Help, Help!

Tesco open up their Christmas delivery slots just after midnight Tuesday /Wednesday this week so you can still do your online shop for Christmas Eve.
Ask a neighbour or friend to take the shopping in for you if you have someone available.
You could have 'Christmas dinner' on Boxing day if that helps with the defrosting and cooking but there's so much good frozen ready prepared frozen vegetables and deserts it's a shame not to use them. It's also a very good idea to have plenty of helpers rather than exhaust yourself trying to be superwoman.

Does it have to be turkey? We always used to have a good joint of beef at Christmas. It should defrost overnight and cook in less time than a turkey. You can parboil potatoes for roasting and Cooke them from frozen, or defrost overnight. Parsnips are a fiddle, so I always buy frozen ones, likewise sprouts. Carrots just need to be washed and cut. M&S have some delicious side dishes and desserts.

Are all the people you have to feed arriving from abroad or are some in the UK? If so, perhaps they could bring a contribution to the meal so that you have less work to do.

Otherwise I'd get the family to muck in with the preparations on Christmas morning!

PS I took my chicken out the night before to defrost before using.

Christmas Pud freezes well and it takes but a moment to make Brandy Sauce.
And plenty of alternatives at: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/festive-dessert

In view of the fact that you slice up the turkey as soon as it's cooked anyway, why not just buy turkey breasts and thighs and freeeze them? Gravy made ahead too.

Most of all - take it easy. Don't let last minute efforts to be perfect affect the lovely times you've had overseas with the family or the wonderful climax of Christmas Day together.

I’ve had a frozen turkey crown before, but I’m pretty sure it had to be defrosted before cooking. I would consider cooking your turkey, slicing it and freezing it in portions - I’ve done this with a chicken and then reheated each portion in the microwave (with a few blobs of the saved cooking juices on it) and it was fine!

(I pour the juices into a small jug and it cools to a jelly. The fat rises to the top, sets and seals it.)

Grammaretto I think even 24 hour supermarkets won't be open too late on Christmas Eve? OP isn't coming home until late on Christmas Eve... I would think it would be completely unfeasible for her to come off a plane and rush to a supermarket not to mention the stress involved No, buying freezer products is the way to go....... just don't do what I did many years ago when went away for Christmas...had a pay as you go meter and came home on 28th to find I had forgotten to load it!!! All food ruined!!!!

Oh my goodness Urmstongran where are YOU...Urmston? I live in North West too and most of the Christmas day meals here are more in the region of £90+ a head! (Ridiculous amounts anyway)

One of the reasons I would never go out for Christmas day lunch - get the same meal on Christmas Eve or Boxing day for around £30!!!

Yes, we thought of this but £90 per head was out of the question

Where were you planning to eat - the Hilton?

We’re all going where we went last year £42 per head & sensible daughter doesn’t ask for dinner for the 7 and 3y olds - just 2 extra plates and we share out from the adults. Plenty for everyone!

do you have a 24hr supermarket? Once when we were stuck and couldn't get to our destination, we went to a late night shop and found all the Christmas stock hugely reduced!

Do you have to have turkey? Why not chicken, which is much nicer.
Turkey is an American import though it has been eaten here for centuries.

I'm vegetarian. I do cook a traditional Christmas dinner, but I just eat everything except the meat.

Make life easy for yourself newatthis. You don’t get medals for making things from scratch! I doubt anyone would even notice if you cheat and buy frozen! Turkey crowns are much of a muchness. Aldi had some brilliant ones last year! Their frozen lemon cheesecakes are scrumptious too and I am not a lover of Aldi. You can make your special stuffings and freeze beforehand. Oh the wonders of freezers eh? Just make use of them and cut your workload on the day!

Christmas delivery slots are likely to be fully booked.

I'd buy everything from M&S/Waitrose before you go and freeze e.g. turkey crown, pigs in blankets, bread sauce, cranberry, gravy stuffing etc. A turkey crown will defrost overnight.

I cook everything from scratch but given your circumstances I would opt for Aunt Bessie's frozen roast potatoes and parsnips. Had to resort to them a few years ago and they were excellent. I wouldn't bother with turkey and instead splash out on an organic chicken. Get as much ready as you can before you go away - even the breadcrumbs for the bread sauce. (I keep a tub frozen). Pigs in blankets can also be kept in the freezer and cooked from frozen if need be. Brussel sprouts from the freezer too. Make a batch of gravy also and defrost on Christmas Eve.

Or get Waitrose to deliver everything an hour after you're due to get home on Christmas Eve.

Good luck New - perhaps you should change your username to Supergran

Just go with M&S. Reliably good.

Yes, we thought of this but £90 per head was out of the question.

Seems like the perfect excuse to have Christmas lunch at a nearby restaurant. You can still do all the family gathering, present-swapping stuff at home, but if you eat out, there's no prep and no wasshing/ clearing up.