
Your Christmas lunch time plan
Plan ahead using our failsafe recipes and enjoy more of Christmas!
To serve our Christmas lunch at 2pm
Christmas menu - serves 8
Cider roast turkey
Glazed apples & pears with sticky shallots
Chestnut & cranberry roll
Creamy parsnip & squash bake
Crisp-topped sprouts
Christmas spiced red cabbage
Buttery caraway carrots
Golden roast potatoes
Bread & walnut sauce
Cranberry & Champagne sauce
Pudding
Festive date and pecan pudding served with Custard chantilly and Stem ginger & brandy cream.
Getting ahead
All make-ahead dishes should be kept in the fridge or freezer until ready to be cooked.
Up to one month ahead
- Parboil and freeze the golden roast potatoes.
- Make the chestnut & cranberry rolls if freezing.
- Prep the Christmas spiced red cabbage.
Up to four days ahead
- Make the cranberry & Champagne sauce, leaving out the Champagne.
- Bake the festive date & pecan pudding.
Up to two days ahead
- Make the chestnut & cranberry roll.
- Prep and roast the glazed apples & pears with sticky shallots.
- Prep and cook the creamy parsnip & squash bake.
- Cook the Christmas spiced red cabbage.
Christmas Eve
- Roast the stuffing roll- keep in the foil.
- Boil or steam the crisp-topped sprouts and prepare the topping.
- Steam the buttery caraway carrots.
- Defrost anything frozen in the fridge.
Christmas Day
9.30am: Stuff the turkey, weigh and calculate cooking time. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5.
10am: Put the turkey in to roast (timings based on a 4.5kg turkey).
11am & 12pm: Check the roasting tin- add more cider if needed.
12.30pm: Remove the foil from the turkey to let it brown.
1pm: Leave the turkey to rest. Put the potatoes in the oven to roast, if frozen (if not, put in at 1.10pm). Make the gravy.
1.30pm: Turn oven up to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Turn the potatoes and add the stuffing roll to oven to reheat.
1.45pm: Rehead the apples, pears and shallots in the oven if room, or in the microwave if not, adding a little extra glaze. Cover the parsnip bake with foil and put into the oven to rehead. Finish sprouts, carrots, cabbage and cranberry sauce. Take foil off the stuffing roll.
2pm: Serve and enjoy! Warm the pudding in the oven's residual head while you eat.