It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

I am an absolute FIEND for Christmas time. It’s probably my favourite season, everything is covered in twinkly lights and a cheeky glass of Champagne at 10am is acceptable as long as you say ‘ah well, it’s nearly Christmas!’ (Catch me saying this all year round… I feel exposed.) This is the time when everyone starts to think ‘what shall I do for Christmas dinner?’ and I am HERE TO HELP! I’m going to let you into my secrets for the perfect Christmas dinner with the minimal amount of stress.

Step 1 – fail to prepare, prepare to fail

Usually when it comes to Christmas (or any big dinner – think Thanksgiving, birthday lunches, dinner parties) the key to everything is preparation. Anything and everything you can do to make it easier on the big day. I’m talking peeling and cutting all of your vegetables, brining your meat if it needs it, even making side dishes like cauliflower cheese or a dauphinois potato. Prepped vegetables like carrots and parsnips can be kept in the garage on a baking tray as long as it’s well covered, and potatoes can be in a big pot of cold water and left in the garage too. That way you can keep a bit of space available in the fridge for the bigger things like your turkey and the pigs in blankets.

Stuffing, pigs in blankets and any other meaty side dishes can be made 2-3 days in advance if making, but just make sure to check the best before dates on your meats! You can even make them all up months before you need them and freeze them raw on a baking tray until frozen solid. When they’re frozen, you can throw them all into a bag and keep in the freezer for up to 3-6 months then defrost them to cook or cook from frozen.

Step 2 – use cheats where you can

I am a big fan of a gravy granule. I will use them in everything, even a spag Bol. They’re an intense flavour bomb, plus they have the added benefit of thickening your sauces like cornflour but with extra deliciousness. Generally I use chicken flavour granules for everything aside from beef dishes, so anything with chicken, turkey, lamb and pork. One thing I will say is always spend a little bit of extra cash on gravy granules otherwise you’ll end up with a lump of wallpaper paste instead of gravy.

One of my favourite things I have in my kitchen is a store cupboard full of ultra-flavoursome ingredients. Yeast extract, OXO cubes, different vinegars and so many herbs and spices. Basically, if you want it, I’ve probably got it in the back of the cupboard somewhere. Don’t be afraid to chuck a spoonful of mustard or vinegar into creamy sauces, or crumble in an OXO cube into your water when cooking roast potatoes. Trust me, it’s the BEST.

Step 3 – relax! You’re just cooking food, not doing heart surgery

My biggest tip for cooking for ANY big event (but mainly Christmas) is to chill out! One of my old head chefs once said to me ‘you’re not doing heart surgery, it’s just food’ which I’ve remembered ever since when I get stressed out on the big day. Get a massive voddy red bull in your hand, Slade on the radio and a Santa hat on your head before you even think about cooking. Then, if you’ve done all of your preparation, dinner will be sorted with minimal fuss – just cooking meat and roasties, bunging a few trays in the oven and making a delicious gravy.

Palm off the Christmas morning breakfast to your auntie Barb, so she can go and sort the croissants and smoked salmon while you get yourself ready to create the dinner of the year. Obvs spike your OJ with champers too while you’re at it, if that’s your thing.

Keep an eye on my Youtube channel soon for all of my festive favourite recipes, including a DELICIOUS slow cooker honey mustard roasted ham, pigs in blankets glazed in an apple caramel, the most obscene cauliflower cheese and my ultimate goose fat roast potatoes with a herby herby salt.