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00:00It's stressful, especially in the kitchen.
00:02Oh, got a bit of cinnamon in my eyes.
00:04Oh, but Joe, it doesn't have to be.
00:06Go!
00:07With good preparation and planning.
00:09Another recipe ticked off.
00:11I'm going to show you how you can spend just 30 minutes in the kitchen on Christmas Day.
00:1530 minutes? No way.
00:18It's a batch cook programme. That's what I do.
00:21Not only that, we have a wealth of tricks and hacks.
00:24This is controversial. I don't peel my roast potatoes.
00:27Reduce stress over the festive period.
00:30Amazing.
00:32So this year, say goodbye to seasonal stress and hello to family fun.
00:36Come on!
00:38If you can't beat it, batch it.
00:41Merry Christmas, everyone.
00:43Merry Christmas.
00:48We're in Lancashire, hoping to offer up some Christmas miracles.
00:53Jill. Hello, Suzanne.
00:55Hello. Yeah.
00:56Look at all these trees. Taking that smell.
00:58You know me.
00:59I am a Christmas fanatic, and every year I like to find myself the biggest tree I can find.
01:03Have you just brought me here to buy a tree?
01:04Yes and no, because around the corner live the Waddington family.
01:08This year, Mum Amy, for the first time, is hosting.
01:11It's a lot of pressure, but I'm going to show you in the Waddingtons how you can spend just 30 minutes on Christmas Day in the kitchen,
01:18making an amazing feast that even Father Christmas will want to stay for.
01:22That does sound like a Christmas miracle.
01:23Right, you wait there.
01:24I'm going to grab myself a tree.
01:25Don't worry.
01:26I've spotted the perfect one.
01:27Oh, is it a big one?
01:28It's just the right size for you.
01:30Oh, lovely.
01:31That wasn't quite what I was after, Suzanne.
01:34Hmm.
01:35You do the bottom bits?
01:37Yeah.
01:38Are you going to be this excited when we have to take it down?
01:41No.
01:42Down the road are the Waddington family, Mum Amy, Dad Dwayne and kids Jackson and Maggie.
01:49Oh, my gosh, it's a water.
01:52And like many families, Christmas is their favourite time of the year.
01:56I love Christmas because it is time for everybody to get together, isn't it?
02:01Yeah.
02:02We have, like, all family over, play games, have fun, our aunties, our uncles, friends.
02:07You're getting excited now.
02:09Yeah.
02:10Amy and Dwayne have never hosted Christmas Day.
02:13That task falls on Amy's mum, who lives just five doors down the road.
02:18We've just piled down to Mum and Dad's house, really, and Mum takes control.
02:24Oh, hello.
02:26We revert back to being teenagers, lounge around, and Mum does all the hard work.
02:35I've always cooked Christmas dinner for 40 years.
02:39They're all having a nice time, and I'm in the kitchen, generally, on my own.
02:44So, yeah, I feel like I miss out a little bit.
02:47Should we start writing?
02:48Yeah, start a food list.
02:50With the average Christmas dinner cook coming in at over three hours, that's a lot of time Julie's lost with the family.
02:57I'd love to give my mum the chance to sit down and enjoy spending time with the children.
03:03Roast potatoes, sprouts.
03:05Yeah.
03:06Carrots.
03:07Yeah.
03:08I think it's probably time we did take over.
03:11I can't believe this is what my mum does every year.
03:13I know.
03:14But how do you go about taking on Christmas when you rarely cook from scratch?
03:19I've probably cooked two Sunday dinners, and even then they were all pre-packaged, frozen.
03:27You hungry?
03:28Yep.
03:29Mm-hmm.
03:30Most of my cooking skills are turning the oven on and putting frozen meals in.
03:34Here you go, Maggie.
03:36Garlic bread pizza.
03:37It's not just at Christmas where Granny Julie picks up the slack.
03:41Probably at least once a week.
03:44At least once a week we go down.
03:45We just turn up and say, what's for tea?
03:49Granny does a lot for the Waddingtons, but Amy is keen to learn the ropes for hosting Christmas before it's too late.
03:56In 2022, we lost Dwayne's sister.
03:59She hosted Christmas for her side of the family.
04:03And it sort of made me think that one day my mum might not be here for Christmas and we would lose that.
04:13That's where I felt that I needed to step in.
04:16Sorry.
04:20It's time now to be a grown-up.
04:22I'm ready to continue that Christmas tradition.
04:24If I don't do it now, when will I ever do it?
04:30It looks like they've called us just in time.
04:33You know what, right?
04:34We're like Santa's little batch cook helpers.
04:36We are.
04:38While the family are out, probably at Granny Julie's.
04:41Oh, nice wreath.
04:42We're going to have a little snoop.
04:45It's shiny and clean.
04:46Maybe it's never been used.
04:48Maybe they have, like, servants and cooks.
04:50Christmas elf.
04:51I did bring me soup.
04:53Did you?
04:55Let's see if the freezer is just as spotless.
04:57Right.
04:59My domain.
05:00What have we got?
05:01Oh, the dreaded chicken nuggets.
05:04It's not exactly your healthy batch cooking, is it, Suzanne?
05:08My children's dream freezer.
05:10Yeah, my kids are...
05:11They'll live on chicken nuggets and chips if we let them.
05:14Oh, hold up.
05:16There's another freezer here.
05:19Who don't love a waffle?
05:21Come on!
05:22Two freezers full of convenience food explains the underused kitchen.
05:27Oh, what is that?
05:29It's really...
05:30It's a hard stage.
05:31That's going to be you later.
05:32Yeah.
05:33After preparing Christmas dinner.
05:35Don't worry about me, Joe.
05:36I make cooking for Christmas so easy that even the most novice of cooks
05:40can deliver a delicious feast, spending just 30 minutes in the kitchen
05:44on Christmas Day.
05:46Hello, you lot.
05:47Nice to see you.
05:48Thank you for letting us into your lovely home.
05:50You're welcome.
05:51And we hear that you guys are big fans of Christmas.
05:54We are.
05:55100%.
