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It’s all here… Everything you need to know for pulling off Christmas Dinner without any stress! If the prospect of cooking the biggest meal of the year for guests is getting a little bit daunting, fear not my friends. This Ultimate Christmas Plan is all you need!
What this Christmas Day plan includes:
⭐️ What extra equipment you’ll need
⭐️ A shopping list
⭐️ A master timing plan
⭐️ Tips for getting ahead
⭐️ A printable menu for the big day
🎄 CHRISTMAS DAY PLAN 🎄
What’s the one thing we need to take out of Christmas Day cooking? STRESS! There is no place for panic at Christmas, and that is what this Christmas plan is all about making sure of.
I wanted to make a one-stop-shop for how to make it as smooth as possible and reduce overwhelm so you get to enjoy yourself, as well as feed hungry mouths. NO STRESS is the aim here, and to achieve that it’s all about the early prep so you’re not under pressure on the day.
All of the recipes have been tried-and-tested again and again, and designed with convenience, cost and crowd-pleasing in mind.
I have worked meticulously on timings (check out the Master Timing Plan below) and have taken into account hob space and oven shelf space at any one time.
Did I use a spreadsheet to calculate this? Yes absolutely as I am a Christmas obsessive..
⭐️ DOWNLOAD AND PRINT ⭐️
THE CHRISTMAS DAY MENU
AND TIME PLAN
Notes if you’re vegetarian:
- This year we have added in a new gravy recipe which is vegetarian and so delicious, even the meat eaters will love it.
- We have added in the option of a vegetarian main course.
- The recipe is linked below, you’d just need to adjust your shopping list and oven timings accordingly.
STARTERS
You could make all, or one or two of these, depending on what you fancy, budget and how many people you are serving.
They are all really simple but look impressive!
5 from 14 votes
Prawn co*cktail Canapés
Treat your guests to this retro classic dish for a starter or nibbles, which are so easy and quick to make. Prawn co*cktail Canapés make an impressive platter and are delicious too.
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4.98 from 49 votes
Christmas Canapés {Brie and Cranberry Bites}
These Brie and Cranberry bites are perfect for a festive party snack or appetiser when cooking for dinner guests. Use this recipe as a base for other fillings too, using either your favourite Christmas flavours or leftovers.
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5 from 11 votes
Smoked Salmon Canapés
A delicious starter or decadent nibbles when entertaining, these easy Smoked Salmon Canapés are simple yet impressive. Even better, they can be made ahead of time for convenient serving.
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MAIN COURSE
All of the classics here, but made ridiculously easy, ready for your Christmas feast.
5 from 10 votes
No Fuss Roast Turkey {with Easy Herb Butter}
This is a simple guide to making a delicious Christmas turkey, without any fanfare or fuss. Get your weight and timings right, throw in a bit of butter lathering and bacon covering, and you’re good to go.
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5 from 22 votes
Mushroom Wellington (Optional Vegetarian Main Course)
This is the perfect vegetarian main course showstopper! A decadent, impressive and delicious Mushroom Wellington is ideal for a vegetarian special meal or roast dinner. With a creamy garlicky, leek and meaty mushroom filling inside a light puff pastry parcel, it can be made in advance for convenience too.
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5 from 61 votes
Roast Potatoes {Best Ever Easy Recipe!}
If you’re all about simple perfection, follow this recipe perfect Roast Potatoes, which gives tips and tricks to getting the ultimate results from our beloved roasties. Here’s how to make them ahead too for extra convenience.
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5 from 50 votes
Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
A special roast dinner wouldn’t be the same without indulgent, extra special side dishes to elevate the ultimate roast dinner. Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips are so delicious and can be prepped in advance.
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4.84 from 37 votes
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Chestnuts
Now THIS is how to serve up Brussels Sprouts on Christmas Day. This delicious recipe features some special extras like chestnuts, bacon and parmesan for the ultimate festive side dish.
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5 from 53 votes
Braised Red Cabbage & Apple {Oven or Slow Cooker}
Braised Red Cabbage with Apple is the perfect make-ahead vegetable side dish. Slow cooked with spices and apple, it's a colourful and delicious addition for a big feast.
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5 from 32 votes
Cauliflower Cheese {Easiest Ever Recipe!}
The perfect and delicious side dish or vegetarian main course, this is comfort food at its best. Try this quick Cauliflower Cheese recipe to serve with a Sunday roast, your full-blown Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, or just a regular accompaniment to any meal.
