Christmas - As easy as possible please.

bluenose1

NiceGuyEddie wrote: »

Ok preppers, I have a stuffing question. Being a slovenly wench, and with the meal already having sausages and chipolatas, I'm using a packet mix for the stuffing - can I make up the mix, shape them and freeze them? Cook from frozen or defrosted?

I know it's not much effort to make the mix on the day, but the more time I can spend out of the kitchen the better

I use Paxo. The only time I tried expensive M and S one, they all turned their noses up. Think we have cheap tastes in our house - thank goodness.
I am guessing you could make up the mix as you suggest. I would prob cook from chilled. If you do from frozen make sure they are not burned on outside and frozen inside. Actually I am too lazy to even roll up into balls. I use a pyrex dish and just spread it out and cook in the oven. It still goes crispy on top.

I make home made bread sauce, though that is easy. I just fry an onion in butter, add white bread, milk, salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes.

I deliberately make too much of everything and we have it all reheated in pyrex dishes the next day. I just make fresh gravy.
I just use Bisto with the water off the veg to make my gravy.

stargazer59

Jo_F wrote: »

Cook the turkey Christmas Eve and then on Christmas Day my trainee chef daughter does the rest of it.

I do this too!

I have always cooked the turkey Christmas Eve, it makes things so much easier and you can be sure it is cooked!

My grown up kids all do the same now:j

JulieM

themull1 wrote: »

I never have anyone else in the kitchen, i work better on my own.

Same here, my husband is under strict orders to 'rescue' me if anyone sneaks into the kitchen for a chat.

ska_lover

cazpumpkin wrote: »

I lay the table the night before and thats it.

I start at 8am and write down everything to be cooked and the approx times to put them in the oven,. i have a small oven so cook things two at a time then remove and put to one side

stuffing is a packet of sausage meat to which i add one egg, some herbs from the garden, a crumbled up slice of fresh brown bread and half a packet of cranberries from poundland and a chopped brown onion and a small packet of made up paxo sage and onion stuffing mix , which goes into a greased dish and baked for 30/40 mins 180%

i cook the stuffing and pigs in blanket which are ready made from sainsburys first and put to one side, by now its usually 9am

then i put in a sainsburys turkey crown which was a frozen one but thoroughly defrosted, they normally only take about 2 hours, i drizzle with olive oil and butter and wrap in foil , then cook and put to one side for a good few hours.

while the bird is cooking i peel and parboil everything carrots, sprouts, peas, cauli, cabbage & leek, but not the potatos at this stage.

gravy is bisto brown, after years of slaving in a kitchen and making things from scratch i prefer bisto, ditto the bread sauce from a sainsburys packet just add milk cant tell the difference, so i make those

yorkshire puddings are aunt bessies frozen and i nuke them for 5 minutes and put to one side.

at this point i stop and have a cup of tea and wash and dry anything hanging around and clear the worktops as much as possible.

so usually by doing the veg, washing up and having a cuppa its now 11am ish.

next job is slice the turkey and transfer to a large container/plate/dish and cover with foil and wash the oven pan.

then i get out the plates, condiments and lay them all out on the kitchen counter.

usually by now im bored lol and off i go and get washed and dressed and do my hair, im so slow its usually midday by now and i dont even think about going back into the kitchen till around 1 oclock when the roast potatos get parboiled then go in the oven for the final hour and at 45 minutes to go i chuck in a packet of frozen sainsburys parsnips , i hate parsnips but 2 of my kids like them so they dont seem to have noticed theyre frozen yet lol

the veg which was par boiled and left in hot water to cool continued to cook in my absence due to the heat of the water so normally just needs bringing to the boil and draining

now i have a small table and many people so cant do it like the xmas adverts with big heaped bowls of veg on the table so this is the part which makes me blush

i put everything onto the plates in advance a bit like school dinners and at 2 oclock each plate is heated in the microwave for 2 minutes one by one and i take the potatos from the oven and add a few spuds and each person collects their plate one by one, its not ideal but its what we have always done and nobody minds, with 5 of us it means person one has eaten as person 5 gets their plate but they dont leave the table they just eat a bit slowly or have a glass of wine

