Christmas Dinner Timings! (for a first timer!)

sarahsarah

I'm trying to make a list of what needs doing when for our Christmas Dinner, I've done a search but can't find much of a timetable or plan! I have cooked Sunday Dinner every Sunday almost for the past 3 years since we have been married but when I come to write down how long roast potatoes etc take and what time I need to put them in my mind goes blank?

There are 3 of us, me, DH and 18 month old DD. We'd like to eat about 1230 because DD goes down for a nap about 1330..

I have got a turkey breast thingy that says it serves 4-5, it takes 2 1/2 hours from frozen or 1 1/2 from defrosted so I was going to defrost it...
So that will go in about 1045 and come out at 1215?

I will prepare parsnips, carrots, swede, potatoes and brocolli all the night before, and do the stuffing balls first thing in the morning.

Am going to buy some ready made pigs in blankets when I go to get my veg, so not sure how long they will take till I read the packet.

So far I have got written:

1000 Turn Oven on
1045 Put Turkey in

1215 Take Turkey Out

hmmm...


How long do all the veg take? How long should I parboil the potatoes for that will be roasted? Can Parsnips and Stuffing Go in together? I usually put the stuffing in for half an hour..

julieq

Potatoes roast in about 30 minutes, you need 15 minutes before that for the parboiling and putting them in fat (parboil for 8 mins, drain, shake like fury in the pan with the lid on to make the outsides fluffy, put into hot oil in a small baking tray put in at the time you start parboiling and turn to coat them, i.e. classic "delia" method). When the meat is out you can turn the heat up or down depending on how they're doing. It's not worth doing them upfront in my opinion, it takes very little effort to do them as you go along, basically you have most of the cooking time for the turkey anyway.

Parsnips I roast for 20 mins in butter, stuffing can be at the same time.

I'd say swede is overkill personally for three people.

Brocolli does in 5-7 mins, I do that at the end when I'm sure everything else is cooked. Same for carrots really.

I would do the gravy when the meat comes out, whether or not there are juices in the pan (not sure with turkey roast). I'd rest it for 20 minutes personally if not more too.

Pigs in blankets as and when.

Always keep a bottle of wine to hand in case things go wrong. Drunks usually manage to get away with things. Not least because it relaxes you - kitchens sense fear, especially at Christmas.

Hope it's a good one anyway, it's really just a roast and you don't need to overplan.

nearlyrich

I have Delia Smith's Christmas book, it's been my bible for about 15 years, I feed the 5000 on Christmas day LOL.

I cheat a bit by having a hostess trolley, it really helps on the big day as does the 2nd oven, it's the only day I ever use it.

I have a piece of paper with all the timings on and it all works out fine.

Good luck it's just a festive Sunday lunch on a Thursday!!!

PasturesNew

NO BRUSSELS?????

They're compulsory!

And yorkshire!!

sarahsarah

Yes definitely having sprouts! And mashed swede is a must, its my fave..

But yorkshires on a christmas dinner?? no chance!

sarahsarah

Can you warm plates and serving dishes up in the micro? As I only have 1 oven and hostess trolley... Hmmm or could I put them on the bottom of the oven, maybe something disastrous would happen to them on the bottom though...

It doesn't help that our oven only has one shelf and then the metal thing that the grill pan goes on.. was thinking along the lines of putting the rack from the grill pan onto the metally bit, without the tray iyswim, so that i can put the tray of stuffing and parsnips onto there. I've tried putting things onto the metally bit before but i seem to remember them burning on the bottom..

misskool

Microwaves warm water so they won't work on plates. 5 mins at the end when you've taken the potatoes out should do you though.

sarahsarah

I did know that about microwaves, honest!

So how does this sound?

1015 Oven On
1045 Turkey In
1130 Roasties on to parboil (8 mins) and oil in roasting pan to heat up
1145 Roasties into oven, Spuds for mashing into pan
1200 Stuffing Balls and Parsnips into oven
1205-1210 Veg on
1215 Turkey Out, Mash potatoes, Make Gravy, Serving Dishes and Plates in to warm through
1230 Carve Turkey, Dish everything up into servers

It's just the pigs in blankets I have to buy before i can add the timings of them to my list! I've probably forgotten something obvious!

julieq

11.15 water for potatoes on to boil, and I'd do the brocolli and carrots at the end for 5-7 mins, they'll be mush if you do them for 20, but that's personal preference.

sarahsarah

julieq wrote: »

11.15 water for potatoes on to boil, and I'd do the brocolli and carrots at the end for 5-7 mins, they'll be mush if you do them for 20, but that's personal preference.

Thanks :-) I never thought of the boiling water time!

Carrots and broccoli will be in steamer though so usually take 10-15 mins, then will turn off to keep warm while we dish up.

I'm finally getting my head around this!

tanith

I'd take a deep breath and relax cos it sounds like you are getting frazzled.. a few minutes here or there won't matter a jot... the turkey isn't going to get cold if it has to stand by for 30 minutes or so and I always cook the veg early , mash what needs mashing and put it into microwave dishes to be heated in the micro at the last minute... if you cook the turkey earlier you can have it sliced and wrapped in foil , that means you can make the gravy early and have that all done ready to just zapp in the microwave for a couple of minutes while you put your dinner out...
Even your 18mth old will understand if her NAP is late on christmas day... just relax and enjoy the day and let your routine slide a little...