How to rustle up a delicious Christmas dinner (and make it look easy)
Wow your student housemates with your Christmas cooking
Christmas! You’ve met your deadlines, persuaded your tightest friend to put the heating on and spent the money meant for your Mum’s Christmas present on end of term drinks with ‘the boys’. But this wonderful time of year wouldn’t be complete without the classic house Christmas dinner.
After all, what better way to round off the year than by squeezing a lot of tired, overworked people who can’t wait to not see each other for a month around a too small table for a meal they probably can’t afford?
While this seems like a recipe for disaster, it can also be a great opportunity to feel festive. As long as everything goes to plan that is! Here are a few tips to make sure you don’t ruin everyone’s favourite meal of the year, and a few friendships along the way, letting you go off on your Christmas Holidays with a smile on your face and a full tummy!
1. Plan!
Before you get going, take the time to write out how long everything will take, no one wants soggy sprouts and raw roasties.
Plan ahead to ensure your meal is a big deal
2. Make things that can be done in advance and easily reheated
If you don’t have the space to cook everything (especially after everyone has requested three things that just HAVE to be in a Christmas dinner) a lot of vegetables, stuffing and Northern Emily’s gravy can be prepared in advance and warmed up on the day, keeping everyone happy.
Gravy’s not about life or death. It’s more important than that.
3. Don’t bother with the Brussels
Put your foot down and cook the things you like most, don’t waste Yorkshire Pudding space on veg no one’s going to eat.
4. Be a chicken about the Turkey
When it comes to buying the Turkey, make sure you choose one ready to go straight in the oven. And that fits!
5. Decide on a budget
As the term draws to a close, some (most) people have run out of money. While one person might insist they’re allergic to anything that’s not from Waitrose, Christmas is the time to come together and accept a budget that suits everyone.
6. Think ‘bigger is better’ when it comes to portions
Shopping for the best value food means more money to spend on, you guessed it, food! The best bit about Christmas dinner is that content, undo your jeans feeling afterwards. Remember… Full plates, happy friends.
7. Leave the decorations to someone who can’t cook
Everyone has a friend who’s less Masterchef, more Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. Keep their ‘advice’ out of the kitchen with jobs like decorating the table, pouring the drinks and DJ’ing.
8. Save the drinks for when you’re sat down
Speaking of drinks, we’ve all seen our mum too many snowballs deep into Christmas day before the Turkey’s even in the oven. Don’t follow in her footsteps. Like at a family get-together alcohol may seem a good way to ease the stress at the start, but it can make things messy by the end. Enjoy your cooking knowing that a glass (bottle) of wine is waiting at the end.
9. Be realistic with numbers
Cooking for your friends is stressful enough, without cooking for your “friends” as well. Being careful with numbers will make life easier for you and make the meal more fun. Having said that, some people say Christmas isn’t Christmas without a good slanging match. If that tickles your fancy, invite your most controversial friends, fill up their glasses and watch the night unfold.
10. BYOF
If you’d like to invite people who don’t live with you, but are worried about cooking for more people, don’t be afraid to ask them to contribute to the cooking. Whether they bring their own Turkey or you use their hob to boil your carrots, there’s no shame in needing a little help.
Nor is there any shame in ordering a take away if you really can’t be bothered. Just saying.
Merry Christmas and Good Luck everyone!