05:56And we hear that you might need my help.
05:58Definitely.
05:59Right, so, Mum and Dad, we're going to whisk you away
06:01and we'll catch up with you two a little bit later on, if that's all right.
06:04Yeah, yeah.
06:07So, I thought it'd be good for us to get a little taste
06:09of what your Christmases are like.
06:11So, I've got the old Christmas photo album app.
06:14The obligatory matching PJs I inflict on everybody every year.
06:19Stacey does exactly the same to us every year.
06:22Is that you?
06:23So, that is you and your mum?
06:24Yeah, 30 years ago.
06:26Is that a young Julie?
06:27That's a young Julie.
06:28Cooking Christmas dinner.
06:30Yeah.
06:31My mum has done it forever.
06:33I'd like to give her a break and let her sit back and enjoy Christmas.
06:36But I have barely even cooked a Sunday roast.
06:40Do you cook?
06:41No, not particularly.
06:43Other meals, really, for the kids.
06:45Or even down to Julie's during the week.
06:47Yeah.
06:48We all need a Julie in our lives, don't we?
06:51So, how did your Christmas day work?
06:54We wake up, open presents, and then we would head down to my mum's house
06:58for breakfast and then mill around drinking Prosecco, playing games.
07:02Dwayne, Christmas is cushy, you know?
07:05It is, yeah.
07:06This year, not to be horrible, that could be at risk.
07:09I'm actually probably going to have to get up and do something.
07:12Yeah.
07:13You're in very good hands this year.
07:14Do not worry about Christmas dinner.
07:16That's easy for you to say, Joe.
07:19We've analysed Julie's Christmas effort,
07:21and the figures show us just what a mammoth task we have in store.
07:25Wow.
07:26In total, Julie's spending 23 hours getting Christmas ready,
07:31and ten of them hours is just on Christmas Day.
07:34I don't think I realised how much behind the scenes she was doing.
07:39And then in terms of the money, the cost is £479.
07:43Wow.
07:44That's a lot of money, isn't it?
07:45And that's just for those three days' worth of Christmas.
07:48A huge £300 of that spend is going on the Christmas Day feast
07:52for 11 people.
07:54This is three times the national average.
07:57That is more than you would spend as a family of four
08:00for a whole month, isn't it?
08:01Yeah.
08:02Definitely.
08:03Easily, yeah.
08:04You know, Christmas is round the corner.
08:06Where would you say your stress levels were right now?
08:08In the red.
08:09So we go...
08:10Ooh, whatever you.
08:13But the thing is, we're not going to have you spend
08:16this amount of money or spend this amount of time
08:19or be in the red for stress,
08:22because we're going to make it all way easier than this for you.
08:25Amazing.
08:26Sounds great.
08:27Yeah, I'm so glad that you're here.
08:29I feel really guilty knowing that my mum has not only taken
08:34the financial toll of Christmas,
08:36but also how many hours she spent in the kitchen.
08:40That's unreal, really.
08:43I didn't want to say it to Amy,
08:45but to suddenly do Christmas dinner for 11 people,
08:48I feel like she may have bit off a bit too much,
08:52but if anyone's going to make this possible,
08:54it's Suzanne, the batch lady.
08:56So she's in the best possible hands.
08:58You're too kind, Joe.
09:00And over at the Test Kitchen,
09:01I've got plenty of hacks up my sleeve to help any first timers.
09:06I'm starting with a favourite of mine, the mince pie.
09:10And I'm not alone.
09:11800 million are sold each year.
09:13I've been perfecting this mega mince pie
09:16that you can make in advance to wow the festive hoards.
09:19It's not Christmas in my house until I have my first mince pie.
09:24They're not my cup of tea.
09:25The name put me off as a kid.
09:27I was expecting meat and there was fruit in there,
09:29but I'm going to enjoy making it.
09:31I'm making my own mince meat,
09:33which means I can vary the ingredients to my tastes.
09:37Maybe Joe might even like this one.
09:39This is so simple to do.
09:41We're just going to put everything in the one pot.
09:43I'm mixing apple, raisins, sultanas and mixed peel with some sugar.
09:47You can use any combination of dried fruit.
09:51Right, orange.
09:53Then zest and juice and orange.
09:56Lastly, we want to add in some brandy.
09:59Little bit for luck.
10:01Whiskey, rum or sherry are all good alternatives.
10:04Or tea if you want it to be alcohol free.
10:07Oh, now it feels like Christmas.
10:10Heat until the sugar melts and we have our mince meat.
10:13Batch into sterilised jars
10:15and it will last unopened for many months.
10:18You can use it to add a Christmas twist to all sorts of baking,
10:21like cookies or crumbles.
10:23Hold up a minute.
10:24That's a bit of a big pie, isn't it?
10:26I'm going to make a mega mince pie.
10:28This is so much quicker than messing around with a lot of little ones.
10:32And I'm using pre-made pastry too, all saving you time.
10:36I'm going to fill it with our lovely mince meat.
10:39Okey-dokey.
10:40But I've got a job for you.
10:41You always have.
10:42You're going to make the top to the pie.
10:44Instead of pastry, we're adding a crumble topping.
10:47Just flour, butter, brown sugar and some cinnamon.
10:51As is.
10:52Not great, Joe.
10:53Not going to lie.
10:54Sorry.
10:55Once the crumble is crumbly, you're just going to sprinkle on top.
10:59Easy peasy.
11:00That's going to end the oven and that is it.
11:03Ah, well done.
11:04Oh, got a bit of cinnamon in my eyes.
11:07Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the oven at 180.
11:11You can get 12 good portions out of this, so having a few of these in the freezer saves spending on shop bought boxes.
11:19I don't want to upset you, but even you could make me eat a mince pie.
11:24Look at that.
11:26Maybe we could do something in the edit where I'm like, mmm, nice.
11:32Well, I can promise you, Joe, it's delicious.
11:35Still to come, we show the Waddington family that perfect prep turns the nightmare of Christmas into a dream.
11:43Go!
11:44And help them batch their way to spending just 30 minutes in the kitchen on Christmas Day.
