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Last year we had a really busy Christmas as we had my mum, sister and her fiance all staying with us. This meant that I was cooking Christmas dinner for 6 people and while I didn’t go too overboard, it was still quite stressful and it took hours to cook. I hated either being stuck in the kitchen or having to go in and out all day as it meant me missing everything else that was going on. This year I wanted to pass on some tips for how to make cooking Christmas dinner easier.
Quality Pans
I think if someone told me back when I was a teenager that I would get excited about pots and pans later in life then I would have laughed at them. However, after buying the cheapest I could find back when I was at university I soon learned that quality cookware really makes a difference.
Something I really love for breakfast over Christmas is a proper cooked breakfast. I think it really sets you up for a busy day and it means you might not want to eat quite so soon afterwards. One thing I can’t stand though is unevenly cooked sausages or bacon and with an oven that tends to cook things more on one side, I’ve been looking for something else to use instead.
JML have a great range of copper stone pans and we’ve been using the JML Copper Stone Griddle Pan lately. The copper stone range are non-stick and distribute the heat evenly meaning no strangely cooked sausages for us any more! The griddle pan in particular has built in bars on which raise your food to stop it being soaked in fat or oil.
The Copper Stone Griddle Pan is not only good for breakfast though and can be used for things like fish, meat, burgers, vegetables or even paninis. I’m sure there are hundreds of recipes out there for all of that left over turkey you’re bound to have on Boxing Day!
Cast Iron
I’m quite new to cast iron but it’s very well-known that this stuff is made to last and if well looked after, could last a life time. With Christmas cooking sometimes you want to throw something in a pot and let it cook nice and slowly without having to tend to it too much. The ProCook Matte Black Cast Iron Casserole Dish is great for this kind of cooking and it can really help to take the pressure off over Christmas.
This casserole dish can be used on all hob types and it can even be used in ovens. I love a beef stew when it’s cold and it’s also a great meal for over the Christmas period. Of course, you can cook all sorts in a cast iron casserole dish and just imagine the delicious things you could make with Christmas leftovers!
Air Fryers
Until a couple of years ago I never would have thought about using an air fryer to cook Christmas dinner. When we switched our deep fat fryer for the air fryer I’ll be honest and say it took us quite some time to get used to using it. Last year though I experimented a bit and found that you could cook loads to help with Christmas dinner in the air fryer. You could save space in the oven by cooking your roast potatoes or parsnips in the air fryer while cooking carrots and Brussel sprouts will save you space on the hob.
Planning
I know this one might sound like a bit of a cheat but I do think planning will really make things a lot easier. This isn’t just the case for Christmas dinner but it will really help for the whole of the Christmas period.
As a family of three who will be spending Christmas with just us, there is really no need for us to go too crazy with the food. We could quite easily go way over the top and buy a lot more than we need but I’m sure a lot of it would go to waste. Not only does good planning save on waste but it also means buying less and saving some money!
Eat Out
An alternative to saving money is to splash out a little bit and let someone else cook for you. I cook most days whether it’s Christmas or not and sometimes it’s so nice to go out for a meal instead. We don’t get to do it very often but at some point over Christmas it would be great to eat out somewhere and not have to think about the washing up that comes afterwards. We might not be able to go anywhere fancy and it might end up that we have a panini and chips at the local cafe but that would make 1 meal over Christmas so much easier!
Do you have any tips for making cooking over Christmas any easier? Let me know in the comments!
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