Stress Free Christmas - Menu and Recipes

All I want for Christmas are my two front teeth. I am sure there are plenty of people singing 'All I want for christmas is a stress free christmas' I am sure of it, so what about a delicious, yet super simple and stress free Christmas menu that can be completed easily?? Hands up who's in!

I adore Christmas, I love everything about it, the love, the decorations, the carols, the present buying, the present wrapping, the present giving, the Christmas movies, the egg nog, the mulled wine, the roaring fire and the snowy window sills.....Oh wait!!! That is Christmas past 😉

Now we need to add, the frozen vodka cocktails, barbies and fans running on full blast, to the mix! I do love living in Australia, but I just can't get my head around singing 'Frosty the Snowman' when it is 39ºC (102ºF) outside! I am not a summer person! I am a quirk of nature and I just prefer winter!!!!!

So swerving the traditional, this year we are having a different Christmas dinner, I haven't got any photos or recipes for you yet, as I am making this on Christmas day...there maybe some on Instagram over the course of the day, but I decided not to cook the menu in advance and share it, because I really want the food on Christmas day to be super special and a little bit different. We might not have snow but we will have an 8 course degustation! I will get a menu up for you after the big day 😉

Potato, Basil and Chive Frittata Squares, the appetiser for my stress free Christmas.

But all that has nothing to do with my stress free Christmas menu!!! I am only sharing that little story because it sets the scene for why I cooked a turkey dinner yesterday! In fact I put the turkey in at 7:40am!!! I had a timer on myself! And I wanted to start it at one of the most stressful times of day. Now I could have picked 6:45pm, which is without a doubt the worst time of day in my house!! But then the boys wouldn't have got to eat the turkey so I went for breakfast time, which lets face it, is when most people will be getting ready to cook their turkey dinner. I put the oven on at 7:30 and set myself a timer. I had, appetiser, main course and dessert all prepped and cooked in under 2 hours! And for at least an hour of that I was sat on the sofa watching Home Alone with the boys. (I am so in love with that house!!!!!! Still after 26 years I would move there is someone asked me!!! - YUP 26 YEARS SINCE IT CAME OUT!!!!!!!! DO YOU FEEL OLD???? I DO!!!!!!!! )

Anyway, I prepped the whole meal in well under an hour! And that hour included getting the boys drinks, and some fruit. Only fruit for breakfast as we had turkey dinner for brunch 😉

Rolled Turkey Thigh Roast with Bacon Crust, a easier and smaller way to enjoy turkey.

So I decided that after last year when I shared my  handsfree 10 hour slow roast turkey that serves 12 people, this year I wanted to create a bit of an alternative. Not everyone wants a big turkey that will feed 20 people!!! Maybe there will just be the two of you, maybe you are working nights/mornings or have had a last minute change of plans? These days the holidays and Christmas have become this massive stress for people and that is so far removed from how we should be feeling. It is a joyful season and one that should be entered into with a smile (and a glass of champers!!!!)

I adore being in the kitchen, but I know not everyone does, I know not everyone enjoys spending Christmas eve pottering about the kitchen, so I challenged myself to make a simple, delicious menu; that is easy to shop for in the supermarket and takes very little time to prepare. (Here in Australia where you can't buy alcohol in the supermarket you will need to stop at the bottle shop as well, but I kind of figure you will be stopping there anyway!!!!)

This Spinach, Grape and Blue Cheese Salad is perfect all year round but it works so well as part of my stress free Christmas.

So my stress free Christmas menu serves 4 easily with enough leftovers for Boxing day sandwiches 😉 but you won't be eating everything going into the new year. Perfect!!! I do hate food waste!!!!

Vanilla ice cream with sherry soaked sultanas. An almost instant dessert!!! Perfect for a stress free Christmas!

Here in Western Australia you can buy everything you need in one shop - For me that means either Woolworths, Coles or Aldi. (With a stop at the bottle shop!)

I am sorry I cannot vouch for any other supermarkets, but unless they have changed immensely I am sure Asda and Tesco will stock everything for this (including the booze!!!)
Sorry my fabulous American readers, I have never shopped over there so I really am at a loss for where to go! I am going to ask my super gorgeous cousin if she can help me, but she has 4 beautiful children to look after so she is very unlikely to be looking at a stress free Christmas!!!!!

Anyway, here is the fab stress free christmas menu.

I hope you have an amazing Christmas filled with love xxx

APPETISER
Potato, Basil and Chive Frittata Squares
MAIN
Rolled Turkey Thigh Roast with Bacon Crust
Potato Roses
Spinach, Grape and Blue Cheese Salad
DESSERT
Vanilla Ice cream with Sherry Soaked Sultanas