Christmas Dinner Timings! (for a first timer!)

nearlyrich

Steamers are great I love mine....I warm plates on the top of the oven, it has a vent where the heat come out however on Christmas day there may not be room to stack plates. I also use the steamer, stack plates in between layers once the veg is cooked, stops the food from further coooking and warms the plates.

sarahsarah

tanith wrote: »

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...

This is exactly why we have to eat so early, after 1 o'clock she turns into a right grump and xmas dinner would be no fun for any of us then!! I'd rather time it for 1130 or 12 rather than risk it being later than 1245 ish and eating with a grizzly tantrumming toddler!

I'm not panicking, honest, just want to have a little guide on paper cos my brain is like mush and I'd forget something essential if i didnt have a tick list!

tanith

sarahsarah wrote: »

This is exactly why we have to eat so early, after 1 o'clock she turns into a right grump and xmas dinner would be no fun for any of us then!! I'd rather time it for 1130 or 12 rather than risk it being later than 1245 ish and eating with a grizzly tantrumming toddler!

I'm not panicking, honest, just want to have a little guide on paper cos my brain is like mush and I'd forget something essential if i didnt have a tick list!

How about keeping her up a little later christmas eve so she sleeps late on christmas morning... that way she won't be so grumpy come lunch time... even 12:30 is a little early for christmas dinner...

sarahsarah

I'm used to it my mum always does it for 1200!

And sleeping late? What's that????
Even ten pm bed times mean up before 8!

Old_Joe

Don't mean to be smug or anything but to me Christmas dinner isn't much different from cooking an ordinary Sunday dinner as far as cooking is concerned, th only thing different is I prepare veg. the day before and also cook our goose the day before. After slicing it when it cooled I put the slices of meat in a piece of foil to make a 'loose parcel' adding a teaspoon or so of water to it to keep it moist when warming it up in the oven on the day.

Edited to say I prepare the 'pigs in blankets' the day before, putting them in the 'fridge overnight.

princesstippytoes

Old joe knows what hes talking about. Cooking Christmas dinner for a big extended family is scary but youre talking about making a meal for two adults and a tiddler same as you do every week. You say you have three years experience doing Sunday roasts. Do you usually do roasties veggies and gravy? Apart from the pigs in blankets how is your dinner different?

It reads like you have got yourself in a right old state over nothing. Try to get some perspective here. You do it every Sunday so why not see it as it is - another roast dinner and relax and enjoy Chrismas with your family? If you get yourself into a twist about this you risk your anxiety ruining Christmas day for you all.

Debt_Free_Chick

A couple of suggestions ....

Do your timetable backwards .... start and the end and then deduct the times needed for each item.

When boiling/steaming veg, boil water in the kettle first rather than heating water on the hob/stove from cold - it just makes the timings more accurate. And remember, you only need a spoonful of water to boil veg (more if you steam)

Remember to all resting time for the turkey - and remember it will happily sit for 10/15 mins more if you're running late.

Once the turkey is in, start everything five mins earlier to give yourself some breathing space.

HTH

JoolzS

Microwaves do warm plates - if the plates are wet. Run the plates under the tap - shake off the excess water and stick them in the microwave for 30 seconds. This gives you hot plates (although you do have to give them a quick dry before you use them).

Don't panic about xmas dinner - if you have a big enough kitchen then let everyone serve themselves. Set everything out on the work-surfaces with warm plates at the beginning and spoons to serve everything.

Oh, one brilliant thing I read years ago and still use (thanks to Jamie Oliver) if you want to serve mashed carrot and swede - mash it as soon as it is cooked, then stick it on a plate, cover with foil, and put it above a pan of barely simmering water. It will keep like hours for that (and I'm not just going by what Jamie said, but personal experience!).

Julie

Olliebeak

sarahsarah wrote: »

Can you warm plates and serving dishes up in the micro? As I only have 1 oven and hostess trolley...

I put my plates in the microwave and a mug half filled with water on top - switch on for about 3-5 mins. Hey presto - hot plates! Plus the steam does the microwave good as well - just wipe it round with kitchen towel afterwards to get rid of any dried on bits of food.

sarahsarah

There's no panic or frenzy or tizz! I just needed a piece of paper with the timings on and as my mind was drawing a blank so just was asking a few questions!
It's the way I type I think, as things come into my head, I type them, makes me appear in a panic!!! If anything I'm excited about our first Christmas dinner on our own, not dreading it as you all seem to think! We've been married nearly for years and the past few years have been spent driving backwards and forwards between my parents and the in laws, very hectic so this year will be a nice calm quiet affair!