Christmas dinner - I want it to be stress free!!!

judyjetson

Where are your roasties? You need roast potatoes! Another vote for Yorkshires here - can't do without! I'm going to work Xmas Day, so husband is cooking dinner and M&S is the easiest option.

I usually opt for a turkey crown - haven't looked at their Xmas food yet, but there's normally a stuffed version. We get the pork and leek stuffing, I think it is, plus I still love Paxo sage and onion stuffing, so that has to be done as well.

Hubby does a mean mashed potato with plenty of butter and cream - it is Xmas after all, so a one-off - and then we have veg - peas, carrots, sprouts (love them), M&S honey glazed parsnips, M&S goose fat roasted potatoes, and I think that's about it. Not fussed on pigs in blankets tbh. Cranberry sauce. Anything more has, from experience, tended to be a bit of a waste.

If you're using pre-prepared gravy, make sure you add your meat juices to it - just gives it an extra kick and makes it taste "home made".

Edited: Just seen the veg selection includes roasties - not sure that really offers the best value, veg-wise. It might be worth just buying them separately. The goose fat roasties are much better than the standard roasties.

camNolliesMUMMY

I don't know about pre bought, but how about preparing it in advance In Mae fashion lol and freezing the pigs in blankets and putting in a foil dish, chopping up the veg including potatoes. As long as they covered in oil they won't go black, making up the stuffing and putting in foil tray.

I cook the turkey crown every year now in my 6.5l slow cooker and gammon in my smaller one. Turkey comes out moist and I don't need to watch it or anything.
I got a cheap timer last year, prepd the meats and they both came on around 4-5am. By 2pm was ready.
I did however brown them off abit in the oven before serving.

It was less hassle and got time to spend with the kids.

Armchair23

I've got Milky's invite in the bag and am really looking forward to Xmas.
And frankly I say yes to a Yorkshire pudding anytime it's offered !

Good move by anyone who tries to take the stress out of Christmas so they can actually enjoy it and spend more time with friends and family.

Spendless

We go to the butchers stalls on Christmas Eve and buy a turkey crown, pigs in blankets ready done and a foil tray of stuffing, there's always various flavours to choose from. Potatoes are peeled and put in a tray with goose fat and veg does in my steamer. Everything is pretty much peel if needed and stick in the oven till cooked.

meer53

I think people put far too much pressure on themselves on Xmas Day. For me, it's just like Sunday dinner, but with extras. Stuffing, pigs in blankets, etc. I usually cook a joint of pork, a turkey crown and a 5 bird roast from Aldi. There's 4 of us, i cook the pork and the 5 bird roast first, then the turkey crown. I have AMC pans so i can cook most of my veg together in one pan and bung the roasties, parsnips and the pigs in blankets in the oven together. I rarely start cooking before 11am, (thats when the wine gets opened too) can't be doing with all this getting up at 4 am business ! If anything is missed, it's tough. Oh, and i make my own Yorkshires

Milky_Mocha

I agree the roasties might not be the best in there but I have a pack of Aunt Bessie's on hand as they've always been a hit.

judyjetson wrote: »

Where are your roasties? You need roast potatoes! Another vote for Yorkshires here - can't do without! I'm going to work Xmas Day, so husband is cooking dinner and M&S is the easiest option.

I usually opt for a turkey crown - haven't looked at their Xmas food yet, but there's normally a stuffed version. We get the pork and leek stuffing, I think it is, plus I still love Paxo sage and onion stuffing, so that has to be done as well.

Hubby does a mean mashed potato with plenty of butter and cream - it is Xmas after all, so a one-off - and then we have veg - peas, carrots, sprouts (love them), M&S honey glazed parsnips, M&S goose fat roasted potatoes, and I think that's about it. Not fussed on pigs in blankets tbh. Cranberry sauce. Anything more has, from experience, tended to be a bit of a waste.

If you're using pre-prepared gravy, make sure you add your meat juices to it - just gives it an extra kick and makes it taste "home made".

Edited: Just seen the veg selection includes roasties - not sure that really offers the best value, veg-wise. It might be worth just buying them separately. The goose fat roasties are much better than the standard roasties.

ALIBOBSY

Reggie_Rebel wrote: »

The best turkey will be straight from the farm

Our turkey is currently running around a friends field with his mates (well in bed now obviously) so lovely and fresh and we know exactly how the animal was treated.

Ali x

ALIBOBSY

I would say if you have to buy go for M and s or Waitrose. But there are 6 of us and I like to cook so will be from scratch here.

However I agree with the poster who said it is just a big sunday roast.

I try to get ahead though, got my wings to do jamie o's make ahead gravy to stash in the freezer this week. Already done swede mash and red cabbage in the freezer and try to do stuff as early as I can. Then will do puds and final prep on crimbo eve which the kids enjoy helping with-they love peeling sprouts and chopping veg lol.

For me its about planning and I love it all lol.

Ali x

Kim_kim

Armchair23 wrote: »

Yorkshires with turkey are you completely insane !!!!
And I'm a soft southerner..... : )
Bread sauce , pigs in blankets, TWO types of stuffing, roasties and yet more roasties, cranberry sauce and extra bacon !
The turkey is just there to give you a reason for all the lovely things that go with it. Aaah if only someone else was cooking it for me.....

I'm with you it has to be the proper trimmings & no yorkies!

OP - Google cook food. They are based on the in the south east, they do posh ready made food, home style & for dinner parties too.
They are doing a Xmas meal for 8 (just main) £100. They also do a side dish of red cabbage as an extra.
You can get your starters & puddings off then too.

ciderwithrosie_2

I don't understand why the in-laws shouldn't pitch in to help. Surely you can ply them with some mulled wine and get them peeling some sprouts or laying the table?