12 Easy Ideas And Tricks For Your Christmas Meal

12 Easy Ideas And Tricks For Your Christmas Meal
|
Open Image Modal
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's

If you've landed the leading role of Chief Christmas Dinner Chef this year, you might just be starting to feel a huge amount of pressure to perform.

Expectations run high with all those extra trimmings and flourishes, not to mention the extra large portions you'll need to feed all those relatives cramming themselves into the emergency chairs around your hastily extended dining table.

The good news? We've got a sneaky stash of simple ideas and shortcuts to help you pull off the Christmas dinner that dreams are made of.

By mixing up some good-quality, ready-made products with a spot of advance scratch cooking, the day should be a lot less stressful and you'll earn your stripes as a kitchen hero.

Print out a time plan for the big day so you know what to put in the oven and when. If you time it right, you can spend most of the morning opening presents with your family.

There's no shame in cutting a few corners if it means you're less likely to end up having a not-so-festive meltdown, and can float to the table with a glass of fizz in your hand and a smile saying, "Dinner is served!"

That means that when it comes to pre-dinner snacks, mince pies (and whatever else you need a helping hand with), you can always buy some pre-packaged treats to delight your guests and save some time.

If (like us), the sweet part of the meal is your favourite, don't miss these fabulous ideas on fuss-free desserts, from easy trifle to chocolate and clementine cheesecake.

Click through the slideshow below for 12 top tips for a cracking Christmas dinner, with expert advice from Sainsbury's.