11:49It's stress free for all of us.
11:51It's amazing.
11:59This Christmas, we're in Lancashire, helping novice cooks Amy and Dwayne take the reins from Granny Julie and host Christmas for the very first time.
12:08My mum's a really, really good cook. There's a high standard for me to follow taking on Christmas and making it my own.
12:18Amy doesn't need to worry.
12:21Christmas doesn't have to feel scary. Prepping in advance and using some of my clever hacks will take away the fear.
12:28What bits are stressing you most when you think about cooking Christmas dinner?
12:32Erm, probably the time spent in the kitchen is time away from watching the kids enjoy themselves.
12:38They can all be made in advance. You're going to only spend 30 minutes in the kitchen on Christmas Day. It's that simple.
12:45Suzanne's a pro at prepping Christmas and saving time.
12:49But I am the guru when it comes to saving money.
12:53So, have you ever been Christmas shopping before?
12:56Well, there may be some crackers last minute.
12:58We're going to get a few more things in a couple of crackers.
13:00What we do know is that the average UK family spend about £700 more in the December period.
13:06Granny Julie, in December she went Christmas shopping nine times in one month.
13:11Now that is too many times to go shopping.
13:14Granny Julie is not alone. Over half of us admit to buying too much at Christmas.
13:19But armed with Suzanne's shopping list, that is not going to be the case today.
13:23Let's get it done shall we?
13:25Let's do it.
13:26And the advantage of getting the festive shop done early, no crowds.
13:30I don't know how you make your roast potatoes in your house, but in my house, it's all about the crunch on the outside.
13:35Yes.
13:36And the fluffy potato.
13:37Fluffiness on the inside.
13:38You know what we're talking about. You're on the potato level with me.
13:41To achieve maximum fluffiness, we're after a floury potato.
13:45For me, the best roast potato is made from a Maris Piper.
13:50Yes.
13:51Let's get a couple of bags to feed your lot.
13:52Yes.
13:53Lovely.
13:54Let's do it.
13:55Chuck them in.
13:56We need to grab some other veg.
13:57And of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without sprouts.
14:00Not the biggest fan.
14:01You're not the biggest fan of these?
14:02No.
14:03At Christmas, there are 750 million of these.
14:06That's a lot.
14:07That's a lot of rats.
14:08That's a little of a lot.
14:09But do you also know that only half of them get eaten?
14:12The rest of them are chucked in a bin.
14:13I get that.
14:14What a waste, eh?
14:15But they're not like the old ones.
14:16In the old days, they were quite bitter.
14:18They've bred the bitterness out of them now.
14:20They are a great vessel for flavour.
14:23Right.
14:24Let's talk about the star of the show, shall we?
14:26Yep.
14:27Chicken wings.
14:28Chicken wings.
14:29Don't worry, you're still going to get your turkey.
14:31We're talking gravy.
14:33Homemade gravy has a rep for being time consuming
14:36and a bit of a faff to make alongside your Christmas dinner
14:39or your roast.
14:40But it's no bother if you're making it in advance.
14:42Me and Suzanne have got a great gravy recipe using chicken wings.
14:46And you can batch this gravy weeks before Christmas,
14:49just stick it in the freezer.
14:50Yeah.
14:51That's another job.
14:52You don't have to worry about it.
14:53No.
14:54Let's grab some chicken wings.
14:55What is life about a bit of gravy, eh?
14:57Back at the house, Amy and I are making space for Christmas batching.
15:02I thought we'd start with this cupboard here.
15:05The key to a stress-free Christmas is getting organised
15:08before Santa has even dusted off his sleigh.
15:11There's no point in being organised if everybody eats it.
15:14OK?
15:15Definitely.
15:16Christmas cupboard.
15:17Keep off.
15:18Once you've got this space, you can grab bits on your weekly shop
15:21in the months before Christmas, which helps to spread the cost too.
15:26We can also get the freezer ready well ahead of time.
15:29We need one full freezer drawer for a family of four for Christmas.
15:33That's how it generally works.
15:34You're going to be feeding...
15:35Eleven.
15:36Eleven.
15:37So we're going to need at least two drawers, if not a little bit more.
15:39Mm-hm.
15:40You can maximise space by removing cardboard packaging.
15:44I'll get you some freezer bags.
15:45Another tip is to spend a week eating up your freezer food.
15:49This both saves money on that week's shop and creates space for Christmas batching.
15:54And with all that space freed up, there's plenty of room for the main event.
15:58The turkey.
15:59At Christmas, do you know there's ten million turkeys sold?
16:02A lot.
16:03That's a lot of people looking to get themselves a turkey for Christmas.
16:06Yes.
16:07The trick is, for me, frozen turkey.
16:11Because not only do you get them nice and early, because the supermarket's having them
16:14weeks before Christmas.
16:15Yeah.
16:16If you get yourself the crown, it's got all the best meat around it.
16:19It cooks evenly, cuts nice, tastes beautiful.
16:22That all sounds good to me.
16:23A Christmas game changer, this is.
16:26Winner, winner, turkey dinner.
16:28Hello, mate.
16:29Are you all right?
16:30How are you?
16:32How are you?
16:33Not too bad, thanks.
16:34All ready for Christmas.
16:35We are now.
16:36Yeah, good, excellent.
16:38Make a plan, make a list.
16:40So simple to get your shopping done in next to no time.
16:42Planning is the way forward.
16:44There we go.
16:45Good job, man.
16:46Let's go.
16:47One trolley, one shop, Christmas done.
16:50Brainy Julie is not going to believe that we've done Christmas in one guy.
16:53No.
16:58Hello, everyone.
16:59How are you doing?
17:00Shopping is all done.
17:02Listen, when you're gallivanting, we've cleaned out the cupboards.
17:05No, don't.
17:06We're not going to put anything away just yet.
17:08We are going to go from shopping bag to freezer bag.
17:12No need to put the food in the cupboards.
17:14We are going to prep our delicious Christmas roast right now.
17:18So it's in the freezer ready for the big day.
