Christmas Turkey Dinner Planning/Prepping Tips

K8tie hallo from a veteran of some 40 Xmas dinners. My best ever tip is get as much ready as you can the day before. Prep all your veg and put in the fridge, clean and stuff your turkey and I used to make the gravy the day before with the giblets but now I buy it!!! shock!! If you can lay the table the night before that will also save a panic and enable you to dress your table nicely without having a million other things to do. I wouldn't do loads of different veg- stories abound of people who claim to do 13 different types of veg but 3 plus roast potatoes(and its perfectly acceptable to cook/steam them together) should be enough- you could cook them in microwave bags in the microwave - I never ever do a Yorkshire with a turkey dinner.

There is so much stuff on the internet now so I would look up someone like Mary Berry or Delia Smith as they do a traditional Xmas and get yourself very familiar with the method and practice the timings. You tube probably has some videos of stuffing/carving etc. etc

Lastly I would say keep it as simple as you can and pour plenty of drinks.

Just reading an article in Lidl magazine which suggests boiling your potatoes the night before and keeping them in fridge "this will dry them and make them even better for roasting". Also peel and blanch (till almost cooked) your veg day before, cook fully in the day. Im sure the likes of Delia will have loads of plan ahead tips. Good luck!

k8tie Good advice from teetime
I know just what you mean about being out of practice. I am feeling a bit nervous at the prospect this year, despite the fact that I used to be able to do roast dinners with my eyes shut.

What I do now for any meal other than simple things for me & Dh is to make a timetable and work backwards.

So if I want to serve the meal at 2pm, I would put in the timetable that the turkey has to finish cooking at 1.30 (to allow time for standing & carving). So then I work out and put in what time the turkey has to go in the oven.

Then add the time the potatoes have to go in, and what time the pudding has to start steaming. What time the sausages go in, and so on.

Lots of things like the bread sauce & cranberry sauce I make the day before, put them in a serving dish and just pop in the microwave. I make a list of all these things so I don't forget anything.

Good luck - I always find it isn't so traumatic as I have imagined!

As you'll be out on Christmas Eve the preparation eg stuffing, bread sauce and cranberry sauce will have to be done on the 23rd with very fresh ingredients - and it should be fine and beautifully melded by the time it is cooked on Christmas Day. You could just make the stock ready for thickening up the gravy on Christmas Day.
Have you got a slow cooker? I put the Christmas pudding in there in boiling water on high, turning down to medium, and then you can forget about it until it's time to serve it.
I also have a 3 tier steam for the vegetables which is wonderful and frees up hob space.

Good luck!

janea yes a timetable is a good idea.

I noticed that DS has adopted the timetable method - he has a small blackboard in the kitchen!

I've made my pigs in blankets and bread sauce for us and two DDs - they are ready and waiting in the freezer!

And I agree about the

The first time I entertained neighbours in our new house the glass front bit on the cooker hood fell off with a crash (it didn't break). A voice came from the sitting room: 'Shall we all go and get a Chinese takeaway'

We gave them another drink and dinner was fine

My husband and sons are now veggie! Anyone got any good Christmassy veggie recipes?

This is fab Mumofmadboys www.ottolenghi.co.uk/roast-butternut-squash-and-red-onion-with-tahini-and-za-atar-shop

Prep day before and make a timetable.
All will be fine.

I hope you've all got your sprouts on already?

I hate the very thought of these over-worked Christmas Eves. Can't you get someone else to prepare the bits and pieces? (shudder!)

So long as you don't gave a huge turkey, it's not much different on the day than any other roast.

have. not gave

I hope you've all got your sprouts on already?
A bit late now Galen if she hasn't
Mine went on in October

Thanks Jane for the veggie recipe. I'll give it a go!.thanks

Big big thank you thank you all . . . Teetime, chelseababy, janeinsworth, rose quartz, kittylester, cool gran, galen jinglbellsfrocks . . . I knew I'd come to the right place for tips, as just reading all your kind responses, I could sense myself feeling calmer and more prepared in my mind! And as I said not in my own kitchen so no steamer or any other little gadgets that help me. Rosequarz will do as you suggested and start on the 23rd. I arrive in France on the 18th so will do shop and take with me any bits hard to get in France. Re turkey thinking of doing 2 small ones and butterflying them for quick cook. Saw this recipe on Food & Wine, but will do a trial first with a dinner here for my birthday to see how it turns out. Pudding is easy as traditionally we have a yummy frozen yule log made by our friend Phillipe a patissier.
mumofmadboys no veggies in my mob . . . they are rare in France . Thank you again ladies . . . your advice and good wishes much appreciated. And and early wish for a warm happy and truly enjoyable Christmas to you all!

christmas pudding microwaves brilliantly.

May the power of Gransnet be with you k8tie

Like several others I get everything ready the day before. Just before I go to bed I put the turkey in the oven with the delay start start feature and set to come on at 8.30am on Christmas morning. Apart from making the coffee I do not go near the kitchen until 11.30am - 12.00pm. I limit the vegetables to sprouts, the whole family love them, baked parsnips and roast potatoes and no extras like bread sauce, just turkey, stuffing, ham, veg and gravy.

Most people eat so much turkey, stuffing and ham, they do not have much interest in veg. Christmas pudding is reheated in the microwave and the alternative dessert is Yule log, made weeks in advance and frozen and defrosted and decorated on Christmas Eve.

Delia Smith's Christmas book gives a timetable which is useful.

Like most of us, I get as much as possible ready the day before. I cook the ham on Christmas eve. I'm up early (dogs to walk) so put the turkey in the oven in time to come out 45 mins before we plan to eat. I do lots of vegetables as the whole family love veg - sprouts (I plan to fry them with lardons and cashew nuts), bashed , carrots and neeps, maybe another green vegetable and roast/mash spuds and parsnips.

I cook the giblets with an onion/carrot/spud/celery/black pepper corns the night before, ready to make the gravy once I have some turkey fat to start it off with.

Starters are usually smoked salmon/blini or thin brown bread n butter with a cup of tea/coffee, glass of fizz/bucks fizz - not eaten at the table, but nibbled as people arrive. Deserts include a good quality shop bough Christmas pud, ice cream and a fruit salad. Phew, I'm looking forward to it.

Delia's recipes always work

Except the one for lemon meringue pie!

Oh, doesn't it? I use Mary Berry's lemon meringue pie recipe!
And she did say that if Christmas cakes turned out under or over baked when people used her recipe that it was due to their oven temperature being wrong - which seems logical!
Hope mine is OK

Delia's recipes nearly always work

Must be just me, then! I follow the recipe to the letter but can't get the filling to set. I've tried it twice now.