How difficult will it be to cook Christmas dinner for 20 people?
I have two ovens and five hob spaces at my disposal – is this going to be enough space? And I’m not sure how easy it will be to time the cooking of things so that it’s all ready at the same time. I’ve never cooked a full Christmas dinner before, so any help/tips would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
December 14th, 2010 at 8:17 pm
Prepare some of the foods a day or two before and put them in pans that can go in the oven or microwave. You can start re-heating foods while the turkey is resting. I have done this for up to 60 people before. Have fun and good luck! mmm
December 14th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
The hardest part is getting everything done at the same time. Plan a menu that includes some dishes served at room temperature or chilled. Desserts and salads can be done ahead of time. Some sides that require multiple steps (like sweet potato casserole) can be prepped ahead and then just heated up for serving time.
Good luck!
December 14th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
To be honest, it can be as easy or difficult as YOU want to make it. This is Monday, and T’giving is Thursday. If you don’t have the turkeys defrosting (I’m coming from the viewpoint of the US, the States, where MOST people buy frozen birds) in the refrigerator by now, depending on the size of them, it can take up to four days to SAFELY defrost them.
If you have any “foodie” friends, enlist their HELP!!!!
A LOT of your veggie/side dishes for 20 can very easily be made ahead and then reheated. If you plan this correctly, everything that can be done/made days prior to the event is going to make your life a heck of a lot easier. I’ll star this and look around for some sites that can help you out with a time-line to get going……….
Chef Christopher K.
EDIT:
Here’s a few ideas to get you started thinking in the right direction:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/search/delegate.do?fnSearchString=Make+Ahead+Thanksgiving&fnSearchType=site
December 14th, 2010 at 9:53 pm
Your work/cooking area sounds fine. With a bit of planning, you’ll do fine! A few tips I can give to you would be:
-KEEP ORGANIZED: By that I mean, it is helpful to write 2 lists…
List #1 A grocery checklist: What will you need at the market based on your headcount? Go through each recipe and jot down what you’ll need (specifically). Also, find out if there are any nearby markets that will still be open lest you forget something?
List #2 Make a “TO DO” list for the 2-3 Days just before the big event:
-What needs to be done over the next few days? Shopping, cleaning, prepping food, cooking, etc…
-And by whom (if you have someone to assist you…delegate the responsibilities if possible)
-Do you need to place a special order for certain items? (Esp. hams, turkeys, roasts).
-Do you need extra time to prepare a certain item…do you need to brine the poultry, marinate something overnight?
-On the day of the big event…make a checklist/timeline of the day from say 7:00 am until midnight. Write down all of the things that need to be done and at which times. How much prep time do you need for each dish? How much baking/cooking time do you need for each dish? Which order will you prep/cook these items in? By making this type of list, it will really be helpful in keeping track of all of your tasks and staying on time as planned.
Other tips:
-If this is the first Christmas dinner you are preparing…don’t be afraid to ask for help from those who are 1. Very patient (you don’t need someone to add to your stress level) 2. They are a seasoned cook.
-Try to spread out the various tasks over the course of several days…example: Bake pies, cakes & cookies ahead of time (1 day) if possible. Are there vegetables & other ingredients you can chop/cut up the day before? Try to set up your dining area/tables (1 day) before. Add in some festive touches, candles, simple placecards, confetti, colorful leaves. Do you need a children’s table? Children’s activities?
-If any of your guests want to bring something …let them.
-Try to think up a little “gift” as a token of your appreciation…a small pkg. of candy/homemade cookies, a little photo frame with a thank you note written inside of it, a small bag of mulling spices, etc…
-Lastly, try to enjoy the festivities as much as you can…the more you can prep ahead of time, the more seamlessly your plans will be.
December 14th, 2010 at 10:06 pm
A very popular Christmas recipe is Christmas Wreath Cake which requires the following ingredients:
* 3/4 cup diced candied pineapples
* 3/4 cup chopped nuts
* 1-1/2 cups of raisins
* 1-1/4 cups of white sugar
* 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
# 3 cups of flour
# 3/4 cup chopped dates
# 4 eggs
# 1 cup butter
# 1 cup red and green candied cherries
# 1 teaspoon baking powder
# 1 teaspoon lemon zest
# 1/2 cup flaked coconut
# 1/2 teaspoon salt
Baking this Christmas cake is simple; just follow these easy instructions… you have to preheat the oven to 150 degree Celsius. Then cover your pan with 2 layers of brown paper and grease it very well so that the cake does not stick to the sides of the pan. Whisk together the baking powder, flour and salt in a large bowl. Mix the coconut, nuts, raisins pineapple, dates and cherries. Stir all of them well together and then in another large bowl, mix cream butter with the white sugar. To that mixture add eggs, lemon juice and the lemon rind. Mix all this up well and stir in the fruit mixture. Finally lay out the batter into the baking pan you have coated and greased. Bake it for about 2 hours and take out your cake. Cool the cake before serving it in cut up slices.
thouhjt this might will help
merry christmas
August 14th, 2016 at 2:16 pm
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