How to Plan a Christmas Dinner
The job of cooking Christmas dinner is satisfying and probably the biggest meal you will prepare all year. It can be easy to get stressed out as you may have more guests than usual. The secret is a clich© - it is all down to the preparation and careful planning. If you work out a timetable and do your numbers Christmas dinner need not frazzle you on the big day.
At the beginning of December purchase your turkey and keep it in the freezer - work out your numbers first. A general rule of thumb is to order 400g - 500g of turkey for each person attending dinner. Choose a free range turkey because it is a much kinder choice and it makes for a more enjoyable meal if you know that the bird has led an enjoyable life. Remember that the turkey will take 4-5 days to thaw out so get it out of the freezer in plenty of time as it will need to defrost in the back of the fridge. On the other hand if you decide to choose a fresh free range turkey - pick it up the day before.
The next job is to make a shopping list of other food stuff required a bit closer to the time. Do your list and start to prepare table decorations. Creativity at Christmas can be fun if you leave yourself plenty of time. Remember to increase your milk deliveries and stock up on plenty of items that you may run out such as bread, margarine, orange juice and pet food or baby milk.
Three days before Christmas go shopping for your main non-perishable items including puddings, mince pies and just about everything other than vegetables. If you are making your own puddings do this today.
Two days before Christmas make your cranberry and apple sauces. Organise your table and make the finishing touches to your home and dining room leaving fresh flowers until Christmas Eve.
First thing in the morning on Christmas Eve go out shopping for fruit and vegetables - purchase all you need for Christmas dinner and to see you over the Christmas period. If you are making a traditional Christmas pudding with brandy sauce - this can be made today and refrigerated.
Christmas Eve in the evening is a time to peel potatoes and other vegetables - leave the potatoes in water and put the other vegetables into containers to keep in the fridge. Do the stuffing and leave in a cool place along with the turkey so that it is at room temperature by the following day. Prepare any fresh flower arrangements. Then sit back and relax while you wait for Santa to arrive.
On the morning of Christmas day put the oven on and prepare the turkey - put it in the oven. Make the bread sauce. Next prepare the sausage and bacon rolls - pigs in blankets. Next steam the pudding and leave. Roast potatoes take the longest so put those on next. Put the remaining vegetables on - use separate pans, a pressure cooker or a steamer. Take the turkey out of the oven, make the gravy and begin to carve.
Finally take the previously prepared sauces out of the fridge and set on the dining room table. Open the red wine to breathe, take the pigs in blankets out of oven along with roast potatoes. Place the turkey on plates and dish up the vegetables last so that they remain hot. Finally all that is left to do is sit back, enjoy the best dinner of the year and wait for the Queen's speech.
At the beginning of December purchase your turkey and keep it in the freezer - work out your numbers first. A general rule of thumb is to order 400g - 500g of turkey for each person attending dinner. Choose a free range turkey because it is a much kinder choice and it makes for a more enjoyable meal if you know that the bird has led an enjoyable life. Remember that the turkey will take 4-5 days to thaw out so get it out of the freezer in plenty of time as it will need to defrost in the back of the fridge. On the other hand if you decide to choose a fresh free range turkey - pick it up the day before.
The next job is to make a shopping list of other food stuff required a bit closer to the time. Do your list and start to prepare table decorations. Creativity at Christmas can be fun if you leave yourself plenty of time. Remember to increase your milk deliveries and stock up on plenty of items that you may run out such as bread, margarine, orange juice and pet food or baby milk.
Three days before Christmas go shopping for your main non-perishable items including puddings, mince pies and just about everything other than vegetables. If you are making your own puddings do this today.
Two days before Christmas make your cranberry and apple sauces. Organise your table and make the finishing touches to your home and dining room leaving fresh flowers until Christmas Eve.
First thing in the morning on Christmas Eve go out shopping for fruit and vegetables - purchase all you need for Christmas dinner and to see you over the Christmas period. If you are making a traditional Christmas pudding with brandy sauce - this can be made today and refrigerated.
Christmas Eve in the evening is a time to peel potatoes and other vegetables - leave the potatoes in water and put the other vegetables into containers to keep in the fridge. Do the stuffing and leave in a cool place along with the turkey so that it is at room temperature by the following day. Prepare any fresh flower arrangements. Then sit back and relax while you wait for Santa to arrive.
On the morning of Christmas day put the oven on and prepare the turkey - put it in the oven. Make the bread sauce. Next prepare the sausage and bacon rolls - pigs in blankets. Next steam the pudding and leave. Roast potatoes take the longest so put those on next. Put the remaining vegetables on - use separate pans, a pressure cooker or a steamer. Take the turkey out of the oven, make the gravy and begin to carve.
Finally take the previously prepared sauces out of the fridge and set on the dining room table. Open the red wine to breathe, take the pigs in blankets out of oven along with roast potatoes. Place the turkey on plates and dish up the vegetables last so that they remain hot. Finally all that is left to do is sit back, enjoy the best dinner of the year and wait for the Queen's speech.
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