I am a thirty year old Christmas virgin.

LittleMrsThrifty · 20 November 2014 at 2:35PM

I am ‘doing Christmas’ for the first time ever this year,and I am already nervous. I am hoping to call upon your words of wisdom and advice – plus I am sure there will be others out there in my boat. Any tips you cangive me will be greatly appreciated.

So, I am hosting not just for lunch but at least ChristmasEve – Boxing Day. Numbers TBC but c. 12and all adults. I can cobble together a bed for everyone and just about sit them round the table. As for food; Christmas Eve will be takeaway, Boxing Day will be leftovers and a slow cooker special (I can borrow a second or even third slow cooker which means I can do at least two options and people help themselves) so really it is just the roast I am nervous about. I know it’s just a roast with a few extra bits, the problem is that even a normal roast is something I find tricky to get right, so I am afraid I have lots of questions:

· Mum has offered by buy the turkey (I dropped alot of hints about being skint). Do any of you cook it the day before? If so, how do you heat it up?

· What jobs could I assign to others? Thought it might help the constant ‘Can I doanything?’ question.

· Are disposable foil trays any good, to save on washing up?

· I have read about making a time table andworking backwards – do you use this? How do you know how long each item willtake?

· What can I make/prepare in advance? Is 23rd too early? Thinking about chopping veg, making stuffing and bread sauce, pigs in blankets etc.

· I have an electric veg steamer I have neverused. Can I do carrots, sprouts and peas in this? How would I know how long they need?

· I want to make gravy in advance as it is so fiddly at the last minute – can you buy stock for turkey (I’ve not seen it, but maybe a festive thing?) and keep warm in the slow cooker?

· I love roast parsnips but mine are always,without fail, horrible – any tips?

· How to you serve? Plate up individually or all on the table? Combination of both? There won’t be much space on the table or inthe dining room and certain relatives always take ages picking over things buton the other hand plating it up is fiddly if not everyone wants everything.

· I am going to buy a desert (ssshhh)

There are probably other things I’ve not even thoughtof. Really I just want everyone to havea good time and that won’t happen if I am crying over the hob.

What are your best Christmas tips? THANK YOU in advance.

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musogirl295 · 20 November 2014 at 3:04PM

Hi, hope I can help with a few of the things I do at Christmas.

-I have the space round the table issue too. I put things like sauces and gravy on the dining table. I then have a separate picnic table to the side that I put everything on ready to be dished up. Then I can dish up for those that need help and everybody else can help themselves buffet style. Might not work for everybody but it does keep the dining table relatively clutter free.

- I make bread sauce a couple of days in advance. Can either be frozen or chilled and then reheated.

- I make red cabbage the day before and chill for reheating.

- I wrap pigs in blankets the day before.

- I peel the potatoes the day before and keep them submerged in cold water.

- I make stuffing a day or two in advance and chill for reheating.

- I cook turkey and gravy on the day but if you wanted to do it in advance, carve the turkey and then reheat it in a little gravy so the meat doesn't dry out.

Grimbal · 20 November 2014 at 3:07PM

Wow, you've jumped right into the deep end haven't you ?!

Disposable trays are great, but flimsy. If you're cooking for large numbers of people, you could do things that are light in there, like the chipolatas, stuffing etc, but I wouldn't personally use them for roasties etc.

Think carefully about how many different things you want to cook - the more side dishes there are, the more chaotic & difficult to organise the meal will be. Focus on doing fewer dishes well rather than trying to do too much.

You can par boil, and open freeze roasties. That way, on the day all they need to do is to be popped into the oven. Likewise, red cabbage can be made weeks before the event, frozen & microwaved all in the one dish. You presumably could also make & freeze the gravy in advance too (could you use chicken stock?)

Personally, if it were me, I would serve family-style rather than plating up individually. That way, all the individual dishes sit in the oven keeping warm until you can bring them out together

Good luck !

ETA: great tip by musogirl on using a separate side table !

Also, jobs: get them setting the table, organising drinks etc. Unless you have a large kitchen, lots of people milling around will just get in the way

musogirl295 · 20 November 2014 at 3:09PM

Oh, and as long as the gravy is HOT it doesn't matter if everything else has cooled a little while you're getting it all together!

THIRZAH · 20 November 2014 at 3:16PM

I wouldn't cook the turkey the day before just allow plenty of time and remember that you will also need the oven for roasties etc.

