2-Hour Christmas Dinner

By Ellie

8 Person

160 Minutes

0 Calories

Christmas is one of the most anticipated holiday traditions!When we prepare the Christmas tree, we will find the best cookies for Santa Claus.Of course, there are other Christmas recipes, like this one! This roast turkey recipe is served with shortcut sides to make your life so much easier. You will need to buy some ready-made cheats, but the payoff is that the whole delicious Christmas dinner is done in less than 2 hours!

Ingredients

For the one-pot sprouts with bacon and chestnuts

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
200g/7oz cooked and peeled chestnuts, vacuum-packed or frozen and thawed, halved
300g/10½oz ready-trimmed baby Brussels sprouts, halved
4 rashers rindless smoked streaky bacon, cut into 2cm/¾in pieces
25g/1oz butter

For the microwave glazed carrots

2 good pinches caster sugar
2 tbsp. chopped frozen parsley or 3 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
knob of butter
2 tbsp. orange juice (fresh or from a carton)
600g/1lb 5oz ready-prepared carrot sticks

For the super-easy bread sauce (optional)

freshly grated nutmeg, to serve (optional)
25g/1oz butter
4 tbsp. double cream
500ml/18fl oz milk
2 x 40g packets bread sauce mix

For the hassle-free Christmas gravy

½ tsp. dried sage (optional)
2 tbsp. cranberry sauce
4 tbsp. ruby port or red wine
2 rashers smoked streaky or back bacon, roughly chopped
750–900ml/1⅓–1⅔ pint readymade chicken gravy

For the pigs in blankets

2 tbsp. runny honey
a few sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)
8–12 chipolata sausages, wrapped in bacon

For the roast potatoes

4 tbsp. sunflower oil or melted goose fat
1.2kg/2lb 12oz potatoes, preferably Maris Piper or King Edward, peeled and cut into large chunks

For the turkey and stuffing

salt and freshly ground black pepper
450g/1lb pork sausagemeat
1 large unwaxed lemon, finely grated zest only
1 small bunch fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 x 120g pack mixed nuts and dried fruit (I use one containing brazil nuts, pecans, almonds, sultanas and dried cranberries)
5 thick slices white bread
2 medium leeks, trimmed
large knob of butter
sunflower oil, for greasing
6 rashers smoked streaky bacon
2.5kg/5lb 8oz turkey crown (fully thawed if frozen)

Method

01

Preheat the oven to 220℃.
02

For the turkey and stuffing, put the turkey crown on a lightly oiled baking tray and pat dry with kitchen paper. Season with lots of coarsely ground black pepper. Cover the breast with bacon rashers, then cover the turkey with lightly oiled foil and roast for 1 hour.
03

While the turkey is roasting, prepare the stuffing. Melt the butter in a large non-stick frying pan. Thinly slice the leeks. Add to the pan and cook over a low heat for 3–4 minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly.
04

Tip the leeks into a large, shallow ovenproof dish – a lasagne dish would work well. Tear the bread into small cubes and don’t worry about the crusts, just add those too. Tip the nuts and fruit onto a board and cut any large nuts in half or quarters, then add to the bread and leeks. Add roughly three-quarters of the thyme to the stuffing mixture and sprinkle the lemon zest on top. Add the sausagemeat and season with a little salt and lots of black pepper. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly with your hands, leaving it fairly chunky. Spread loosely over the dish and set aside.
05

When the turkey has been cooking for 1 hour, take out of the oven and reduce the temperature to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 7. Take the turkey crown carefully off the tray and place directly on top of the stuffing. Place in the oven and roast the turkey and stuffing for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for a further 15 minutes, or until the turkey is fully cooked and the juices run clear when the thickest part is pierced with a skewer.
06

Meanwhile, for the roast potatoes, put the potatoes in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole and cover with cold water. Place over a high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a large colander and return to the saucepan. Shake vigorously to knock the potatoes about and scuff up the surface – this will make them much crisper when they roast.
07

Pour the oil over and toss together well. Scatter in a single layer onto a baking tray and roast for an hour, or until the potatoes are golden, crisp and tender in the centre.
08

Meanwhile, for the pigs in blankets, tuck a small sprig of rosemary under the bacon on each sausage. Place on a lightly oiled baking tray with the potatoes and drizzle with the honey. Roast for 15–20 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through.
09

Remove the turkey from the oven, cover loosely with kitchen foil and a couple of dry tea towels and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
10

For the bread sauce (if making), put the bread sauce mix in a non-stick saucepan and stir in roughly a quarter of the milk. Mix until well combined, then add the remaining milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring regularly, until thick and smooth, then add the cream and butter and cook for 1–2 minutes more. Pour into a warmed dish, sprinkle with a little nutmeg, and keep warm until ready to serve.
11

For the carrots, put the carrots in a microwave-proof serving dish and pour over the orange juice, dot with butter, sprinkle with parsley, add sugar and season with a little salt and lots of black pepper. Cover with cling film or a plate and cook on HIGH for 8 minutes, or until just tender, stirring halfway through cooking.
12

For the sprouts, put the butter, bacon, sprouts and chestnuts in a large non-stick saucepan or sauté pan and season well with black pepper. Add 200ml/7fl oz cold water and bring to the boil. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly until the sprouts are tender and the liquid has evaporated.
13

Meanwhile, for the gravy, put the gravy, bacon, port, cranberry sauce and dried sage, if using, in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with black pepper and a little salt, if needed. Keep warm until ready to serve.
14

To serve, warm your serving plates. Strain the gravy into warmed gravy boats and put on the table along with the roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, carrots and bread sauce (if making). Sprinkle the turkey with the remaining thyme and serve in the roasting dish along with the stuffing. Carve at the table.