everyone clears the table and one person washes, another dries a third puts it away, someone else wipes the table, then we go back into the kitchen for a microwaved xmas pudding from poundland, a defrosted sainsburys cheesecake and a sainsburys ready made yule log,

im not great at cooking but this dinner is fool proof and ive not had any complaints ever from anyone , hope this helps someone,

the only part i do myself from scratch is the stuffing and roast potatos as i dont like those items from frozen or trust me theyd be frozen as i dont care if things are made from scratch or not

the best bit for me is everyone saying theyre stuffed and then sitting round after watching xmas tv and eating quality street

thanks for this, it has helped me

Amanda_Dawson

:beer: This x'mas eve after my hacticmoving back to Landon I will be with my friends , cooking all those good stuff is fun . I can,t wait for the time

bluenose1

Went to the shops last night and got all my veg - and loads of tangerines. To hopefully stop me eating too much chocolate.

Gong to make a list of everything to do for Christmas dinner. Otherwise I have a tendency to forget to do something - one year I forgot Yorkshire pudds and another forgot the parsnips.

Going to prep all my veg tomorrow. Feel reasonably well organised. Though panic for no reason will set in shortly I am sure.

purple_button

I'm helping my mum cook Christmas dinner for around 14 this year, we've cooked together on Christmas day for years and years, even though I don't live at home any more!
We always do the Turkey the night before, and prep the veg, apart from the potatoes. We put the soup ingredients in the slow cooker to be switched on in the morning, then blend it before serving.
The potatoes are peeled and parbolied in the morning, and the stuffing is made up early too. Once the potatoes have almost roasted, the stuffing goes in the same pan for the last 20 mins.
We wash up as we go, and enjoy a baileys or two at the same time

islandgirl8

purple_button wrote: »

I'm helping my mum cook Christmas dinner for around 14 this year, we've cooked together on Christmas day for years and years, even though I don't live at home any more!
We always do the Turkey the night before, and prep the veg, apart from the potatoes. We put the soup ingredients in the slow cooker to be switched on in the morning, then blend it before serving.
The potatoes are peeled and parbolied in the morning, and the stuffing is made up early too. Once the potatoes have almost roasted, the stuffing goes in the same pan for the last 20 mins.
We wash up as we go, and enjoy a baileys or two at the same time

My daughter is 12 and we are doing the Christmas meal together this year (even have matching aprons). I hope that in years to come she writes something as lovely as this. Love the day with your Mum

anniemf2508

i have already prepped and frozen the chipolatas, 2 types of stuffing, goose fat potatoes and bread sauce. Turkey is brining, so all i have to do is prep the parsnips and the brussels.
Will make the cake for the trifle later (has to be hm as hubby is a coeliac), then will put it in the jelly tomorrow. Then will just finish it off xmas day.

I'm not too keen on having help in the kitchen.so i like to be organised in advance.

Pont

I'm always the hostess at Christmas - and have served gatherings of between 6 and 20! Used to be the 'martyr in the kitchen' - but no more!

Used to have a choice of 3 starters - as a previous posted stated, 'no starters anymore' (we all eat far too much anyway)!

Used to have a choice of 2 mains - no more! Guests know beforehand what's on offer - if they don't like what's on offer - too bad (concessions to veggies though).

Will still have a choice of 5 desserts, will still have a cheese board.

No more me serving sherry on arrival, providing 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th courses wine (will still have the port with the stilton). Guests are more than welcome to provide suitable wines if they so choose!

No more me left in the kitchen to clear up.

I also have a really carp cooker this year - single oven. Will roast turkey on Christmas Eve. All vegetables (fresh always) will be prepped. Will also half steam vegetables (never boil) then plunge in iced water to retain taste/colour (steam for 5 mins on the big day). Lardons with the sprouts always go down well (used to do chestnuts too) but... not anymore!

Pigs in blankets, stuffings, bread sauce, honeyed parsnips, roast potatoes etc in oven 30 mins before lift off. Gravy on hob (as previously stated not with turkey fat but rather with stock pot, red wine, red current jelly and a knob of butter for 'glossiness'.

...and I've let it be known, I'm NOT clearing up!

Then, after I'm suitably rested, it all revs up again for Christmas night. NO television, NO texting, NO hiding in the corner - it's Christmas games until the early hours (food /drinkwise self service only!)!

Love it! A less stressed hostess is better all round.