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5 from 34 votes
The Best Stuffing Recipe {with Sausage & Apricots}
Meet your must have Christmas side dish.Homemade Stuffingwith sausage meat, apricots and chestnuts. It's SO GOOD, it'll be the star of the show!
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4.95 from 20 votes
Make Ahead Gravy
This easyMake Ahead Gravyis a foolproof recipe for cooking up rich, satisfying and flavour-filled gravy for special dinners. It's also accidentally vegetarian so the whole family can enjoy. Make a batch ahead of time!
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DESSERTS
Don’t forget to leave room for afters to finish off the meal nicely!
4.81 from 26 votes
Christmas Wreath Pavlova
This Christmas Wreath Pavlova is the perfect meringue dessert for the festive season. A make-ahead pudding, light and deliciously topped with cream, fruit and coulis, it's the ideal finish to the meal on the big day!
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4.98 from 103 votes
Baileys Cheesecake {No Bake}
ThisNo Bake Baileys Cheesecakeis a must-make. Totally decadent and delicious, with Irishcream flavours, whipped up in just 15 minutes. Simply divine!
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5 from 117 votes
Slow Cooker Chocolate Orange Pudding
This slow cooker pudding is the ultimate dessert indulgence, with an oozing chocolatey sauce and delicious sponge filling. Make it ahead of time and leave to cook until it's time to serve.
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⭐️ DOWNLOAD AND PRINT ⭐️
THE CHRISTMAS DAY MENU
AND TIME PLAN
MASTER TIMING PLAN
So, I’ve worked out my timing plan based on never having more than 3 shelves used in a single oven at one time. You can download it in full here.
(If you only have 2 shelves, you can usually sit a grill pan type rack on the bottom of the oven to makeshift another shelf. Check the safety instructions for your oven though first!)
I thought I would show you my spreadsheet I used just to visually explain the timings:
The timings are detailed in the printable menu and time plan but this may be useful for you to visualise!
Shopping lists!
To try and make your life easier for Christmas lunch, we’ve come up with 3 shopping lists.
These have different sections which hopefully are self explanatory (look at both pages in the document!) Including items to buy for early prep and optional starter/pudding items.
⭐️ Shopping List for 4 people ⭐️
⭐️ Shopping List for 8 people ⭐️
⭐️ Shopping List for 12 people ⭐️
Things to buy to make your day easier!
- Disposable tins – These ones from Amazon are ideal
- Meat thermometer – This is my favourite to use. Not the cheapest but always accurate
- Large tin foil roll – You can usually get this in all the supermarkets around Christmas
- Mandoline – I use this one for slicing
⭐️ TIPS FOR GETTING AHEAD ⭐️
PREP
Obviously prep prep prep ahead! This is your key to success here.
DEFROST IN TIME
Allow plenty of time for defrosting anything that’s frozen.
LOCATE KITCHENWARE
I like to get all of the serving dishes, plates, cutlery, glasses, candles, crackers out the night before (ideally I’d lay the table but we need to eat breakfast!) So I just stack them in the kitchen ready to go the next day. No hunting around on Christmas morning for a serving spoon.
DO WHAT YOU CAN
Many budgets are tight this year. Do not feel that you need to have a 20 course meal for everyone to have a good time. (Frankly, I’d be happy with a huge bowl of those roast potatoes – who’s with me?!)
FOOD DELIVERY
Book a supermarket delivery or click and collect order if you can. (Aldi Click and Collect I love you.) If you can buy some tin foil containers in advance, I really do think this is one occasion when they are worth it. What joy to limit the washing up on Christmas Day!
ENJOY YOURSELF!
And honestly, if all else fails and you can’t face any of the above – just buy ready made what you need to. No-one will notice and you need to have a good day too!
HAVE PLENTY OF LEFTOVER TURKEY?
Time to make my Leftover Turkey Curry! (After you’ve had a nap).
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of this plan in the comments below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your Christmas cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
And… HAPPY CHRISTMAS! Remember everyone is there to be together, not for the food. I hope this plan eases the stress so you can relax and enjoy the day❤️
Categorized as:
Christmas Recipes, Main Courses, Meal Plans, Recipes
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Hi, I'm Sarah. I help busy people decide 'What's for Dinner?' Find hundreds of recipes here, and also in my bestselling recipe book. Hope my recipes make your life easier ❤️
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