17:20And this can be done months in advance.
17:23So it's stress free for all of us.
17:26This is the first step to making sure we'll spend just 30 minutes in the kitchen on Christmas Day.
17:31So you guys are going to start with some streaky baking.
17:34Lovely.
17:35And make a lovely lattice that goes over the top of our turkey.
17:37Okey-dokey.
17:38Let's go, mate.
17:39Let's do this.
17:41Frozen turkeys are a budget-friendly option.
17:43And this lattice turns it into a real centrepiece.
17:46We're going to try and plait this.
17:48Don't worry about the turkey and the Christmas dinner.
17:51Everyone will be talking about the lattice.
17:52Yeah.
17:53It doesn't just look pretty.
17:55The bacon adds moisture and flavour while it's cooking.
17:58It's a little bit like that.
17:59What's that thing?
18:00Ghost.
18:01We'll do the lattice together.
18:06Another trick I like for preventing a dry and bland turkey is flavoured butter.
18:11Mash it together.
18:13This is going to add so much flavour to your turkey.
18:16I love using sage, but any dried herb works.
18:20Or even chilli if you like your Christmas a bit spicy.
18:23We're going to make a little parchment Christmas cracker.
18:26Twist each end, keeping all the butter in.
18:29That's it.
18:30And we are going to freeze that.
18:33You can use this butter all year round on things like steak, fish or steamed veg.
18:38Just chop a bit off and then add it to whatever you're cooking.
18:41Yeah, yeah.
18:42I can't have a roast turkey without stuffing and it freezes brilliantly.
18:47You'll be able to use it for Sunday lunches when you come to it as well.
18:51We're starting with a standard packet mix, but elevating it by adding sausage meat.
18:55If you can't get hold of sausage meat, you can just use normal sausages and just take the skin off.
19:00Yeah.
19:01Then we're adding cheddar cheese and a Christmas twist with some orange juice.
19:05It's making it a bit more festive.
19:07Yeah.
19:08Yeah.
19:09We're rolling the mix into balls and then placing in the freezer on a baking tray for a couple of hours.
19:14This method is called flash freezing.
19:17Generally takes about an hour and just make sure that they are solid enough to be bagged up later.
19:22Look at this.
19:23We are very proud of ourselves, by the way.
19:25I'm impressed.
19:26I had a brainwave, right?
19:28So if we're going to freeze this stuff, could we roll it like this?
19:32That would save you some space in the freezer.
19:33Are you after my job, Joe?
19:34Well, no.
19:35You can have that one free for your next book.
19:37There you go.
19:38Well done.
19:39Grab your veg, you're off.
19:40See you later, ladies.
19:41Bye-bye.
19:42Good luck with the gravy.
19:43Right, gravy.
19:44Have you ever made it?
19:45No.
19:46Many of us end up with basic gravy because it's too much hassle to make on Christmas Day.
19:52But making it in advance takes all the stress away.
19:55I've had some chicken wings and veg roasting away for about 40 minutes.
20:00And now Amy is smooshing that down with some flour over a low heat.
20:05Then add stock and time for flavour.
20:08The white wine is optional.
20:10Bring this to the boil for five minutes and all that lovely flavour is going to end up in the stock.
20:15It smells delicious.
20:16It's fancy smelling a little bit like Christmas now, innit?
20:19It is.
20:20Dwayne and I are prepping all the veg now so it won't take up loads of precious time on the big day.
20:25Where we can enjoy the day as well.
20:27And that'll be you then, every Christmas for the next 30 years.
20:30I'll be peeling carrots and parsnips, yeah.
20:34The final step to the gravy is to strain it at hey presto.
20:38Once it's cool, we can get it in the freezer bag.
20:40A faff that you don't want to be doing on Christmas Day.
20:42Definitely don't want to be doing that on Christmas Day.
20:44And you don't want to be doing these little fellas either.
20:48The trick is to make the sprout not look like the sprout.
20:52The sprout.
20:53So shredding them like this.
20:55That's a lot less intimidating for people.
20:57It is than that on your plate.
20:59Amy and I are moving on to the roast potatoes.
21:02You really can prep every bit of your Christmas dinner in advance.
21:06And these can even be cooked straight from frozen.
21:09Have you ever made them before?
21:11I've done shop bought roast potatoes before.
21:15Now this is controversial.
21:17I don't peel my roast potatoes because that's why it takes an hour and a half.
21:21The skin is good for you.
21:22It still crisps up really well.
21:24Just give them a quick scrub and pop them in a pan of cold water before boiling for seven minutes.
21:30I would have naturally just put them in boiled water.
21:33If you put them in hot water, they're going to actually start to cook on the outside and not cook on the inside.
21:38You want to drain them? Yep.
21:40Everyone has their own technique for a crispy roasty.
21:43I like to put mine back on the heat for a bit after draining to dry them out.
21:48You just want to get it before it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.
21:52Then add a sprinkling of corn flour and drizzle generously with olive oil.
21:57I'm just adding salt, but to jazz them up you could add garlic, herbs or parmesan at this stage.
22:04How easy was that? What did you think?
22:06Yeah, I'm excited to have proper roast potatoes for Christmas dinner.
22:11You're just cooking straight from frozen, so they're that simple.
22:15Parsnips and carrots are just as easy, but start them in boiling water.
22:19Seven minutes and then drain and season.
22:22You could add a few crushed garlic cloves or, like me, add sage.
22:26Once cooled, all the veg is flash frozen.
22:29How are you feeling?
22:31More confident. The more and more recipes we get through, the more and more confident I'm feeling.
22:35Excellent. That's what I like to hear.
22:38On to the final veg preparation, the beloved sprout.
22:42It's so easy, especially when you have a Joe who's already shredded them for you.
22:47They're just cooked in oil with some onions.
22:50I always use frozen, of course.
22:52And then once softened, we add cranberries, pecans and a pinch of nutmeg.
22:57This is my take, but sprouts work with all sorts of flavours.
23:02Chestnuts, bacon, maple syrup, even anchovies.
23:06Another recipe ticked off.
