In our humble opinion, the epic Christmas Day feast is the best thing about the festive season.
If you’re lucky enough to be have someone else taking the reins in the kitchen, it’s even better but there are a few ways to minimise the stress involved in putting together a meal that will put a smile on everyone’s face and a few extra pounds on their belly.
Here’s our favourite kitchen cheats!
- Spread the love
Christmas is all about coming together as a family, whether that be the family you were born into or the family that you chose all by yourself. With this in mind, one of the easiest ways to ease holiday stress is to get everyone involved in the cooking process. While you probably don’t have enough potato peelers to go around, asking people to bring a dish such as a side or a dessert will make the day go a lot smoother and often, guests will love an opportunity to contribute.
- Get organised
You may be a last-minute Sally (like us!) but leaving everything until Christmas morning is a recipe for disaster. Many dishes can be prepared in advance and will let you enjoy more of the day with your family. Get a headstart by chopping vegetables, preparing stuffing, making your dessert and putting any drinks that need to be chilled into the fridge. If you’re having a ham with your meal, this can also be cooked the day before and re-heated before serving, leaving you one less thing to think about on the big day.
- Know your limits
Ok, we’d all love to believe that we’re a budding Nigella or Rachel Allen but realistically, that’s just setting yourself up for disappointment. Focusing on a few special dishes and supplementing with a few more simple options is a much better option.
- Take a few shortcuts
These days, everything you need for the perfect Christmas dinner can be bought from your local supermarket and popped in the oven before you serve on your finest delph and take all the credit. We’ll say nothing…
- Stay cool
It’s a fact that hot dishes are a lot more tricky to organise that cold ones as you have to co-ordinate timings. Give yourself a break by keeping hot food for the main course and opting for chilled options for either side. A prawn cocktail or smoked salmon salad would be a perfect starter, while the traditional trifle or an indulgent cheeseboard will keep everyone happy for afters.
- Have a safety net
There is nothing worse than having people go hungry because you got your timings wrong so prepare some appetisers in advance, just in case. These can be served if people arrive early, your turkey needs an extra hour or your starter ends up being a disaster!
- Crown it
People automatically opt for a full turkey but it you have a smaller gathering, it might make more sense to choose a turkey crown instead. These can usually be got from your local butcher (even at the last minute!) with stuffing included, cook much quicker than a full turkey and have much less waste as you can eat everything.
- Pile on the carbs
For many, it’s inevitable that your cosy dinner for four ends up being a meal for six, when a few last-minute guests arrive. Don’t panic. Stick on some extra sides (such as a potato gratin, sautéed Brussels sprouts with bacon or some roasted vegetables) to bulk out your rations. Crisis averted!
