Help, Help!

I would cook the turkey before you go, slice, then freeze in gravy. Cooked meat defrosts mire quickly than froze. My 'corner shop ' is an M& S food shop and I often get reduced bargains of meat, poultry and fish. I cook them same day, then freeze. We've never had any ill effects from reheating.

You can buy just about everything frozen these days, so why bother even making anything this year ? You will have plenty of things to worry about before you go.
What about asking the rest of the family to bring something? Forget the turkey and go for a chicken (or 2) that can be defrosted overnight - just remember to either stick a big not on your fridge, or a reminder on your phone.
Bread sauce can be made on the day, from frozen breadcrumbs - or the packet ones are quite acceptable, I have found!
Everyone will be aware that you will have been away, so they won't expect the usual Mary Berry standard, but even so, if you take a few shortcuts, you may be quite surprised!

I had a turkey crown from iceland last year and it was delicious. In fact I ordered my goose fat spuds, sprouts with bacon, Christmas pudd, frozen mini cheesecakes etc etc from them too and had them delivered. I intend to use them again & can recommend. Ensure choccies & baileys to hand and chill

Get chilled Turkey delivered and received by neighbour on 24th. Freeze trimmings in advance. Buy Waitrose cauliflower cheese, glazed honey carrots and Brussels with chestnuts. Freeze. Decant into your own serving dishes and pass it off as your own..! Boom.

I would roast and carve the turkey before going away and put the carved turkey in the freezer in as many small portions as the freezer will accommodate, and freeze the gravy too.

Take it out when you return, if it is not fully defrozen next morning, bung it in the microwave, or the de-frost programme on your oven.

Warm it through in a covered roasting tin before serving.

I agree whoever said delegate! Under the circumstances ,I am sure everyone who is coming to you for Chritmas day would understand. Get each person to bring at least one dish so you don't have to do it all yourself at the last minute. I am a control freak and prefer to do all the cooking myself but on occasions have to give in and accept I need help.........so don't be shy about asking for it!!

My stepdaughter did one of these three years ago. It was very good!

www.cookfood.net/menu/christmas/christmas-day

Why don't you cook and carve the turkey before you go, and freeze it like that?

Take a look here: www.cookfood.net/
We have had excellent meals from them.
I'm sure you'll find something.
Good luck.

My daughters did a Christmas meal from Cook, we all chipped in with cost and it was delicious and sooo easy, and can be cooked from frozen. We are doing it again this year.

PS Homemade summer pudding freezes well.

I agree with the suggestion that you make Boxing Day your official Christmas day ( the Queen has an official birthday so why not?) If you're travelling on Christmas Eve there's a high chance that there may be delays, plus every one will be tired and in need of rest by the time you arrive home.. I've done this a couple of times for various reasons.
And did you know that you can freeze uncooked mincepies in their baking trays? Just bake for an extra 5 minutes when you take them out.

Our local Indian takeaway doesn’t close at Christmas.....

Another vote here for good old M&S! Buy as much as you can readymade/frozen. And if you want proper turkey, how about cooking one before you go away, slice it up, and freeze in smaller portions. Just remember to take them out of the freezer when you get home, and they will defrost over night in the refrigerator. You'll just need to re-heat them in the oven wrapped in foil, or in the microwave.

Baked Alaska can be frozen and just popped in the oven straight from the freezer. As can a semi fredo desert.

Turkey crowns in my experience are completely tasteless. Wouldn´t do that one again. Turkey or chicken or duck rolls with stuffing inside are the way to go, in my opinion. Stuffed giant mushrooms for the vegans in the family. Roast potatoes are easy enough, use vegan marge so everyone can eat them. Brussels frozen. Pigs in blankets frozen. Ice cream and fruit for pudding. I live on the Continent, so our main Christmas meal is Christmas Eve (fish), but still like to have the British Christmas dinner the next day, with as little work as possible.

Many thanks for all this advice. I think I will go ready made as much as possible from M & S and freeze before I go. Hope all goes well and Happy Christmas to you all. - Watch this space!

I've thought about it. It's ridiculous that you're even thinking of doing this. Surely someone else could do Christmas lunch this year.

Wow, that's a tough one! Usually I do all my prep the day before, so the actual cooking day is fairly simple.

In Canada we have frozen turkey roll available, and can be cooked from frozen. It's white meat rolled with stuffing inside. They are more expensive, but your situation is unique, so I would have a look. Some butchers do them as well.

Otherwise, skip turkey and have a large ham. You can purchase in advance and depending on how long you are away it can stay in the fridge.

Potatoes - can you find new potatoes and boil them the day of, so no need for peeling? Everyone loves new potatoes.

Cheesecake can definitely be baked and frozen. Otherwise a tray of tarts or squares baked in advance and frozen, on plate with chocolates.

You can do a grocery order and ask a neighbour to accept it, or even leave it out on the back step if delivered the 24th. It will stay cool outside.

One year I had my baby boy on the 18th, and dinner for 12 on Christmas. Did lots in advance, and hubby pitched in.

Good luck! Let us know how you managed!

Newatthis, buy the whole meal from M&S or Waitrose before you go. You can order from Waitrose for delivery the day before you go. Put the whole lot in the freezer,

When you return, get it all out overnight. If when cooking somethings are not quite as expected, nobody will notice. They will be so impressed by your organising skills that meant that a full Christmas dinner is ready in a house, that presumably you intend to decorate, before you go, only hours after flying in from the wide blue yonder they will be singing your praises forever.

One year we discovered our turkey had blow fly on it at 3.00pm on Christmas Eve, the problem got sorted but the story of how it was sorted and trying to defrost a turkey in three hours has entered family history and is told over the fire every year, as we drink mulled wine and eat mincepies.

Your memorable instant Christmas when everything worked and you had a wonderful time will similarly enter your family history.

A few years ago my mum was dying. We were called to the hospital on the 23rd December and left at 3pm on Christmas Eve. (She actually lived until January 2nd)!
I had missed my delivery of fresh everything - turkey, ham veg etc., which they had tried to deliver at 9am on the 23rd.
Shops were due to close, and I was shattered. I ran into Tesco and bought cooked handcarved turkey breast from the deli counter, ready made mashed potato? and bags of frozen veg.
The only thing I 'made' was my stuffing, and the meal was lovely. Not the best, but actually really very good!

It us the company you keep, not the food you eat ?

Better still why don't you give a key to a trusted friend or neighbour and ask them to take your frozen turkey out of the freezer so it is defrosted when you get home.

I would be delegating pdq and get someone else to cook the turkey!
It seems a bit steep if everyone's expecting you to do this when you're away until the last minute. Get everyone organised to provide part of the meal and you just host and provide the drinks(which it what we do as a family if we have big gatherings)

turkey ?

I did freeze a home-made cheesecake the other week and it was fine, but it was only in the freezer for a week. Don't ask me the recipe, it was a kind of 'fling it in and mix it up' kind of recipe, but generally speaking a biscuit base, some cream cheese, marscapone cheese, fresh lime juice and whipped cream. I did put in some gelatine as once before when I made it, it hadn't set but any veggies won't eat gelatine of course.

I wouldn't bother, though, I would do an order online to be delivered on the 24th including the turiey, but you could buy and freeze lots of things before you go - all the trimmings, for instance, which will thaw overnight.

I wouldn't cook any poultry from frozen myself.

You could give someone a key in case your plane is delayed and the delivery is due.