23:08Yeah, you have literally prepped all your Christmas dinner.
23:12That's amazing.
23:13We'll get everything bagged up and into the freezer.
23:16And then later on, I'll show Amy how to get it all cooked in just 30 minutes.
23:22Batching is such an easy way to do a Christmas feast.
23:25If a novice like Amy can do it and do it that quickly and successfully, anybody can do it.
23:30So come Christmas Day, 30 minutes in the kitchen.
23:34That's all you need to go from this to a Christmas feast.
23:37Amazing.
23:38The rest of your Christmas Day is for you.
23:41Excellent.
23:42Well done!
23:44The confidence is definitely growing.
23:47So what started off as a really overwhelming task is less overwhelming
23:52and the stress levels reducing.
23:54So that's looking good.
23:56It's not just Christmas dinner you can prepare in advance.
24:00We're back in the test kitchen with some speedy snack recipes.
24:05Cheesy twists, pesto parmiers and Christmassy sausage rolls.
24:11At Christmas time, in terms of having people over, what's it like in your house?
24:14We generally just have like an open door policy.
24:17So we need a constant flow of food.
24:20These picky bits can be made months in advance and cooked straight from frozen.
24:25So you can focus on hosting rather than cooking in the busy lead up to Christmas.
24:30This ready made puff pastry is all you really need.
24:33Joe is making the cheese twists.
24:35Cover half the pastry sheet with yeast extract.
24:38This is my Stacey's favourite thing to have on toast.
24:41And then sprinkle with a handful of cheese.
24:44Then you just fold over and cut into strips.
24:47And twist to make them look fancy.
24:50I hate to say it, but I'm sure people are going to think it.
24:53I feel like my twister is better than your twister.
24:56Oh really?
24:58Well let's see how I get on with these parmiers.
25:01Cover the whole pastry sheet with tomato puree, pesto and a sprinkling of parmesan.
25:07You keep banging on about me being untidy, but yours looks like someone's dragged it in from the night out.
25:13You wait till you see the end result.
25:14Oh alright.
25:15He's got it in for me today.
25:17To make the classic parmiers shape, take the long edge and roll the pastry into the middle from both sides.
25:23Then cut into individual portions.
25:26It's like a pastry butterfly.
25:28Now onto the sausage rolls.
25:31Oh I love a sausage roll.
25:32Well we're going to make a Christmassy version.
25:34To make the filling add chopped bacon to turkey mince.
25:37Get in there and give it a good mix around.
25:40Then I've cut my pastry in half lengthways and I'm adding some cranberry sauce.
25:45Here you go.
25:47And add the filling.
25:49Fold it over and then we can crimp that edge.
25:52The word is here, gentle.
25:54Is my middle name that is?
25:55Yeah.
25:56I was listening to you but it's just gone a little bit.
25:59Not so cocky now Jo are you?
26:01Then we just need to cut up the sausage rolls.
26:04Remember this is just a little nibble.
26:06We're not feeding somebody a lunch.
26:08We don't want them there all day do we?
26:09No, no.
26:10And there we have our three pastry snacks.
26:13Egg wash and then flash freeze on trays for an hour before bagging them up.
26:18You can just grab out however many you want, cook them directly from frozen for whenever people arrive.
26:24Into the oven at 180.
26:2725 minutes for the sausage rolls, 20 for the cheese twists and just 12 for the parmiers.
26:33I love these.
26:34Go buy your 12 of them.
26:36So simple and such good value.
26:39And I can feel nice and smug serving up homemade snacks to people popping over at Christmas.
26:51This year Amy and Dwayne are taking on Christmas for the very first time.
26:55It's so overwhelming.
26:57I can help can't I?
26:58If you let me.
26:59Yeah, I thought you would help.
27:01Granny Julie spent 10 hours in the kitchen last Christmas.
27:05But I'm showing Amy my hacks to deliver a delicious feast in just 30 minutes.
27:10But I know only too well that stress isn't limited to just Christmas Day where you have a big family that like to socialise.
27:17Dwayne, what do you usually do for Christmas Eve?
27:20Amy's working so usually she'll get back a bit later and then we have all the family round.
27:25Everybody brings a different pie and we all just tuck in.
27:28So how about this year you are the host with the most and you're going to supply it all for them.
27:34Yes, why not?
27:35Let's give it a go.
27:36This fancy take on a family favourite will be perfect for the Waddington's Christmas Eve.
27:41This lobster mac and cheese can be made weeks in advance and then frozen to be used later.
27:47These are lobster tails.
27:49Yep.
27:50So they just come like this.
27:51Buying lobster tails is a really good budget way of having lobster.
27:55We've defrosted these and are cooking them in the butter they come with.
27:59They're so easy to do.
28:00You're not having to figure out what to do with the whole lobster.
28:03Mac and cheese is so versatile.
28:05We're going to knock up a chorizo version too.
28:08It always makes sense to cook extra and keep that freezer stocked.
28:12Smells good when you've got fresh food cooking in the kitchen.
28:15You only probably smell that when you go to your mother-in-laws along the road, don't you?
28:18Yes.
28:20Next we part cook the macaroni just three minutes.
28:23Remember, we're making it in advance for the freezer.
28:26When you bring it out of the freezer, we're going to put it back in the oven.
28:29Right.
28:30So we don't want to overcook your pasta.
28:31We're going to get on and make the cheese sauce now.
28:34Yep.
28:35We need to make a roux.
28:36I'm assuming you haven't made a roux before.
28:37No.
28:38OK.
28:39It sounds very fancy.
28:40It's super easy.
28:41Just mix flour and butter in a pan.
28:43That's the roux.
28:44You look so scared.
28:46The food is going to bite me.
28:49It's going to get really thick, but don't worry about that, because we're going to start adding our milk.
28:54It starts off a bit lumpy, but don't panic.
28:57Just keep stirring.
28:58This is a white sauce, which can be used in lasagna or chicken pie.
29:03If you're making one portion, you may as well make more.
29:06Freeze that into bags, you know, so that you've just got them mid-week ready to grab out.
