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Christmas Cooking Timeline

Tips for serving your Christmas lunch at 2pm for 6 people.  Dishes Roast Turkey Stuffing  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   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 stuffing and freeze Prep the spiced cabbage Up to four days ahead Make the cranberry sauce  Bake the Christmas pudding if you have made this Christmas Eve Roast the stuffing – keep in the foil Boil or steam the crisp topped sprouts and prepare the topping Steam the buttery carrots Defrost anything frozen in the fridge Cut the parsnips and roast 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 to oven to reheat. 1.45pm: Cover the parsnips with foil and put into the oven to reheat. Finish sprouts, carrots, cabbage and cranberry sauce. Take foil off the stuffing. 2pm: Serve and enjoy! Warm the pudding in the oven’s residual head while you eat.