller!) Lx

I have been using Delia's timetable for the last 24 hours since it was published, she has never let me down yet. Her recipies are explained very well and I find them extremely easy to follow.

Leslie

 

[rock chic]

geeks such helpful tips thanks you guys are all so nice!:hug::hug::hug: Leslie where do you get delias timetable xx