29:10You've made sauce!
29:12Dwayne!
29:13Now we just add the cheese.
29:16At Christmas, this is a great way to cut food waste.
29:19If I've had a big cheese board and I've got lots left over, you can make a big cheese sauce with anything.
29:25Next, add some paprika and cherry tomatoes along with the macaroni.
29:29And you give it a stir around.
29:31For two tasty meals, mix the lobster meat into one and the chorizo into the other.
29:36This is the great thing about something like mac and cheese.
29:39You can add all different flavours to it.
29:41You know, ham, a leftover ham at New Year.
29:45The final touch is Parmesan shavings and some breadcrumbs for a good crunch.
29:50We have now made...
29:51Mac and cheese.
29:53This has taken less than 20 minutes.
29:55Now into the oven.
29:57180 for 40 minutes until golden brown.
30:00And Dwayne even has a spare for a mid-week meal.
30:04Oh, here we go.
30:06Shall we get Amy in?
30:07Hello, hello.
30:08This smells gorgeous.
30:13This is absolutely amazing.
30:15It is.
30:16Now you know how to do it, you are going to be doing this on a regular basis.
30:22I was blown away by it.
30:24He is definitely the mac and cheese man now.
30:27Having this is just amazing and knowing that you are taking control of Christmas Eve is even better.
30:34I've never really cooked from scratch before, so it was great fun and it's great now to know that I can now contribute towards Christmas.
30:41It was lovely working with Dwayne in the kitchen.
30:43I can already see that I am getting him away from those chicken nuggets and frozen ready meals.
30:47He will be batching his own meals in no time.
30:49The last piece to the Christmas puzzle is dessert and we are off to Granny Julie's.
30:55So, Julie, what is the protocol when it comes to dessert at Christmas?
30:59Well, we have Christmas puddings in the cupboard but they never come out and we make trifle but often we don't even touch it.
31:09There is a lesson here. Don't stick to traditional Christmas desserts if no one likes them.
31:14Wow, Granny Julie, it's 2013.
31:18He's older than your grandkids.
31:21Tiramisu is a great alternative to a Christmas pud.
31:25It can be made well in advance and involves next to no prep on the day.
31:29My turn to cook, so I am enlisting the kids as my helpers.
31:33It's a big responsibility doing the dessert for Christmas, isn't it?
31:36Yeah.
31:37We are going to get this right. Shall we get cracking?
31:39Yeah.
31:40Literally, first, separate the eggs.
31:43That's it.
31:45That's it.
31:46Keep the yolk in there.
31:47Perfect.
31:48Chuck the yolk into this side.
31:50Good job.
31:51Perfect.
31:52New scale.
31:53Then whisk the whites until they are fluffy.
31:56Hold on to the ball.
31:58Hold on to the ball.
31:59Good tip.
32:00Forgot to tell them.
32:01Go!
32:02We are going to go faster.
32:05Yeah.
32:06And everyone knows how to test when they are done, right?
32:10One, two.
32:12I hope this goes well.
32:14Three.
32:15Go!
32:16Give it a little tap.
32:18That's brilliant.
32:19Liv, give yours a tap.
32:20Come on.
32:21Brilliant job.
32:22On to the bowl with the egg yolks.
32:25Another opportunity to make a mess.
32:27We add sugar and mascarpone and mix.
32:30I don't know if to run for cover here or not.
32:33Go!
32:38I think you're done.
32:39You're the winner.
32:43Then gently fold in the egg whites.
32:46Like putting it to bed.
32:47That's it.
32:48Because you want to try and keep as many of the bubbles in there as possible.
32:52So now what we're going to do is we're going to make two different versions.
32:55Jackson, you're going to do the adult one.
32:57And you'll do the kids one, alright?
32:59So, we're going to layer this up like a lasagna.
33:02Both versions start with a base of sliced cake.
33:05Shop bought is inexpensive and saves time.
33:08Chocolate marble for Maggie, soaked in cold hot chocolate.
33:11And the adult one uses hazelnut cake, soaked in coffee and Irish cream liqueur.
33:17We'll let your nan decide how much of this we should use.
33:20How good do you want your Christmas to be?
33:22OK, Joe.
33:23Stop!
33:24Stop!
33:25Stop!
33:26Stop!
33:27Sorry!
33:28I didn't hear you!
33:29The next layer is the mascarpone and egg mix.
33:32That's it.
33:33Great bit of spreading.
33:34Nice and even.
33:35You could be a bricklayer without the sort of spreading.
33:38Now I'm in the Christmas spirit.
33:40Why does everyone love Frosty the Snowman?
33:42Don't know.
33:43Because he's such a cool guy.
33:45Yeah?
33:46No.
33:47Hold up.
33:48I've got another one.
33:49What do you call Santa when he stops moving?
33:50What?
33:51Santa paws.
33:52Do you get it?
33:54No.
33:55Enough of that.
33:56On with the tiramisu.
33:57Keep building the layers of cake and cream to the top of the dish.
34:01It's pure finesse with Joe.
34:03Pure finesse.
34:04Look at that.
34:05A final sprinkling of nuts or chocolate and job's done.
34:09Look at these.
34:10Look at what you've made, guys.
34:11Look.
34:12I think it's going to go down an absolute treat.
34:14Is this something that you might want to do again?
34:16Yeah.
34:17These can now go straight into the freezer and just need to be defrosted on Christmas Eve, ready for the big day.
34:23How exciting is that going to be for you two on Christmas Day, knowing that after dinner, it's your dessert?
34:29And here's some I made earlier.
34:31Maybe not quite so boozy, Joe.
34:33Look at this.
34:34Oh, look at this.
34:35Oh, that's delicious.
34:36Yeah.
34:37Oh, it's scrumptious.
34:38Well done to the pair of you.
34:40It was very nice seeing Granny relaxing because she's usually always up helping us and it'd be nice to take the pressure off Mum on Christmas Day because she's already got a lot of cooking to do.
34:52Do you think Nanny Julie's going to stay out of the kitchen?
34:55She's probably going to say, oh, you're doing this wrong, oh, you're doing that wrong.