Take all the help you can get-visitors can peel sprouts, carrots and potatoes also make things like brandy butter. Make sure you have a good vegetable peeler or knife, nobody can cope with mine.They can set the table and put out nibbles.

There is a recipe for roast parsnips in Delia's Christmas book that can be made ahead of the day-try the library or on line.Things like pigs in blankets can be made ahead and frozen.

I just make a list of what needs doing but since it's your first Christmas a timetable would probably be helpful. There's one in Delia's Christmas.

Never used an electric steamer but you have time to try it out before the day. You could do frozen peas in the microwave.

I make giblet stock the day before and use it in the gravy.

Do you have any vegetarians coming? If so you need to think about what to serve them and again think about oven space. I heat my pudding in the slow cooker-saves hotplate space.

I must admit that even now after nearly forty years of marriage I still find Christmas for the in laws a strain. I never dare have a drink until everything is ready or I'm sure to forget something.

Nix143 · 20 November 2014 at 3:21PM

Hot gravy was going to be my number one tip :T I've cooked a Christmas dinner for 13 in a single oven and, for me, the hardest part was juggling everything being ready at once.

Deffo use your steamer. You can steam them then they can sit there and have a quick steam to heat up before they are served.

Designate one person to carry your dishes in for you. This means you can ladle stuff out and there aren't too many people trying to 'help'

I love parsnips but never had oven room so sacked them off the menu.

My oven would be crammed with potatoes, pigs in blankets, stuffing - it was easier to wave the snips good bye.

I cook my turkey in the morning and then swaddle with towels - you lose the crispiness of the skin but it frees your oven up. My mum always cooked hers the night before - apparently it goes further if you cut it cold (according to her

). It can dry out that way, but again, gravy will save you

Make twice as much gravy as you think you'll need.

At the end of the day go for fewer options, let people fetch and carry (I prefer them out of the kitchen when I'm cooking though) - most people don't care how good the dinner is, they really will just be happy they're not cooking it! :rotfl:

Have a great time, it's my fave meal of the year to make but this year we're going for an Indian! Long story

musogirl295 · 20 November 2014 at 3:25PM

If you have a single oven and need to roast turkey and potatoes, the turkey will keep pretty hot once cooked if you cover it well in foil on the side, giving you time to do the potatoes. I used to do this and it always worked well. I now have a double oven so don't have the time pressure anymore!

Also, if you are going to cook things like pigs in blankets the day before, try and store them in the container you intend to reheat them in. For example, I store them in a shallow glass dish covered with cling, then on the day you just whip off the cling and stick them on the bottom of the oven under the potatoes to heat up. Saves on washing up too.

LittleMrsThrifty · 20 November 2014 at 3:27PM

Thank you. Great advice - although I will admit there are a few things I hadn't even considered (red cabbage, for example

)

My plan is to do turkey, gammon (although I may save that for boxing day as I have ordered a 16lb turkey which, having spoken to others, turns out to be a whopper! plus wont have the oven space) roast potatoes, parsnips (space permitting), pigs in blankets, carrots, peas (maybe), sprouts, stuffing, bread sauce, gravy. Now I have written it down it sounds like a lot and isn't half as much as others.

I have now realised that I will need to set my alarm, pop the turkey in and then go back to bed for a while or it will never be cooked by lunchtime.

RAS · 20 November 2014 at 3:29PM

Pudding - buy a christmas pud and nuke in the microwave for the required time (3-5 minutes). Takes no time and most people are too full anyway.

What I would say is that you need to think breakfasts and get those pre-made or know how you are doing large numbers.

Either buffet cereals, milk, juice, fruit, bread etc perhaps with cold meat (LIDL salami) and cheese. They make their own toast.

Or bake bacon rashers in the oven and do BLT for everyone. You can oven bake good sausages and tomato halves and make scambled eggs.

RAS · 20 November 2014 at 3:32PM

Bake the gammon on Christmas Eve. Nice cold with salad on Christmas evening if anyone is hungry.

LittleMrsThrifty · 20 November 2014 at 3:34PM

RAS wrote: »

What I would say is that you need to think breakfasts and get those pre-made or know how you are doing large numbers.

I hadn't even thought about breakfast! :eek: I think it will have to be continental style. Although that said I actually find that giving everyone a bacon sandwich can be easier than deciding between cereal or toast, cereal and toast, types of milk, different spreads, etc etc. When I have had parties hangover breakfast has been suprisingly easy if the choice is 'bacon sarnie or no bacon sarnie'.

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I am a thirty year old Christmas virgin.

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