Keep calm and cook the Christmas dinner.
This week we’ve talked tables, with centerpieces and napkin folding, now it’s time to talk turkey. Oh dear, I’ve just cringed at my own writing, if only there was a delete button ; )
Putting bad puns and jokes aside, I wanted to talk to you about cooking your Christmas dinner.
Do you find you end up spending most of the day in the kitchen slaving away?
Wouldn’t you rather be spending time with your family?
You start the day channeling easy, breezy, domestic goddess Nigella and by the end of the day you’re more like Gordon Ramsey on a bad day.
Sound familiar? It’s ok, we’ve all been there. I’m here to help!
Then follow my tips for staying cool as a snowman, while you cook your festive feast. Spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your family this year!
9 ways to make Christmas dinner easier
1# Make a list (and check it twice)
A day or so before, write yourself a game plan. First of all you need to make a list of what needs cooking, for how long and what temp. Once you have the details for absolutely everything work backwards from what ever time you want to serve dinner, starting with the shortest cooking time.
Use my free printable Christmas dinner time plan to write down the exact time that everything needs to happen and that will help you to keep on track.
2# Pre-prepare foods
Is there anything you can make in advance and freeze? Sitting in our freezer right now is the gravy, cranberry sauce, bread sauce, veggie option and stuffing. All ready to shove in the oven or heat up on the big day. Pre making these things will reduce the amount of tasks you need to do on the day and help to keep thing manageable.
3# Peel your veggies on Christmas eve
Sprouts, carrot etc can be peel chopped and stored in ziplock bags. You can also peel potatoes and parsnips and store them in water to prevent any browning. They’ll be ready and waiting for you in the morning.
4# Delegate
Don’t slave away in the kitchen on your own. Grab yourself a little Christmas helper elf, to do all the boring annoying bits that you’re not keen on.
5# Let the turkey rest
Your turkey should rest for around 45 minutes after cooking, to allow the meat to retain it’s juices. Thankfully this will free up plenty of space in your oven for all the things with shorter cooking times.
6# Plating up production line
Plating up is time-consuming and if you take too long your dinner might get cold. If there’s enough room on the table you could serve most things in lidded bowls, to keep the heat in and allow everyone to serve themselves. This saves on wastage too as people will have a better gauge of how much they want to eat.
Otherwise, get your guests to help plate up and serve the food to speed the process up.
7# Set a timer on your phone
If you’re likely to be leaving the kitchen (and you should when you’re able to otherwise you won’t see your guests) set an alarm on your phone so that you can carry it with you. It can be hard to hear the oven beeping if there’s a lot of talking going on.
8# Clear up as you go
Try and keep your surfaces as clear as you can and put things in the dishwasher/wash up as you go. Clear sides will help you to focus on the task in hand, rather than freaking out about how much washing up there is or scrabbling around for surface space.
9# Don’t overdo the booze before cooking
Sounds obvious, but you know, don’t go crazy with the ol proscecco before the cooking’s done. Unless you like burnt food. It’s way too easy to mess up the timings sober! This is mainly a reminder for myself.
And relax. Hopefully these tips will help you to keep stay cool this Christmas.
Don’t forget to download your free printable Christmas dinner time plan.
Do you have any tips you’d add to the list above? Let me know in the comments.
Why not pin this for later?
