Christmas Dinner Help!

Morning all,
It's my first time cooking a Christmas Dinner, I want it to be special of course tasty!
I'm looking for where you buy yoru food, what food you buy (brand, name etc)
Any cooking tips??


Any replies would be Hugely appreciated:j

Comments

  • kazwookie
    kazwookie Posts: 13,810
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    How many are you cooking for?


    Are any guests vegetarians or such like.?


    For us minimum of fuss, normally 2 or 3 of us, small chicken, roast spuds, carrots, cauli, peas, parsnips, gravy, poss small sausages wrapped in bacon.

    If we have room afterwards or late on in the day, cheese and biscuits or xmas pudding.
    General cost about £10, time about 2 to 2.5 hours.


    I just cannot stand going round to relations who 'faff' around all day, spend a fortune ££, have loads of food left over, and then sit there and moan about it.
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  • shoei
    shoei Posts: 116
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    I'll tell you what I do. Not all of it is particularly MSE but I will highlight that where I can.

    Christmas for me is bigger than a day so we have a big open house on Christmas Eve with all sorts of food,

    Christmas Day is a quieter affair with just us and possibly inlaws.

    We don't have turkey because a. I don't like it and I'm cooking b. I think it is expensive for what it is.

    We have a rolled shoulder of pork which works out much cheaper and we have plenty of leftovers for sandwiches.

    I buy this from the local farm shop, this could be bought cheaper elsewhere but I like to buy local, and to jazz it up I stuff in with homemade sausage meat with prunes. You could have any meat and jazz it up with a stuffing either on the side or inside.

    I try to limit the amount of dishes or at least only do small amounts of each to reduce waste and not over face people with too much food.

    For starter I do either prawn cocktail or a soup which can be very MSE.

    Sides I do; Roast potatoes, Mash, roast parsnips and onions, boiled carrots, buttered peas, green beans and Brussels with bacon and pine nuts, paxo stuffing and gravy. I buy a big bag of potatoes for over the festive period so we have lots of jackets etc.

    We always have plenty leftover for bubble and squeak.

    I also do a homemade christmas pudding.

    I don't go for much pre-made and pre-packed stuff as I like to make the effort at Christmas and I do think it works out quite expensive.
  • katie4
    katie4 Posts: 430
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    kazwookie wrote: »
    How many are you cooking for?


    Are any guests vegetarians or such like.?


    For us minimum of fuss, normally 2 or 3 of us, small chicken, roast spuds, carrots, cauli, peas, parsnips, gravy, poss small sausages wrapped in bacon.

    If we have room afterwards or late on in the day, cheese and biscuits or xmas pudding.
    General cost about £10, time about 2 to 2.5 hours.



    I just cannot stand going round to relations who 'faff' around all day, spend a fortune ££, have loads of food left over, and then sit there and moan about it.


    Hi it will be 4 adults and two children, no vegetarians thanks
  • gwynlas
    gwynlas Posts: 1,652
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    You need to decide on your main course and everything else needed that follows. Nearer the time there will be lots of comparisons in newspapers and magazines on costs and quality.
    Essentially it is usually a roast dinner than some people equate to a big fuss, meat cooks and needs to rest prior to serving freeing up oven for roast veg and yorkshires. Luxury starters are generally cold, pate, smoked salmon, prawn cocktail, melon with parma ham. Christmas pudding bought warmed in microwave served with rum sauce or cream. cheeseboard, trifle or whatever. Unless you are absolutely hopeless in the kitchen it should be easy enough and even then one of your four adults or even the children if old enough generally have some clue.
    It is not expected to be a cordon bleu or michelin star quality meal by any standard and even if expected to be posh aldi and lisl sell luxury goods all year.
  • jackieblack
    jackieblack Posts: 10,299
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    It's just a roast dinner with a few extra bits...
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  • Sea_Shell
    Sea_Shell Posts: 9,272
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    Don't be sucked into the marketing that makes you think you need to provide a table, groaning under the weight of food!!

    Do your guests actually like sprouts and parsnips? If they don't, don't bother.

    Remember too, try as we might, most of us just aren't capable of eating twice as much food as we would normally do, just because it's Christmas, so don't overdo the portions.

    It's the company that counts, not 12 choices of vegetables and 4 puddings!!
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  • We always get a turkey crown rather than a full turkey. It is the part we all like meat from, is cheaper and easier to cook!

    My Dad always cooked his the day before so the oven had more space to cook other things on xmas day. I haven't done this but had a range so had the space. I have now moved and have a double oven so will likely follow Dads lead and cook the turkey the day before.

    I also cut up the veg/potatoes and get the pigs into their blankets the day before.

    Set the table either the day before or even on 23rd!

    You want as little to do on actual xmas day as possible so you can enjoy yourself!

    I also make a listen of everything and what time it needs to do in to help with timings :). It has worked like a charm each year for me!
  • Browntoa
    Browntoa Posts: 49,288
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    edited 7 October 2019 at 1:18PM
    There's always supermarket price wars on the staples of Xmas dinner , potatoes , Brussels, carrots etc. Think last year as low as 19p a pack .

    Aldi or lidl for a fresh turkey crown .

    Cook turkey first early on , then oven is free for roasting everything else . Most of the veg can be peeled the day before and left in cold Water
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  • maman
    maman Posts: 28,493
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    Are you used to cooking a normal roast dinner katie?

    If you are then doing Christmas dinner is really simple. Do let us know then we can tailor the advice to your needs.

    Where do you normally have Christmas dinner? If it's with family but you're hosting this year then do you want to make changes or try to do the same? Do you normally have starters? dress the table? Plate up or use serving dishes? :)
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