First Christmas Hosting

Murphybear

Most magazines have lots of "how to cook the perfect christmas dinner" articles at this time of year.

squirrelchops

Don't use a dry powder stuffing mix.

You can buy nice sausage meat stuffing ready in balls or in a slab from the supermarket to cook along with your pigs in blankets.

polr

If I were you I'd do lots of preparation in the run up so things like http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4964/christmas-spiced-red-cabbage and put it in the freezer then you just have to heat it up.

I also did this one year and it was great http://www.jamieoliver.com/videos/jamie-s-stress-free-christmas-gravy/

For a pudding I'd either do something simple the night before like a tiramisu so it's all ready or just buy something!

I'd also not be scared of having a few jobs to 'outsource' to family, no reason everyone can't chip in with dishes or stirring pots while you run about. Oh and definitely have a chief wine filler to keep you topped up.

bluenose1

I always make a schedule list of everything I am going to cook and tick it off as I go along. I prefer the full turkey as we prefer the legs and wings as more moist.
Eg
Turkey in oven 9am
Peel potatoes 9:15am
Peel parsnips 9:25am.
Prepare cauliflower 9:40am
Etc etc
It makes me feel in control and makes me stay on schedule.

laura_hoggle

We are also hosting our first Christmas this year, although it is only for 5 adults so not quite on the same scale. I feel under a bit of pressure though as my dad is a chef, so I'm trying things with our normal roasts to see if we like them before they make the menu! Also, we will be out for most of Christmas Eve visiting family, so won't really have the option of prepping the day before.

I tried Delias Parmesan parsnips this weekend, but decided I prefer the honey roast parsnips DH and I normally have with our roasts.

I'm also trying to stock up on things as I think of them, such as goose fat for roast potatoes as I've heard stories of people panicking nearer the time that they can't find things in the supermarkets!

I'm going to put together my pigs in blankets today and freeze them, so that's one less job to do on the day (as long as I remember to defrost them!) I think I'm going to try the Jamie Oliver gravy and BBC Good Food red cabbage as already mentioned, and freeze, although that will wait for a couple more weeks. I might also make Tom Kerridges Christmas stuffing as it looked absolutely amazing on his TV programme last year http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/toms_turkey_roll_with_44115 and pre-freeze that ready to cook.

I've already bought disposable foil trays from one of the many pound shops we have locally, to save on washing up! And I'm trying to plan where things are going to go in the oven-it's not the biggest but with a bit of careful planning we should manage!!

partialycloudy

see I don't know what food I can prep so far in advance....I would never had thought to do pigs in blankets now and freeze em!

Goose fat...yes need to get some of that!

laura_hoggle

I tend to think, if I can buy it already frozen, then I can freeze it myself! However although I have read on here that lots of people freeze their veg and reheat/finish off on the day, I'm a bit dubious about veg-I don't know why!

partialycloudy

I imagine it would be soggy?
I will def peel and chop veg and potatoes the day before.

Have just been googling what I can make in advance and found a few things I can do in the week leading up to the big day.
I don't have xmas eve off so won't have much time to do prep if I leave it all to xmas eve!

laura_hoggle

I've just found this little guide to freezing food in the run up to Christmas, might be helpful!

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/freezer-guide-christmas?cm_mmc=ExactTarget-_-email-_-Good-food-newsletter-417_2014_11_19-_-email&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=ExactTarget&utm_campaign=Good-food-newsletter-417_2014_11_19

Dizzy_Ditzy

In advance, you can prep-

Potatoes and veg- peel and chop and keep in water, just change the water when you want to cook. I generally just keep potatoes in water because I use a pan steamer and keep the prepped veg in bags in the fridge overnight


Stuffing- you can make it into balls the day before


There are people who prefer to cook the meat the day before. I prefer to cook it on the day. One tip I will give you though is to make sure you have a baking tray large and deep enough to take your meat...i didnt do that last year, I just assumed that it would be ok... at 5am on christmas day we were putting as much weight on the top of the turkey as we could to try and break the bones so it would sit flat in the tray!


Desert can be done in advance too. Its traditionally trifle in my house and that is started 3 days in advance


Find out in advance who doesnt like what, so you can have just the right amount of veg. There's nothing worse than buying sprouts for ten people when only 5 or 6 will eat them!


Gravy, you are fine with bisto granules or similar


Re your turkey- for me its crown all the way, much less wastage and takes less time to cook. Again, check you have an appropriate tray!


Do a check of all your cutlery, crockery and glasses well in advance so if you have to replace any, you can do so with plenty of time


You can lay the table either on the day or the day before. I have to do it on the day because I have an incredibly asbo cat who likes nothing more than to jump on the table and see what she can take down with her :mad:


I agree with the disposable foil trays...they are life savers and save on so much washing up. A cooking timer is essential, whether you have a normal kitchen one or on your phone, you'd be screwed without one

Good luck, and enjoy yourself