Christmas dinner seems to instill fear in even some of the most accomplished cooks, so let's try and ease some of the pressure off with a few general hints and tips.
The first thing you need to do is work out the timings. Start with the Turkey (or main ingredient, I am going to refer to turkey in the text). Work out how long it should take to cook including any resting time and then work back from your planned meal time as to when the turkey should go in. Don't forget the time needed for the oven to warm up to the needed temperature. Then for all other components of your final meal do the same working backwards from serving. Now check your plan works in conjunction with the available hob burners and ovens in your kitchen. You may need to have some things ready earlier and kept warm somehow or reheated in the microwave.
Anything which can be made in advance without great loss to the final integrity of the dish should be. A great example is the gravy! If the gravy is bad it will ruin everything so it's always a good idea to cook when you have time. It can be frozen and microwaved without any loss to the final result but probably best to make 1-2 days before hand and store in the fridge. See the gravy recipe for some ideas! If you are having starters then you will be glad of them prepared in advance. Cold starters are great for this, simple plates of Smoked Salmon bring a great element of traditional Christmas to the table.
Remember your turkey will keep very warm for an hour out of the oven covered in foil so you have a lot of flexibility timing wise before final serving. If the potatoes are finished reduce the oven heat and open the door so they just keep warm and crisp, if they are not crisping us as fast as you would like, move them to the top of the oven and turn the heat up (but keep an eye on them)
We never like to get our guests involved in the preparation of dinner when we invite them over but in fact mosts guests are only too willing to help out especially if they are just sat around waiting or watching. So why not get them peeling spuds or washing up?
If you are preparing the dinner you can't easily be the perfect host or hostess too. Make sure your partner or kids have some clearly defined roles on the day such as pouring drinks or dishing up canapes and making sure all your guests are well looked after. Also make sure that somebody else will have laid up the table, give them a list so that nothing is forgotten.