Related Tags

Turkey Recipes

Dinner Recipes

Ground Turkey Recipes

Christmas Recipes

Easy Dinner Recipes

2-Hour Christmas Dinner

4.3

( By Ellie )

01 Information

Grade easy
Serving 8 servings
Prep Time 60 Mins
Cook Time 100 Mins
Total Time 160 Mins

02 Ingredients

For the one-pot sprouts with bacon and chestnuts

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

200g/7oz cooked and peeled chestnuts, vacuum-packed or frozen and thawed, halved

300g/10½oz ready-trimmed baby Brussels sprouts, halved

4 rashers rindless smoked streaky bacon, cut into 2cm/¾in pieces

25g/1oz butter

For the microwave glazed carrots

2 good pinches caster sugar

2 tbsp. chopped frozen parsley or 3 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

knob of butter

2 tbsp. orange juice (fresh or from a carton)

600g/1lb 5oz ready-prepared carrot sticks

For the super-easy bread sauce (optional)

freshly grated nutmeg, to serve (optional)

25g/1oz butter

4 tbsp. double cream

500ml/18fl oz milk

2 x 40g packets bread sauce mix

For the hassle-free Christmas gravy

½ tsp. dried sage (optional)

2 tbsp. cranberry sauce

4 tbsp. ruby port or red wine

2 rashers smoked streaky or back bacon, roughly chopped

750–900ml/1⅓–1⅔ pint readymade chicken gravy

For the pigs in blankets

2 tbsp. runny honey

a few sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)

8–12 chipolata sausages, wrapped in bacon

For the roast potatoes

4 tbsp. sunflower oil or melted goose fat

1.2kg/2lb 12oz potatoes, preferably Maris Piper or King Edward, peeled and cut into large chunks

For the turkey and stuffing

salt and freshly ground black pepper

450g/1lb pork sausagemeat

1 large unwaxed lemon, finely grated zest only

1 small bunch fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 x 120g pack mixed nuts and dried fruit (I use one containing brazil nuts, pecans, almonds, sultanas and dried cranberries)

5 thick slices white bread

2 medium leeks, trimmed

large knob of butter

sunflower oil, for greasing

6 rashers smoked streaky bacon

2.5kg/5lb 8oz turkey crown (fully thawed if frozen)

03 Method

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 220℃.

Step 2

For the turkey and stuffing, put the turkey crown on a lightly oiled baking tray and pat dry with kitchen paper. Season with lots of coarsely ground black pepper. Cover the breast with bacon rashers, then cover the turkey with lightly oiled foil and roast for 1 hour.

Step 3

While the turkey is roasting, prepare the stuffing. Melt the butter in a large non-stick frying pan. Thinly slice the leeks. Add to the pan and cook over a low heat for 3–4 minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly.

Step 4

Tip the leeks into a large, shallow ovenproof dish – a lasagne dish would work well. Tear the bread into small cubes and don’t worry about the crusts, just add those too. Tip the nuts and fruit onto a board and cut any large nuts in half or quarters, then add to the bread and leeks. Add roughly three-quarters of the thyme to the stuffing mixture and sprinkle the lemon zest on top. Add the sausagemeat and season with a little salt and lots of black pepper. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly with your hands, leaving it fairly chunky. Spread loosely over the dish and set aside.

Step 5

When the turkey has been cooking for 1 hour, take out of the oven and reduce the temperature to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 7. Take the turkey crown carefully off the tray and place directly on top of the stuffing. Place in the oven and roast the turkey and stuffing for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for a further 15 minutes, or until the turkey is fully cooked and the juices run clear when the thickest part is pierced with a skewer.

Step 6

Meanwhile, for the roast potatoes, put the potatoes in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole and cover with cold water. Place over a high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a large colander and return to the saucepan. Shake vigorously to knock the potatoes about and scuff up the surface – this will make them much crisper when they roast.

Step 7

Pour the oil over and toss together well. Scatter in a single layer onto a baking tray and roast for an hour, or until the potatoes are golden, crisp and tender in the centre.

Step 8

Meanwhile, for the pigs in blankets, tuck a small sprig of rosemary under the bacon on each sausage. Place on a lightly oiled baking tray with the potatoes and drizzle with the honey. Roast for 15–20 minutes, or until lightly browned and cooked through.

Step 9

Remove the turkey from the oven, cover loosely with kitchen foil and a couple of dry tea towels and leave to rest for 15 minutes.

Step 10

For the bread sauce (if making), put the bread sauce mix in a non-stick saucepan and stir in roughly a quarter of the milk. Mix until well combined, then add the remaining milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring regularly, until thick and smooth, then add the cream and butter and cook for 1–2 minutes more. Pour into a warmed dish, sprinkle with a little nutmeg, and keep warm until ready to serve.

Step 11

For the carrots, put the carrots in a microwave-proof serving dish and pour over the orange juice, dot with butter, sprinkle with parsley, add sugar and season with a little salt and lots of black pepper. Cover with cling film or a plate and cook on HIGH for 8 minutes, or until just tender, stirring halfway through cooking.

Step 12

For the sprouts, put the butter, bacon, sprouts and chestnuts in a large non-stick saucepan or sauté pan and season well with black pepper. Add 200ml/7fl oz cold water and bring to the boil. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly until the sprouts are tender and the liquid has evaporated.

Step 13

Meanwhile, for the gravy, put the gravy, bacon, port, cranberry sauce and dried sage, if using, in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cook gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with black pepper and a little salt, if needed. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Step 14

To serve, warm your serving plates. Strain the gravy into warmed gravy boats and put on the table along with the roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, carrots and bread sauce (if making). Sprinkle the turkey with the remaining thyme and serve in the roasting dish along with the stuffing. Carve at the table.

04 Author