Without a doubt, Christmas dinner can be incredibly stressful. As chef Gordon McDermott points out, “The trouble with Christmas dinner is that, quite often, it's the only meal people cook from scratch all year, and it's quite a complicated and expensive one. It's no wonder people get stressed out”.
You can search for easy Christmas recipes, you can try to make sure your guests stay out of your hair and you can get up at 4:30 am to try to get dinner on the table on time. But no matter what you do, cooking Christmas dinner is more stressful than cooking any other meal. Still, there are things you can do to make the process as easy as possible, and a little preparation goes a long way.
Plan ahead
The best way to keep your holiday cooking free of stress is to plan ahead. Try to choose recipes that can be made a day or so beforehand. That way, you will not have to do everything on Christmas morning. Many companies like Schwartz offer recipes that can be made in advance.
Before you start cooking anything, however, create a schedule of events. Think about the time you want to eat, then schedule backwards, thinking of the time it takes to rest the meat, cook and prepare the meat. That should give you some idea of when you need to get started, or at least whether or not the time you wanted to sit down to eat is realistic.
Start early
Prep as much as possible on Christmas Eve or even earlier. Many sauces, marinades and side dishes can be prepared a day or so in advance. The flavour of the dishes may even improve during the time between preparing them and serving them.
If you are cooking a turkey, preheat the oven first thing in the morning, since it will take about an hour to get up to temperature. That way you can enjoy a leisurely breakfast before starting to cook. A relaxed start will set the mood for the day and will allow you to enjoy yourself more.
Add flavour
This is the time of year when people pull out all the stops for dinner, and any way you can enhance the flavour of your dish will be noticed. One great tip for roasting a turkey is to cut an onion in half and put it on either side of the bird. The outside will burn, but the insides will get very soft. Crush and add the softened insides to the juices when you make the gravy for an extra punch of flavour.
If you need more ideas of how to spice up your meal, check online. Many spice companies like Schwartz have hundreds of recipes that guarantee dishes with outstandingly flavour.
Manage your time
While the meat is cooking, boil the carrots and Brussels sprouts until just underdone. Pour cold water on them to prevent further cooking. Finish off the veg five minutes before plating up.
Roast the potatoes whilst the turkey is resting. It should take 45 minutes for the turkey to rest fully, which is plenty of time to do the potatoes in an already hot oven.
Relax and enjoy yourself
When all is said and done, you are cooking for your loved ones. It may sound cheesy, but reminding yourself of why you put yourself through the crucible of Christmas dinner can make the task seem less arduous. And if you are really worried that you may ruin Christmas dinner, buy enough frozen pizzas for everyone when stocking up on the main dinner ingredients. That way, no matter what happens, you know your family will be fed.
If you plan ahead, prepare early, focus on flavour, manage your time and try to enjoy yourself, you should be as relaxed as possible whilst cooking and enjoying Christmas dinner.