Did you just say yes to hosting your first-ever Christmas dinner? Unless you are Monica Gellar, who loves cooking and hosting, you might be rethinking your choice and getting cold feet.
If you don’t want to end up with a Christmas trifle that has both custard and sauteed beef, you need to plan ahead. Some easy recipes have fewer ingredients, less preparation time and taste amazing. Are you getting confused by the many different recipes on social media or from well-meaning friends and family?
To start your own Christmas dinner tradition and preserve your sanity, we’ve compiled a list of easy recipes to try. Decide what you want to do: a more organic approach, vegan-inspired recipes, or go down the traditional UK Christmas menu?
For a more farm-to-table experience, you can even grow your own vegetables, fruits or herbs by following crop-specific tips on Allotment Online. However, that would only be possible next year if you start sowing now. However, for the time being, you can buy your produce from the farmer’s market.
Roast Chicken Recipe
While turkey or ham is the more traditional choice, chicken is more forgiving and beginner-friendly.
- Start with a 4-5 pound fresh chicken (chicken with skin is preferred for that crispy exterior); it is more tender. Create gashes on the body with your knife (this allows for thorough seasoning)
- Season with salt and pepper, and season both inside the cavity and outside
- Roughly dice the vegetables of your choice (turnips, carrots, potatoes, parsnips and butternut squash)
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Wash and dry the veggies, and then toss them in olive oil, salt and pepper. Grease the baking pan and place them in it.
- Dry the chicken before seasoning it. Stuff the cavity with lemon and herbs like thyme and rosemary. Tie the wings together with a kitchen twine. You can also add butter.
- Place the chicken alongside the vegetables and put it in the oven. A good rule of thumb for cooking chicken: 15 minutes per pound. Once that time is up, start checking the chicken with a thermometer (it should read 75°C). If the desired temperature isn’t reached, keep it in the oven for 10 more minutes.
- Let it rest for 30 minutes before cutting into it.
Honey Mustard Roast Root Vegetables
This recipe is a fan-favourite during festive meals and is easy to cook, while catering to almost all dietary preferences.
- Take all your favourite root vegetables, including carrot, radish, parsnip, beetroot, and potatoes.
- Wash them thoroughly under running water.
- Similarly, cut all the vegetables (chunks, wedges or lengthwise), which allows for uniform cooking
- Preheat the oven to 200°C
- Toss the vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and other fresh or dried herbs of your choice.
- Roast it in the oven for 40 minutes, turn the veggies at the halfway point for even cooking.
- Mix 3tbsp of honey and 3tbsp mustard in a bowl. Pour it over the roasted vegetables.
- Let it cook for 10 minutes in the oven, and you are done.
Mulled Wine
Pouring wine out of the bottle is easy. But if you really want to start a Christmas tradition, with your first-ever dinner party, make the classic mulled wine (it tastes and smells like the holidays).
- Gather the following ingredients: oranges, lemon, lime, sweetener of your choice (brown sugar, caster sugar or honey), cinnamon stick, fresh bay leaves, cloves, nutmeg, vanilla pod and star anise. You will also need full-bodied red wine.
- Wash and peel all the citrus fruits. Avoid the white pith as it will make the cocktail bitter.
- Put 150 g of the sweetener in a thick-bottomed saucepan. Put it on medium heat and add the peels, along with the orange juice.
- Add all the whole spices and the red wine.
- Gently stir the mixture to ensure the sugar is completely dissolved. The concoction should be simmered and not boiled, as it will evaporate the entire alcohol.
- Keep the pan covered for an hour to allow the flavour to infuse. Check the flavour; you can add some brandy to enhance the taste.
- Serve the mulled wine warm.
Tiramisu
The easiest dessert recipe to try for your first Christmas dinner is tiramisu. It tastes good and can be done while other things are cooking away.
- Take 6 egg yolks, ½ cup of brown sugar, ⅔ full-fat milk, 1.5 cups of full-fat cream, vanilla extract, a pound of mascarpone cheese, strongly brewed coffee, rum, unsweetened cocoa powder and ladyfinger cookies.
- Whisk the egg yolk and sugar, and then slowly add the milk, over low to medium heat, until the mixture comes to a boil. Keep stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool. Once at room temperature, cover and let it chill in the refrigerator for an hour or more.
- Beat the cream and vanilla extract with an electric beater until stiff peaks form.
- Bring out the chilled mixture and add the mascarpone cheese. Whisk until it’s smooth.
- Combine the coffee and rum.
- Split the ladyfinger cookies and soak them in the coffee-rum mixture.
- Add half of the ladyfinger, spread half of the mascarpone mixture, then add the ½ of the whipped cream.
- Repeat the layering process.
- Sprinkle the cocoa powder and let it chill for 6 hours.
Wrapping Up
Don’t let the fear of preparing a meal rob you of the joys of it. You can ask your friend or family to help you with the meal prep, making it a fun activity, allowing you to catch up while getting everything ready for the night.
Remember to keep things simple and double-check the seasoning.
Enjoy the meal!