How to cook the best Christmas dinner

Cooking Christmas dinner may seem a little overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time tackling this massive feast. But with a little planning you can make the day seamless from start to finish.

Begin by deciding on your Christmas menu - picking out which dishes you’d like to serve, how many people you’re feeding and the budget you’d like to spend.

If you’re not sure what to make, our online recipe collection is a great place to search for inspiration.

The next step when deciding what to cook at Christmas is to select which dishes you’d like to make from scratch and which ingredients to buy. You can save yourself some effort by picking up pre-made components like sauces and side dishes. Take a look in-store for flavour-boosting ingredients, including our Cranberry and Port Sauce and Festive Chutney. Or try picking up our frozen foods to get ahead of the big day.

Before you get started, make an outline of the day and break down the prep and cooking time for each dish you’re serving. Set reminders throughout the day to keep your dinner on track. For example, your day may look like this:

• 10 AM: Take turkey out of the fridge to come up to room temperature.

• 10:45 AM: Pre-heat your oven and prep your turkey with seasoning, butter and/or oil and stuffing.

• 11 AM: Place the turkey in the oven and cook per the pack instructions (we’ve estimated about 2.5 hours here).

• 1 PM: Preheat oil or fat for roast potatoes in the oven for at least 5 minutes, then add potatoes and cook for 40-45 minutes.

• 1:30 PM: Take the turkey out of oven and let rest for at least 30 minutes. Place sides like pigs in blankets and stuffing in the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes.

• 2 PM: Carve turkey and serve Christmas dinner.

• Start by choosing the best type of potatoes. We recommend Maris Pipers as the starchiness is sturdy enough to withstand a high oven temperature, while remaining light and fluffy.

• Cut the potatoes the same size so they cook evenly.

• Use a fat that cooks at a higher smoke point like goose fat, vegetable oil, or our Collection Wagyu Beef Dripping.

• Don't overcrowd the potatoes – they should be spread out enough to have maximum contact with the hot tray.

Finish your feast on a high with an elegant dessert large enough for a crowd. Our traditional Christmas cake is packed full of brandy-soaked fruit, candied peel and flaked almonds. For something a little easier to prepare, try our Christmas pavola using a pre-made base. Or go all-out with gingerbread and try our celebratory ginger cheesecake topped off with crushed biscuits and chocolatey pretzels.