Have a Cooking Good Christmas!

Terrific Turkey

Tips for a tasty turkey Christmas lunch

• If the whole turkey is browning too quickly, you can cover it loosely with foil. And if it’s just certain bits of the bird, like the legs, be specific with your foil wrappings!

• Prepare a butter and herb mix to put under the skin of the turkey to add flavour and stop it going dry.

• Pull the thigh/drumstick legs back and out of joint so they splay out – they will cook faster!

• Rest your turkey! The heat of the oven forces the juices into the middle of the bird so letting it rest for around 20 minutes (under some foil) before carving it will let the juices redistribute and you’ll have moister meat.

• Smaller chicken and turkey – roast them upside down so that all the juices flow down into the breast meat. If you want a crispy skin – turn the oven onto a high heat for the last 20 minutes.

If you can’t bear the thought of cooking an entire turkey, try our delicious Turkey steaks with ginger sauce and potatoes. Follow the recipe here

Spectacular Side Dishes

We have several recipes for splendid sides, snacks, sauce and stuffing, just follow the links below:

• Splendid Sprouts with Bacon – Click here

• Christmas Cabbage – Click here

• Crispy Roast Potatoes – Click here

• Golden Roast Parsnips – Click here

• Pigs in Blankets – Click here

• Bread Sauce – Click here

• Cheat's Super Stuffing – Click here

Hints and tips for super side dishes with your festive meals

• Prepare the stuffing in separate balls and shapes, cook them in advance and just warm them through on the day.

• Make and freeze breadcrumbs with any leftover bread...they can be used for bread sauce and stuffing at Christmas!

• A Christmas dinner just isn’t the same without gravy. Try making it especially festive by stirring in some cranberry sauce!

• No need to score a cross in the bottom of your sprouts – it just makes them soggy!

• If you boil your sprouts, keep your eye on the cooking time. Don’t go over 8 minutes!

• Roasted sprouts taste completely different from those that are boiled or steamed, it makes them sweeter! Try roasting them with some chestnuts and bacon for added yum!

• If you don’t normally make or can’t get Yorkshire pudding to rise,  buy frozen ones and take away the stress!

• Roast potatoes are an essential part of Christmas dinner. A light dusting of flour/gluten free flour will help to add a bit of crunch! Don’t forget to get the oil super-hot before adding them to the baking tray!

Delicious Desserts

If you have any leftover Christmas pudding or just want something a bit different, Christmas Pudding Ice-cream is perfect! Follow recipe here

Tasty Christmas Crumble is a healthy pud and perfect for trying over the holiday season. All the spices will make your home smell amazing! Follow recipe here

Feel free to print the downloadable PDFs and share them with others.

Stay safe and see you in the New Year for more great recipes, time and money-saving ideas to do with food.

The Cooking Good Team