Christmas Lunch Hacks

maman

Pigs in blankets already made and in the freezer. I'll buy a frozen turkey as soon as I have freezer space. IMO fresh turkey is over rated. 

Brie

Oh - side hack!  Since all the wrapping paper sold is overpriced and often cannot be recycled look for the gift bags you can reuse each year or get a roll of plain craft paper for the kids to draw on to make their own wrapping paper - much nicer, more fun and will be much more personal.  Or buy some Christmassy fabric and make bags.  The fabric shop is also the better option than buying an overpriced JL table cloth and matching napkins.  With luck you can "fringe" the fabric to save having to hem them. 

Toonie

For Christmas it's just me and my partner, and I have various food allergies and intolerances, so we make most things ourselves. Unlike a lot of people, we actually quite like turkey, but as it's just the two of us we try to find the smallest crown we can.

DP does the starter (prawn cocktail for him, smoked salmon for me...we get frozen prawns and salmon trimmings to use aong with lettuce and some mayo), the main is essentially a roast dinner, with a couple of extras (a few pigs in blankets, which we buy sausages for and wrap in bacon, it's not difficult), and some stuffing (sage and onion for him, and sausage meat and apple for me).

We're usually too full for pudding and there is usually a box of choccies sitting around somewhere in case we fancy something sweet. Cheese, biscuits, bits and bobs for supper (we buy individual things we like and put it all together on a board) and DP might then have his Christmas pud.

The most important thing is we have a nice day together, some nice treats, and maybe a bit of daft telly in the evening.

HoneyRoastedParsnip

Brie said:

HoneyRoastedParsnip said:

I've advised my wife to buy if it saves a lot of time or is something special only available at Christmas which we'll enjoy significantly more than the non-Christmassy equivalent. I'm trying not to be bah humbug but can't see the point in paying extra for Christmas packaging!

But will she listen?  Should she listen?????  

Frankly I'd be happy to wait until 4:30 on the 24th to buy what's been discounted and take what we can get.   There will be some very very posh stuff that no one wants down to 20p and if I had to have chicken or salmon or pork instead of turkey I'd be perfectly happy.   And hopefully all the brussels will be sold out so I won't have to even think of eating the retched things.  

Nicest thing I've bought for Christmas in the last few years was a incredibly expensive (for Aldi) piece of cheese.  It was extra expensive as it was artisan made (!) presented on a tiddly piece of slate with a small jar of chutney and all the fussy packaging.  Think it was a fiver or more but reduced to about £1 as they had zillions left.  As I recall the cheese was great and we still have the bit of slate on the dining room table as our salt and pepper holder.

Ha ha! Yes she'll do fine. I am a massive yellow sticker player (especially at Waitrose!) and may play this year as we'll have a freezer to fill!

HoneyRoastedParsnip

Wraithlady said:

Just remember, it's merely a slightly more elaborate Sunday roast.

And maybe leave the Xmas pud til the New Year? 

This is my thinking. Thankfully with a Spanish wife and young kids we don't really need all the sauces you use a single spoon of and then ditch! She doesn't like Christmas pud and I could leave it if i'm honest! Crackers (tick) and the kids will be happy! 

HoneyRoastedParsnip

Toonie said:

For Christmas it's just me and my partner, and I have various food allergies and intolerances, so we make most things ourselves. Unlike a lot of people, we actually quite like turkey, but as it's just the two of us we try to find the smallest crown we can.

DP does the starter (prawn cocktail for him, smoked salmon for me...we get frozen prawns and salmon trimmings to use aong with lettuce and some mayo), the main is essentially a roast dinner, with a couple of extras (a few pigs in blankets, which we buy sausages for and wrap in bacon, it's not difficult), and some stuffing (sage and onion for him, and sausage meat and apple for me).

We're usually too full for pudding and there is usually a box of choccies sitting around somewhere in case we fancy something sweet. Cheese, biscuits, bits and bobs for supper (we buy individual things we like and put it all together on a board) and DP might then have his Christmas pud.

The most important thing is we have a nice day together, some nice treats, and maybe a bit of daft telly in the evening.

That sounds lovely! 

MandM90

What’s a traditional Spanish Xmas meal? I bet it’s loads of stuff that won’t be marked up 

EriSteadyGo

If you have any concerns over getting veg, some of it can be bought now, and with a little bit of prep, frozen for later. Carrots work well for this if you blanch them, I made a batch of Yorkshire puddings yesterday (massive fluffy boys!) and froze them, and I had a go at parboiling a couple of batches of spuds for roasting. 

Peeled them, chopped them, boiled for five mins, drained and left to steam dry for five mins and then seasoned and sprayed with oil. Laid them out on a lined baking sheet and froze them. They cook from frozen at about 190c for an hour and you turn them over after twenty mins (you can use whatever oil you like). I’ve gotta say, they were the nicest roast potatoes I’ve had in a long time, so I’m going to prep more and freeze them so I always have a stash! 

I’ve done something similar making patties of bubble and squeak to freeze - ideal for cold cuts. 

HoneyRoastedParsnip

MandM90 said:

What’s a traditional Spanish Xmas meal? I bet it’s loads of stuff that won’t be marked up 

Normally seafood based in the south and eaten on Christmas Eve - hence not being sucked in to 'platters'!

CapricornLass

Well, here are my hacks.

1. Prepare all the veg on Christmas Eve, even the potatoes.  Store potatoes and parsnips with a tablespoon of oil in a poly bag overnight.  Put a damp piece of kitchen roll over the other veg to stop them drying out and keep them in their own poly bags.

2.  Dig the slow cooker out.  Set it going when you get up and put the Christmas Pud into it, and then leave it to get on with it.  It will be ready when you need it after lunch.  Or have it at tea-time instead.

3.  Look for a copy of Delia Smith's Christmas book.  She has a timetable of what has to go on when for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at the back of the book, which has been a godsend to me, and is worth the cost of the book on its own.