How To Host a Stress-Free Christmas Dinner

Having your family or friends around on Christmas day can be stressful - particularly if you’re hosting Christmas dinner! In this article, the team at B&M share our favourite stress-free Christmas dinner tips. 

Keep it Simple

It’s good to be ambitious, but it’s easy to stretch yourself too thin if you’re planning to make several courses - including options for roast, boiled, and mashed potato - for numerous people all on your own!

Take stock of your hob, oven and surface space to work out what you can realistically achieve. Simplicity is usually the best way to make sure every element of the meal is perfectly prepared.

B&M Top Tip: No one’s expecting you to bake mince pies from scratch! Include pre-made items in your Christmas food shop. Frozen appetizers in particular are a lifesaver.

Get All the Help You Can

You may be surprised at how many of your guests are willing to lend a hand in the kitchen - and having a little company can be fun!

B&M Top Tip: Give everyone a set job - peeling and chopping carrots and parsnips could be one, prepping roast potatoes could be another, making gravy and stuffing could be a third and so on. Stick to a small team so you aren’t falling over each other!

Get Organised

Don’t forget to look up recipes as you plan your dishes, and note down all the ingredients and equipment you’ll need, then create a detailed plan including cooking times.

Check for allergies, dietary requirements and drinks preferences so you can stock up on gluten free options, veggie dishes, goodies for picky eaters and the right ratio of red wine, mulled wine and white wine!

B&M Top Tip: Have a clear out in advance so that you have enough fridge space for all the ingredients.

Invest in Good Equipment

You need to be confident that each element will work well - so if the recipe calls for a particular roasting tin, get it!

Check that you have enough of the basics, like quality frying pans and oven dishes. You’ll be surprised at the number of serving dishes and bowls required for starters, sides, desserts and snacks.

Items like food thermometers can also be surprisingly handy to make sure meats are properly cooked.

B&M Top Tip: Remember to have safety measures ready if you’re planning to set fire to the Christmas pudding!

Prepare the Food in Advance

Veggies can be peeled the night before and left in cold water. In fact, roasties can be pre-boiled hours in advance then chilled in a sealed container. Just add goose fat and throw them in the oven!

Homemade sauces, such as bread sauce, can be frozen in containers too.

B&M Top Tip: You can even set the table the night before if you don’t need it for anything else! This could include laying out any sealed containers that can be kept at room temperature, like most kinds of pre-made cranberry sauce.

By following the stress-free Christmas dinner tips above, you’ll be able to enjoy time with your guests instead of fretting in the kitchen!

Find plenty of superb festive ingredients in our Christmas Food & Drinks section.

Do you have any of your own tips on how to cook a stress-free Christmas dinner? Share them with the B&M Community via Twitter, Facebook or Instagram!