Christmas dinner

**mummyroysof3** · 03-12-2009, 09:49 AM

do you cook everything from scratch? what can be done in advance? ant shortcuts? what you having?

Im cooking for my inlaws for the first time this year so want to impress but dont want to spend hours in the kitchen when i want to be playng with the kids.

So far i know im doing chicken breasts and a frozen beef joint that comes already in th foil tray, mash,peas carrots,broccoli, cauliflower cheese, parsnips stuffing, pigs in blankets, yorkshire puds, i think thats it

charlotte x

**ORKSIE** · 03-12-2009, 09:54 AM

I usually cook all from scratch....Get veg peeled Xmas Eve. Get up early Christmas Morning and put the bird in the oven.

We have the Full Monty!
Plus, Xmas Pud and this year my MIL home made Sherry Trifle

I love cooking Christmas Dinner, dont like the washing up after tho

Cant wait

LOOPYLISA · 03-12-2009, 09:55 AM

Hubby cooks xmas dinner

Its just us 3 this year for dinner, open house from 3-4

We will be having turkey and all the trimmings from scratch

**charleyfarley** · 03-12-2009, 10:23 AM

I cook everything from scratch and love it

We're having a crab starter

Then a lemon or orange sorbet, Daz normally makes this

Main course is turkey, beef, treacle covered gammon and honey roasted gammon, roast potatoes, baby new potatoes.
Roasted veg and various steamed veg, sausages wrapped in bacon and 2 types of stuffing

Haven't decided on the pudding yet but it does involve fresh raspberries and strawberries as these are my fave.

Followed by a cheese board, if people are still hungry

I try to prepare as much as I can beforehand and xmas eve is very busy in my house.

There will be 5 adults and 2 children on xmas day (I think) but I cook for about 20

so if there's anyone local to me at a loss on xmas day you'll be very welcome to join us

Carol xx

LOOPYLISA · 03-12-2009, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by ORKSIE

I usually cook all from scratch....Get veg peeled Xmas Eve. Get up early Christmas Morning and put the bird in the oven.

We have the Full Monty!
Plus, Xmas Pud and this year my MIL home made Sherry Trifle

I love cooking Christmas Dinner, dont like the washing up after tho

Cant wait

My mil does a sherry trifle

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

**solly** · 03-12-2009, 01:59 PM

Hubby always cooks christmas dinner and does everything from scratch. this year I have given him the day off and have decided to eat out

**ORKSIE** · 03-12-2009, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by LOOPYLISA

My mil does a sherry trifle

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

The Xmas pud has Whiskey in it

We gonna be Drunk as Skunks

LOOPYLISA · 03-12-2009, 03:00 PM

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 03-12-2009, 03:56 PM

I spend all of christmas eve morning preparing the food

I cook a ham and piece of beef during the day and make the stuffing, pigs in blankets, cranberry sauce, bread sauce, peel the veg and christmas pud and then lay the table so all I need to do in the morning is stuff the turkey and put it in and make the gravy.

I always spent too much time in the kitchen and now I spend it with the children.

Puddings are made in advance too for the evening, along with the coleslaw and potato salad that just had the mayo put on it when needed

If you can get a copy of Jamie Olivers Christmas DVD it is fantastic and shows you everything step by step and I bring the dvd player into the kitchen

**jelly15** · 03-12-2009, 06:11 PM

I cook the turkey on Christmas Eve (boned ans rolled) keeping the stock for the gravy the next day but I also add extra turkey stock. Then on Christmas day I slice the turkey ready and put it in a roasting tin with stock that has been rehaeted to boiling the put foil over and in the oven for half hour.

My mother in law used to say I had the tenderest juiceist turkey she had ever eaten. And all the hard work is done the day before.

**cabby** · 03-12-2009, 06:15 PM

i do most of it from scratch

but we have our christmas dinner on boxing day

**buildingblocks** · 03-12-2009, 06:15 PM

When I did Christmas Dinner I would do as much in advance and freeze it.

Turkey was fresh picked up Christmas Eve.

Stuffing made fresh in advance and frozen so needed taking out to defrost on 23rd - cooked in oven Christmas Eve and then microwaved on the day.

carrots in wine - cooked fresh and frozen then defrosted Christmas Eve and reheated on the day

Bread sauce/cranberry relish made fresh, frozen, defrosted Christmas Eve, reheated on day

Madeira Gravy made around 10am and then put in a flask

I am unable to make roast potatoes/parsnips so bought Aunt Bessie's and cooked in chip pan

Brussels peeled night before and kept in the fridge and cooked as needed. Also frozen runner beans/peas/sweetcorn.

Bound to have forgotten something but you get the idea

Oh and I used to have a plan for the day so I knew exactly what need doing at what time - the word control freak is appropriate. A friend of mine used to laugh and say it was like a military operation.

**buildingblocks** · 03-12-2009, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by charleyfarley

There will be 5 adults and 2 children on xmas day (I think) but I cook for about 20

so if there's anyone local to me at a loss on xmas day you'll be very welcome to join us

Carol xx

Gad it wasn't just me I cooked for 6 but had enough to feed the 5000. This year in laws have been invited but declined so just three of us but they know that if they turned up there would be enough for them at short notice lol.

**mamasheshe** · 03-12-2009, 07:48 PM

i'm hosting christmas this year but as 10 adults 2 children we allways all chip

i'm doing
the veggie starter toms and mozzerella on puff pastry the chickens roasted veg gravy stuffing brussels white sauce stuffing pigs in blankets

brother doing other starter bread crumbed haddock with little veg curry

partner doing tiramissu and xmas log

mum doing beef xmas pud

aunty doing olives cheese board nibbles eta

everyone else has been instructed to bring alcohol!!!!!!!
hope haven't forgoten anythig !!!!!!!i'm hoping to do lots of prep xmas eve then just shove it in oven xmas day whoo hoo

**mamasheshe** · 03-12-2009, 07:49 PM

sorry should of used some punctuation in my last post

LOOPYLISA · 03-12-2009, 07:55 PM

Originally Posted by norwichshelley

sorry should of used some punctuation in my last post

I did wonder what beef xmas pud tastes like

**Blackhorse** · 03-12-2009, 09:56 PM

I cook everything from scratch...
turkey with stuffing, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, veg...
already made some chutney to go with it too
then we have sherry trifle as well.

I love cooking so I dont mind it at all.
DP can do the washing afterwards as I am not too keen on that part of it all.

**Twinkles** · 03-12-2009, 10:56 PM

I will cook most things from scratch but stuffing and bread sauce will be brought from M & S

Oh and xmas pud from Fortnum and Masons ( gift from ds's boss ).

Have already started to make and freeze desserts and will do a big cook/bake session this weekend

**mamasheshe** · 04-12-2009, 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by LOOPYLISA

I did wonder what beef xmas pud tastes like

he he .

**PixiePetal** · 04-12-2009, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by jelly15

I cook the turkey on Christmas Eve (boned ans rolled) keeping the stock for the gravy the next day but I also add extra turkey stock. Then on Christmas day I slice the turkey ready and put it in a roasting tin with stock that has been rehaeted to boiling the put foil over and in the oven for half hour.

My mother in law used to say I had the tenderest juiceist turkey she had ever eaten. And all the hard work is done the day before.

I do the same with my turkey. It's usually a monster one - 16lb ish or even bigger. Don't have it boned and rolled though. Sometimes have to crown it to fit it in the oven

. Fresh one from the farm where DH does the plucking of a few hundred

I get a lie in christmas morning - kids are teens. Veg prep christmas eve, stuffing etc from M&S all ready to put in the oven

DH and kids wash up while I sink more wine