HELP! 10 people for xmas dinner only 1 oven?

suzanna

Hi everyone

I have managed to commit myself to cooking christmas dinner for 10 people and i was looking forward to a house full. Then i realised that i only have a single oven with one shelf (i can also use the bottom if i put a cooling rack on there first) and i wont be able to fit all the roast potatoes in let alone all the other things like stuffing, yorkshire puds, sausages and bacon things and all the other things that people expect at christmas.

Has anyone got any tips of how i can manage to pull this off? I have a 3 tier steamer and a microwave, so i will hopefully get away with the veg.

I did have one idea that seemed to be very reasonable (the OH thinks that i have lost the plot!) it was to get a cheap secondhand electric cooker out the paper for £10-£15 and rig it up in the garage as the fuse board is in there and there is a spare high amp slot. :rolleyes:

All my family expect a big meal with all the trimmings and i want to make sure there is plenty of food to go round, any cost cutting idea's would be good too.

Thanks


Suzanna

Debt_Free_Chick

I'd be inclined to have a look on Freecycle & Ebay for a hostess trolley. This will hold the meat for an hour or hour and a half, which will allow you to do the roast potatoes & yorkies. Veg you can steam or microwave and bung them in the trolley when they're done.

If you have to pay for a hostess trolley, you can always resell it afterwards - ebay, local paper etc.

Not sure about an electric oven in the garage - you ought to check with an electrician as they seem to have a special cable/separate supply If this can be managed, then your idea should work - but I would use the second oven as a "hostess trolley" i.e. to keep things warm/ticking over, unless you can fully test how it works beforehand.

angchris

do you know anyone who has a combination micro you can borrow? that would give you an extra oven... failing that do it in stages and either give it a quick blast in the micro before you serve up or cook all or half the roasties the night before taking the pressure off chrimbo day, veggies will obviousely be fine in the steamer..
best of luck angchris

AMIE399

Do You Have A Microwave Oven

THIRZAH

I've cooked for fourteen (including a vegetarian) with an oven with two shelves so can sympathise.

Do you have a grill-if so could you use that for the sausages etc?.

If you are doing turkey it can "rest" in a warm place while roast potatoes finish off on the oven shelf or serve new potatoes or a mixture of roast and mash .Then you can perhaps fit a dish of stuffing on the same shelf as the potatoes.Don't even try to roast parsnips etc-parsnips are nice pureed and most other veg can be boiled or steamed.

Allow longer than normal for everything. If you have a slow cooker you can heat your Christmas pudding up in that-much easier anyway as you don't have to keep an eye on the water level.Serve it with brandy butter or cream rather than anything that needs cooking like custard.

Don't bother with a starter-serve some interesting nibbles with pre dinner drinks. This will give you more time to get everything ready too and after a drink or two most people won't notice if the roast potatoes aren't as crispy as usual(well they don't in DHs family anyway)

If necessary frozen yorkshires and roast potatoes aren't bad, not too expensive and take a lot less time to cook.

suzanna

Thanks

I will look on freecycle for a hostess trolly, i think that the cooker is just a case of getting the right strength cable and runing it straight off the fuse box through an oven switch but i will check with an electrician or it really will be fireworks at my house on christmas day!

I just dont know how normal people manage to cook for that many people and also get the times right? Fingers crossed i will find something in the paper or freecycle.


Suzanna

AMIE399

I Have 15-20 For News Years Day
I Pre Cook And Freeze The Roast Pots, Can Then Be Cooked Straight From Frozen On The Day 20-30 Mins And They Come Out Nice And Crispy,
Buy Ready Made Yorkire Puds, Take About 5 Mins
Make All The Sausage Meat Trimmings Ect And Freeze
Staem All The Veg
Cook The Meat First Thing In The Mornin, So That You Have The Oven Free To Warm Up Pots Ect
Most Important... Have A Nice Glass Of Wine As You Go.. It Makes It All Better !!!
Good Luck X X X

catznine

Can you cook up the meat the day before like I do? I roast it on Christmas Eve, let it cool and then slice up, plate up and pop covered up into the fridge. On the day all I have to do is reheat thoroughly what I need for the main meal in a casserole covered in gravy in the microwave. Veggies are better in the steamer anyway and spuds, stuffing and yorkshires can be done in the oven.

suzanna

Yes i do have a microwave oven. I think that the ready cooked yorkshire puds will be making an appearence at my table this year!

ka7e

Sainsburys Basic Yorkshire puds are good value, taste nice and only take 4 mins in a hot oven. Can you get hold of another shelf for your oven? Betterware do one for £9.99, here.

HopeElizzy

I usually cook the turkey then when it's done take it out and cover with foil - it sits soaking up the juice and keeps quite warm for an hour. This gives you time to turn up the heat in the oven and roast everything else that needs doing - does that help at all?:D