34:59Me and Jackson, we've both got like our parts now so we can just make the tiramisu every year.
35:05I've got loads of kids myself.
35:07They love getting involved with the cooking.
35:09You keep encouraging them.
35:10Next year, you know, they could do the roast potatoes.
35:13They could do the stuffing.
35:15They could do the bacon lattice.
35:17There you go.
35:25In Lancashire, Suzanne and I are preparing the Waddington family for Christmas.
35:30And it's time for me to put my theory to the test.
35:33Can Amy serve an epic Christmas dinner while spending just 30 minutes in the kitchen?
35:39What we need, Suzanne, is a real test run.
35:41Christmas jumpers and all.
35:43Whose go is it?
35:44Phil.
35:46One more.
35:48Frozen!
35:52While the family enjoy the festivities, it's time for Amy and I to get started on our super speedy Christmas dinner cook.
36:00I'm hoping that I can do it within 30 minutes.
36:02We are going to do it.
36:03I've got your help.
36:04Our 30 minutes in the kitchen will be split into small chunks.
36:09We're starting three and a half hours before we want to serve.
36:12This will allow enough time for the turkey to cook and rest and plenty of time for us to relax too.
36:18Put the butter that we've made under the skin.
36:21Split it down like it's a bit of the kids play dough, that's it.
36:24All the food has been defrosted in advance apart from the roasted potatoes and veg, which we'll cook from frozen.
36:31That's perfect.
36:32We add Joe and Dwayne's bacon lattice to the top of the turkey crown.
36:36This is all adding moisture and flavour.
36:39No dry, tasteless turkey here.
36:41And our first job of the day is done. Stop the timer.
36:45While the turkey cooks, Amy has two hours to enjoy time with her family.
36:50Oh, just inside.
36:52Smells delicious.
36:53It's looking fab.
36:55And while we wait, we're back in the test kitchen with some great ways to make use of Christmas leftovers.
37:02Do you like a pie?
37:04I love a pie. I just think they're so versatile.
37:07You're easily pleased. I love it.
37:09270,000 tonnes of food are thrown away at Christmas.
37:13My turkey and anything goes pie will feed the family and help reduce seasonal food waste.
37:19We start with a white sauce, flour, butter and milk.
37:23Add some creme fraiche and then some frozen peas and allow the sauce to cool.
37:29We want to make the pie cold so that we're able to heat it up whenever we want it.
37:33Gotcha.
37:34Then in goes all our leftovers straight from the fridge.
37:37Turkey, ham, carrots and parsnips, but this could be anything you want.
37:42What veg do your kids like?
37:44Stacey does a lot of growing in the garden.
37:46We have loads of veg on our plate at Christmas.
37:49Then add the sauce to the dish.
37:51Looks lovely that, doesn't it?
37:53And lay the pre-made pastry on top.
37:55Don't even have to find a rolling pin.
37:58Brush it all with egg wash.
38:00Have you done painting and decorating?
38:02No, I'm banned from doing that in the house because I'm too messy apparently.
38:06And there's our finished pie.
38:09At this stage now we could put this in the freezer if we wanted to or we can put it directly in the oven.
38:15That's why we done it.
38:16It's a batch cook program.
38:17That's what I do.
38:18Now it makes sense.
38:20Come on, Jo.
38:22While the pie cooks, I've got a slightly out there idea for another way to use up those Christmas leftovers.
38:28We are going to make a Christmas dinner ice cream.
38:35No, no, hear me out.
38:36Hold up a minute.
38:37It's got that sweet and saltiness about it.
38:40It's like salted caramel.
38:41Bear with me.
38:42I think you've lost it, Suzanne.
38:44But this might be a fun thing to do with the kids.
38:47If you can't have a laugh at Christmas, Jo, when can you?
38:50The process is simple.
38:52Softened vanilla ice cream in a bowl.
38:54This is some leftover gravy.
38:58Then I add some cranberry sauce like a raspberry ripple.
39:01I'm still trying to figure out whether this is a big wind up.
39:04It's not.
39:05You're going to love it.
39:06Then some more gravy, stuffing sprinkles and a pig in a blanket.
39:11And then I've just got a little bit of turkey skin as our wafer.
39:16Oh, great.
39:17Swashy's Christmas Sunday.
39:19Don't attach my name to this, mate.
39:22You going to try it?
39:23It's got gravy in it.
39:25Just try it.
39:29It tastes better than I thought it was going to taste.
39:32It's like salted caramel.
39:34Suzanne loves it, but for me the jewellery is still out.
39:37I'll leave it for you lot to decide.
39:40Amy and I are back in the kitchen to tend to our turkey.
39:43Right, timer is on.
39:46We're going to get the turkey out.
39:47This next bell in the kitchen should be about an hour and a half
39:50before you want dinner on the table.
39:52We haven't had to worry about basting this turkey
39:55because we've already got the bacon on the top of it.
39:58It smells fantastic.
40:00Look at that.
40:01It looks amazing.
40:02You've done that.
40:03Resting the meat will make it juicier when it comes to carving later.
40:07And also frees up space in the oven for the roast potatoes.
40:10Win-win.
40:11Cooking these from frozen.
40:13They're literally coming out the bags and onto the trays, OK?
40:16This is so simple.
40:18I'm starting to wish I'd have done this sooner.
40:21All the hard work has been done already
40:23and now we're reaping the rewards.
40:25These and the parsnips and carrots need 40 minutes at 200.
40:29They're just going to crisp up lovely.
40:32Amy has so much spare time to enjoy with the family.
40:36Right, OK, are we ready?
40:38So, TV, I mean, film?
40:41No.
40:42No talking, Joe.
40:43Two words.
40:44Second word.
40:46Second word.
40:50Ghost!
40:52Pottery.
40:53Pottery throw down.
40:54Pottery throw down.
40:55Harry Potter.
40:56Yes!
40:57Hang on!
41:04With just 40 minutes until dinner,
41:06we're back in the kitchen to check the veg.
41:09Joe is such a chase.
