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Christmas Dinner - Help its my first!!!

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  • valk_scot
    valk_scot Posts: 5,290 Forumite
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    No1 tip? Make the things your family like, not what the M&S/Asda/Iceland etc adverts tell you you should make. And in sensible quantities rather than cook for 12 to feed three and a half. My lot love stuffing, pigs in blankets (can imagine your toddler will LOVE these), Yorkshire puds, roast spuds and gravey in industrial quantities and frankly if I dished up these plus a big bowl of broccoli and roast carrots, no-one would even register there was no roast meat of any sort in there! Turkey is a bit blah imho unless it's a really good free-range bronze bird, which costs megabucks, so I go for a large free range chicken instead and spend the money on pigs in blankets instead, lol.

    Incidentally if your MIL is famous for her Christmas trifle or pud or Mairie Rose sauce, ask her to make some to bring. Helpful for you and a tactful compliment.
    Val.
  • skiTTish
    skiTTish Posts: 1,385 Forumite
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    Firstly and most importantly DONT PANIC!!
    Xmas dinner is blown out of all proption ,its only a bloomin roast dinner and you probably cooked that loads :)
  • valk_scot
    valk_scot Posts: 5,290 Forumite
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    skiTTish wrote: »
    Firstly and most importantly DONT PANIC!!
    Xmas dinner is blown out of all proption ,its only a bloomin roast dinner and you probably cooked that loads :)

    Yeah agreed...when I was typing out my above post it all sounded suspiciously like today's roast dinner, lol!
    Val.
  • ubamother
    ubamother Posts: 1,190 Forumite
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    I go with the 'don't panic' advice! The trick I find is to get ahead. If you parboil your winter veg - big chunks of carrot,swede,quartered onions, parsnips or whatever you like and then par roast them in a bit of oil and some thyme or whatever herb you've got, they freeze really well and you can finish from frozen. This way you've got lots of types of veg all cooked together without maxing out your saucepans.
    My mother always cooked the turkey on Christmas Eve when she was feeding hordes - freed the oven up for the day itself and took all the stress out of getting it carved and gravy made on time. She either reheated in the oven with a bit of gravy for moistness or served cold - as long as the gravy and roasties were good and hot it didn't seem to matter. If you want to go for a smaller roast like a chicken, having extras like pigs in bacon (chipolatas wrapped in bacon) and sausagemeat stuffing add special extras and can all be prepared in advance and frozen and then cooked on the day with the roasties.
  • cyclingyorkie
    cyclingyorkie Posts: 4,234 Forumite
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    we did that when kids were small!

    now i do it on Christmas day...but as others say it is just a big roast!

    I do go for free range turkey...but we just have mas/baked potatoes. I do sausages and the adults love stuffing. I steam the veg - frees up the hob.

    Oh and i always put a carrot and onion inside the turkey - makes smashing gravy.

    Biggest tip - DONT start to drink whilst you're cooking!
    :jFlylady and proud of it:j
  • Patchwork_Quilt
    Patchwork_Quilt Posts: 1,839 Forumite
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    Get a large chicken - they don't dry out the same. Roast in a big pot with a couple of inches of water in the bottom to make up the gravy (with granules and stock from the veg). Steam the sprouts so they don't go soggy. Steam the carrots too. Roast the potatoes in chicken fat saved from a previous roast and do lots of pigs in blankets.

    Get a Christmas pud you can microwave. Serve with thick cream or custard. Remember the brandy and matches
  • kim85
    kim85 Posts: 113 Forumite
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    I had the same predicament last year, doing my first ever christmas meal - i ended up going with chicken which was just as nice as turkey, lots of pigs in blankets mash, roasties, stuffing various veg and califlower cheese.
    Found it really easy to do as pre-pared most day before- as long as you do that is all easy.
  • Bens_Mom
    Bens_Mom Posts: 180 Forumite
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    Wow, Thanks so much everyone for a great response...

    As a lot of you have pointed out its not that different from a sunday dinner :T so I think maybe I was a bit overwhelmed at just the thought of it adn what has been done previously... Im actually really looking forward to it, Just need to make sure I get the timings right now ;)

    Thank you for all your encouragement,
    I think I will be doing turkey, boiled ham (requested), pigs blankets, mash, roasties, stuffing and then loads of veg, parsnip, carrot, broccoli, cauli, sweet potatoe (requested), sprouts, cabbage, swede - I know that sounds a lot but I will only make enough for what ppl want...

    Im really excited now hehe...
  • Penelope_Penguin
    Penelope_Penguin Posts: 17,288 Forumite
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    MrsE wrote: »
    Plus a rolled breast is so weasy to store in the run up & after its been cooked.

    I always found it a nightmare trying to get a massive bird in an already overstocked fridge.

    But then you have no carcase for stock :confused:

    And I'm lucky enough to have a Victorian pantry, so only have Champagne in the fridge over the Festive season :D
    :rudolf: Sheep, pigs, hens and bees on our Teesdale smallholding :rudolf:
  • misskool
    misskool Posts: 12,832 Forumite
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    Don't get too stressed about the timings anyways, the meat can always be rested longer ;) OH cooks and says he's rested the turkey for up to an hour and it's still perfectly fine

    If you're buying fresh turkey, we're having Kelly Bronze from a local farm. It really is lush. I never liked turkey until I had the Kelly.
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