Christmas/Thanksgiving Dinner

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Roast Turkey, Ham, Mashed Potato, Bread Stuffing (for the Irish contingent), Boxed Stuffing (for the US crowd), Pink Stuff, Honey Glazed Carrots, Roast Asparagus, Mushy Peas, Turkey Gravy (for the US peeps), Bisto Onion Gravy (for the Irish diners), Cranberry Sauce (canned for US, homemade for IE) with Bread Rolls

-10 Days

Take a look at the fridge and make every effort to use/cook/eat everything in there to make room for the feast. There's going to be a lot of salads this week because all those salad dressing bottles are being evicted soon.

-5 Days

Throw out anything that isn't an absolute necessity in the fridge. As your at it, clean out the trunk of your car. You're going to need that space. Put together the grocery list and head to the store.

Grocery List

Turkey - around 20 lb Spiral Ham 8 Slices of Bacon

1 bunch of kale

1 bunch of asparagus

1 lb carrots

1 5 lb bag of potatoes

1 bag of yellow onions

1 bunch Parsley

2-4 lemons

12 oz fresh cranberries

5-8 tangerines

1 navel orange

2 lbs butter

1 (16 ounce) package cottage cheese

1 gallon milk

1/2 Cup of Shaved/Grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 cup dried cherries

1 cup white sugar

2 loaves of bread (no sesame seeds)

2 (3 ounce) packages strawberry flavored Jell-O(R)

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (20 ounce) can fruit cocktail, drained

1 box turkey stuffing

1 bag marrow-fat peas

1 can turkey gravy

1 can cranberry sauce

4 boxes chicken stock 1 whole star anise

1 cinnamon stick

3 whole cloves

ground sage

whole rosemary

whole thyme

ground/whole savory

Sea salt

Whole black pepper

-2 Days

-1 Day

AM

1. Prep. the turkey brine early so that it has time to cool before it meets the turkey. As you're at it take a stick of butter out of the fridge to make herb butter to baste the turkey in tomorrow.

2. Make the Pink Stuff

3. Make the Cranberry Sauce

4. Cook the bacon for the Asparagus for 18-23 minutes at 400 °F. Reserve the fat for tomorrow (I the bacon doesn't get done today I won't be able to use the oven to cook it tomorrow, the stove top works but it is messier and takes much longer since I'd have to do it in batches of 4-5)

5. Set the table

PM

1. Brine the turkey

2. Make the herb butter

3. Mise en place for tomorrow

2 AM

1. Start the mushy peas, 12 hr soak followed by 20 minute simmer

Go Time!

Times based on a little over 4 hrs to cook a 20 lb turkey that's been sitting in brine. Shooting to eat around 5pm.

8:15 AM

1. Ham goes in the oven at 275 °F for 90 minutes

2. Based on 6 lb ham @12-15 min/lb + 30 to rest before serving (ham sandwiches at 10)

12:30 PM

1. Remove turkey from brine, clean and pat dry

2. Truss the turkey

1 PM

1. Turkey goes in the oven at 325 °F for 4 hrs

2. Chop 3 yellow onions for the stuffing (coarse chop) and 2 (half rings) for the gravy

3. Make the bread stuffing and pop it in the oven

2 PM

1. Prep. the Carrots

2. Prep. the Asparagus

3. Peel the Potatoes & drop in water. Don't peel the whole 5 lb bag of potatoes, the mixer can't hold them all - stop at 4 lbs. Peeled potatoes can sit in the filled pot for up to 6 hrs without needing refrigeration or acid (up to 24 hrs with both)

4:00 PM

1. Boil the potatoes

4:30 PM

1. Marrowfat Peas go on the stove (needing 20 minutes)

2. Saute the onions for the onion gravy, prep. the Bisto in a measuring cup

3. Start the boxed stuffing

4:50 PM

1. Potatoes in the mixer w/ milk, salt and butter

5:00 PM

1. Remove the turkey from the oven and transfer it to the serving tray

2. Set oven to 450 °F for the asparagus, once the temp. adjusts back asparagus for 10 minutes.

3. Start the bisto w/ onion gravy

4. Cook the carrots (6 min boil + 5 min for glaze)

5. Once the asparagus is done, set the oven to 400°F and add the bread rolls for 10 minutes