41:11Cheeks every time.
41:12Excuse me?
41:13Right, we're going to start the timer.
41:15We're going to get the rest of the sides out.
41:18The potatoes and roasted veg are coming out of the oven,
41:21but we'll go back in five minutes before serving
41:23to get the perfect crisp.
41:25Look at those.
41:27Do they look as good as your normal freezer-bought ones?
41:30Even better.
41:31They look amazing.
41:34Our homemade stuffing, along with some shop-bought pigs
41:37and blankets, can go in now.
41:39They need around 30 minutes.
41:41We have done so well.
41:43We've got a bit of time, so let's just do the clearing up
41:45so we don't even have to do that later.
41:48A great way to keep on top of the kitchen.
41:50Then it's back to the family.
41:52Hooray!
41:54The perfect preparation for your first relaxing Christmas.
42:01Bottoms up.
42:02Cheers!
42:03Merry Christmas!
42:04Merry Christmas!
42:05Merry Christmas!
42:06Merry Christmas!
42:07Merry Christmas!
42:08At this stage, we could serve up the pastry snacks
42:10we made earlier to tide over our guests.
42:13Right.
42:14OK.
42:15We're going to start our timer again.
42:17This is our final stretch in the kitchen.
42:1960 minutes to get everything ready and on the table.
42:23Let's get our gravy and our sprouts on now.
42:27And with those on the hob, we can get ready to serve.
42:30This dinner set I have been collecting for years.
42:34Your matching stuff is gorgeous.
42:37But if you don't have things like this,
42:39maybe you don't have a gravy bowl.
42:41I've got a friend who just uses a teapot as a gravy bowl.
42:44That's such a good idea.
42:45Yeah.
42:46Amy, we have cooked everything.
42:48And we've still got eight minutes to get it all plated up
42:52and on the table.
42:54Amazing.
42:55I literally couldn't believe
42:57that I was ever, ever going to do Christmas Day,
43:00especially in under 30 minutes.
43:02Let's give everybody a feast tonight, shall we?
43:04I hope they're all hungry.
43:05Yeah.
43:06So, in records time,
43:07the Waddington Christmas dinner is ready to be served
43:10with a new head chef at the helm.
43:13Come on, you lot.
43:14Look at this.
43:15Wow.
43:16It may be a practice run,
43:18but for this feast, we've pulled out all the stops.
43:21Well done.
43:22That looks amazing.
43:23Well done.
43:24That looks really good.
43:25I love the way you've done the bacon on the top.
43:28Oh!
43:29Oh, girl!
43:30Thank you, Grandma!
43:31Come on, Granny.
43:33Should we do a crackers?
43:35Crackers?
43:36Three, two, one!
43:37Whee!
43:40Right, I reckon we should tuck into this dinner.
43:42Kids, are you having a bit of everything?
43:44No.
43:45Yes, please.
43:46So far, so good, but the proof is in the eating.
43:50The stuff is really good.
43:52This food is absolutely amazing.
43:56Does this taste like a 30-minute Christmas dinner?
43:59It's exceeded my standards.
44:01It's absolutely beautiful.
44:03Never in a million years did I think I could pull something like this off.
44:08It's amazing.
44:09Immensely proud.
44:10She's done absolutely fantastic, yeah.
44:11Job done.
44:12Job done.
44:13Over the Christmas period, the family were spending almost £500 on food,
44:18and Julie was prepping in the kitchen for almost a whole day.
44:22Wow, that is a big task.
44:24So, have we managed to make the Christmas merrier?
44:28Are you ready, everybody?
44:29Yes.
44:30Here we go.
44:31Wow!
44:32We've compared the same three-day period as before, and my festive recipes and batch cooking
44:38has more than half the cost of Christmas food, saving over £270.
44:44Incredible saving.
44:45I think that goes in the holiday fund.
44:47Absolutely.
44:48I think so.
44:49Yeah.
44:50And as for time, they've saved 12 whole hours, nine of which are on Christmas Day itself.
44:56I'm blown away that's half a day of Christmas I can get back.
45:01And I've got to ask you, how are your stress levels?
45:04Definitely in the green.
45:05No doubt in the green.
45:06So, what we really want to know is, are you feeling more confident about putting on the
45:11Waddon Christmas dinner this year?
45:13A hundred percent.
45:14I can't wait for Christmas now.
45:16Granny Julie is going to be having her feet up.
45:19I absolutely am, yeah.
45:20Here's to Granny Julie.
45:21Cheers, everybody.
45:22Cheers.
45:23Cheers.
45:24Cheers.
45:25Cheers.
45:26Cheers.
45:27I think this evening's been ace, hasn't it?
45:29It has, yeah.
45:30Even Granny was more than happy.
45:32Yeah, yeah.
45:33She's just been able to sit down and do nothing.
45:36A hundred percent well deserved.
45:38It seems to be going down great, doesn't it?
45:40Really, from now on, I think Amy's got this.
45:43I'm going to let them take it forward.
45:45I think that's the future of Christmases from now on.
45:48I definitely feel I'm ready to take the reins from my mum and take on Christmas for the
45:53next 30 years.
45:55Who knows?
45:56Yeah.
45:57We're leaving you in good hands and I'm sure you'll have the most stress-free Christmas.
46:01Yeah.
46:02And Merry Christmas, everyone!
46:04Cheers.
46:05Thank you very much.
46:06I think Santa brings you what you want.
46:09That's definitely something we can see us doing more.
46:11Absolutely.
46:12It's something that we really need to introduce into just day-to-day life, not just Christmas.
46:17There we have it, Suzanne.
46:19Batch cooking is for life, not just for Christmas.
46:22Also helping us to keep chilled and organised, Jamie is getting all his turkeys in a row with
46:32Cook Ahead Christmas starting this Monday at 8.
46:35And on Tuesday, we're off to see The Wizard, a very festive Wizard of Oz.
46:39Castle Howard is getting a bit of a wicked makeover.
46:41A very British Christmas is at 8.
46:43Up next, new Gogglebox.
46:45The Wizard of Oz.
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