7 tips for a stress-free Christmas dinner
Make sure your festive feast is remembered for all the right reasons
Last updated 13th Dec 2021
The first thing to remember about cooking Christmas dinner this year is not to stress out, it’s just another Sunday roast.
We've teamed up with Safefood to give you 7 top tips to making your festive feast the best yet!
Check out Safefood's website for more great tips, essential hacks and safety advice for cooking this Christmas.
Step 1 - Prepare
If you've a frozen turkey, it needs 24 hours defrosting time or every 2-2.5kg so give yourself enough time. Place it on a plate or tray in the bottom of your fridge. You'll know it's fully defrosted when the body is soft, the legs can be moved and there are no ice crystals inside the cavity. You can also get some prep done the day before, like peeling and chopping all your vegetables. Or boil the ham so it's ready to glaze and pop in the oven while the turkey is resting.
Step 2 – Extra space
Chances are your Christmas dinner party will include some able-bodied adults and children. Divide up the different jobs according to abilities and let everybody join in the fun of getting ready. You can make extra space in your fridge for your turkey and ham by storing fruit, vegetables and soft drinks (not fruit juices) in a cool, dark place. This is also a good time to throw out any foods past their use-by date.
Step 3 - Don't Overstuff
Beware of overstuffing the turkey: Over-stuffing means the heat won't get to the centre and your turkey won't cook safely. Only use a maximum of 10% of the weight of the bird in stuffing e.g. 200g stuffing for a 2kg turkey. For extra flavour, you can loosely fill the cavity with herbs like thyme, or small wedges of lemon or clementine.
Step 4 - Ready to cook safely?
The easiest way to make sure your turkey is fully cooked is to use a meat thermometer just pop it into the thickest part of the turkey between the breast and leg and when it reaches 75 degrees Celsius, then it's passed the safe and tasty test. If you don't have a meat thermometer, pierce the thickest part with a clean knife or skewer – the meat should be piping hot, with no pink remaining and the juices run clear.
Step 5 - Cook to perfection
Many people worry that a turkey is difficult to cook as it can dry out easily. Use Safefood's turkey cooking time calculator to make sure you don't over-cook your turkey - or under-cook it! Covering the breast with strips of bacon or prosciutto will help keep the moisture in and add extra flavour.You can also rub butter over the bird and under the skin to help flavour the turkey and the skin and season it with salt and pepper. Then baste the turkey every hour during the cooking process.
Step 6 – Schedule in some rest time
For yourself and the turkey: Always allow the turkey to rest for at least 30 minutes before you serve. Do this by covering it with tin foil. This will ensure the bird can rest without losing too much heat and it also allows all the juice back into the bird for a moist turkey.
Step 7 - Love those leftovers
If you have leftover turkey and ham, put them in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking. You can help cool turkey down by removing the legs and cutting the meat into smaller pieces. Once refrigerated it should be eaten within 3 days. Christmas leftovers should be reheated until they are piping hot all the way through. Remember, leftover food should never be reheated more than once.