10 handy hacks for cooking the perfect Christmas dinner

We all love an abundant Christmas dinner, few of us enjoy actually cooking one. With so many different elements to juggle, cooking the traditional festive feast can be an intimidating task. To help you tackle the big job, we’ve put together a list of 10 handy tips to help you stay on top of the festive meal prep. 

1.    Get yourself some extra equipment namely, oven trays and a new roll of extra-wide tin foil – super handy for helping to keep things warm before you serve dinner.

2.    Prep your veg the night before – Peel potatoes, carrots, parsnips and any other veg you’re having and leave them in pans of cold water overnight. This will save you a lot of faff and additional mess on Christmas morning.

3.    For the perfect roasties, make sure the oil is nice and hot – Roast potatoes are a staple and the best way to get perfectly crispy roasties every time is to make sure you heat up a thumb of butter or goose fat in the baking tray before tipping the potatoes in and putting them in the oven. 

4.    To keep your turkey moist, try a butter soaked muslin – This tip comes straight from Martha Stewart herself! If you can’t be bothered to baste the turkey periodically, simply soak a muslin in melted butter, season the turkey, and drape the cloth over the bird.

5.    Let your meat rest before serving – Whether you are having a turkey or ham for the big meal, make sure you allow the meat to rest under some foil for at least 20mins before serving. It makes a huge difference to the tenderness of the meat.

6.    Booze up your gravy – Try adding a glug of port or sherry to your gravy for a deeper flavour. 

7.    Take the cheese out of the fridge – If you’re serving cheese, make sure you take it out of the fridge a few hours before serving. Most cheeses taste much better at room temperature.

8.    Wash as you go – If like us, when you cook a roast dinner you use every pot, pan and utensil in sight, clean up as you go (where possible). Better yet, enlist family members to take turns keeping on top of the washing throughout the day.

9.    Don’t try to overdo it – Don’t try to impress with home made mince pies or freshly prepared cranberry sauce. Do yourself a favour and just buy some. 

10. Don’t hit the mulled wine too early! Of course a cup of mulled wine to keep the stress at bay is a must but make sure you remain sharp enough to stay on top of your timings.