Do your shopping early – first things first, don’t leave your Christmas food shop to the last minute! The best way to ensure a stress-free shop is to book your order in advance and either collect it from your supermarket of choice or get it delivered to your door. Delivery slots fill up fast, so the earlier you get in, the better. If you’d prefer to shop the old fashioned way, try to arrange your trip to the supermarket at one of the quieter times – think early morning or late night – to avoid queues.
Check your cupboards – now’s the time to make sure you’ve got everything you need for the big day, from pots and pans to oven trays and utensils. You’d be surprised how many you need, so take the opportunity to add anything you don’t have to your basket when you get your food shop. We also recommend stocking up on kitchen foil to keep your food warm between servings.
Try something different – a big part of the Christmas meal stress revolves around the turkey itself. So, why not ditch the roast turkey this year and try something a little different like our delicious Turkey, Cranberry & Pecan Wellington? It packs all the traditional flavours of Christmas into one tasty package and makes cooking Christmas dinner simple without having to worry about timing your turkey to perfection. Not to mention all the oven space you’ll save for the rest of your meal!
Prep your veg the night before – no Christmas dinner is complete without a pile of veggies! Make life easier for yourself by peeling your veg – like potatoes, carrots and parsnips – the night before and store in cold water overnight, so they don’t dry out. Then, all you have to do is cook them on Christmas Day and save time for more present swapping! You can even parboil your potatoes and chill them in the fridge the night before to really get ahead of the game.
It’s not Christmas without camembert! Start your festive feast with this traditional starter.
These smoked salmon tartlets are great for sharing in perfect bitesize portions.
Try something different for Christmas dinner this year with this showstopping Wellington.
The perfect alternative to turkey, this golden jalousie is packed full of tasty roasted veggies.
A delicious festive treat, add a dusting of edible gold spray before serving for extra sparkle.
End your Christmas feast with a bang with these baked pears in a sweet mulled wine syrup.
Set the table the night before – veggies aren’t the only thing you can prep the night before. Get your dinner table ready with your favourite Christmas decorations – think table runners, napkins, salt and pepper shakers – and look out the festive crockery for each course. Why not personalise your dinner table with homemade place names to really get into the Christmas spirit?
Plan your timings – grab a pen and paper (or use your phone) and jot down how long everything is going to take to cook. Use this to plan the timings for your day, so you know exactly when to start cooking each course. Be sure to take note of the temperature for each item too, so you don’t end up with burnt food on your hands!
Resist cooking too much – while it can be tempting to make enough food for the entire street, try to be realistic about the amount you need to feed your guests. Take some time to work out portion sizes to minimise food waste – but leave enough for some second helpings; it is Christmas, after all!
Clean as you go – avoid the stressful pile of dirty dishes at the end of the meal by cleaning up as you go along. While it can be a pain to do the washing up, you’ll thank yourself later! This is the perfect task to give to your little helpers, if you have any, and means you can get on with the cooking while they do the tidying up.