Two-Tray Christmas Dinner
This Two-Tray Christmas Dinner delivers the complete festive feast with minimal fuss — tender turkey crown, crisp roast potatoes, sticky parsnips, glazed carrots, and smoky bacon-wrapped stuffing balls, all roasted together in just two trays. It’s a time-saving, crowd-pleasing triumph that keeps the oven door closed and spirits high.
Equipment
- 2 large roasting trays
- Mixing bowls
- aluminum foil
- Gravy jug
- Meat thermometer
- whisk,
Ingrediënten
Tray One
- 65 g butter softened (plus 1 tbsp for the gravy)
- 2 tsp ground mace
- Small bunch sage leaves chopped
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 –3kg turkey crown
- 1 large onion sliced
- 450 g sausagemeat
- 3 tbsp cranberry sauce
- 75 g prunes finely chopped
- 8 rashers smoked streaky bacon halved
- 4 tbsp port or red wine
Tray Two
- 800 g Maris Piper potatoes halved or quartered
- 600 g parsnips peeled and quartered
- 450 g small carrots trimmed
- 450 g Brussels sprouts halved
- 150 ml vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp plain flour +2 tbsp for gravy
- 4 bay leaves
Instructies
- Preheat the oven to 190°C / 170°C fan / gas 5.
- Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil.
- Mash butter, mace, half the sage, and garlic together, then create a pocket under the turkey skin and spread most of the butter underneath, rubbing the remainder on top.
- Place the sliced onions in the tray, settle the turkey on top, and begin roasting for 1 to 1.
- 5 hours, basting halfway.
- Parboil potatoes for 8 minutes, add parsnips for 3–5 minutes, drain, and allow to steam-dry.
- Cook carrots for 5 minutes and sprouts for 2–4 minutes, reserving some of the vegetable water.
- Mix sausagemeat, prunes, cranberry sauce, remaining sage and mace, roll into roughly 16 balls, wrap each with bacon, and chill.
- After 90 minutes of roasting, baste the turkey again and add the stuffing balls to the tray, then move it to the lower oven shelf.
- Heat oil in the second tray on the upper shelf for 10 minutes.
- Toss potatoes and parsnips in flour and hot oil, returning them to roast for 30 minutes, turning midway.
- Check turkey temperature; if cooked, remove and rest under foil for 20 minutes.
- Increase heat to 220°C / 200°C fan / gas 7.
- Roast potatoes another 10 minutes.
- Add carrots, sprouts, and bay leaves to the tray and roast for 30 minutes, adding stuffing balls for the final 5 minutes.
- For gravy, place the turkey tray over heat, add wine or port, scrape up the sticky bits, whisk in vegetable water, then butter-flour paste.
- Simmer 10 minutes and strain before serving.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Serving Tip:
Serve directly from the roasting trays for a relaxed, family-style Christmas feast.Wine Pairing:
Pair with a hearty Vacqueyras to match the richness of turkey, roasted vegetables, and smoky stuffing.Nutritional Information
Calories: 685 kcal | Carbohydrates: 48 g | Protein: 46 g | Fat: 34 g | Fiber: 8 g | Sugar: 1.8 g | Salt: 11 g
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