Whipping up a Christmas feast is always stressful, even for the most experienced home cooks. To help you get through the big event (and the days leading up to it), we've rounded up the best festive cooking advice from our favourite celebrity chefs. From Martha Stewart's food shopping hacks to Mary Berry's foolproof turkey-carving method, these are all the tips you'll need for your most delicious Christmas yet.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the best Christmas cooking tips from celebrity chefs – counting down to the most important piece of culinary advice of all.
Whether you're making a festive soup, a comforting stew or even a braised meat dish, Italian American chef and US television personality Giada De Laurentiis' top tip is to add Parmesan rind into the pot and let it simmer. It brings a salty, umami-rich depth to all sorts of sauces – and if you have leftover cheese (as many of us do at this time of year), it's a great way to use it up.
Whether you like your cranberry sauce sweet and smooth or tart and chunky, it's a Christmas staple – and, fortunately for leftover sauce, breakfast loves cranberries. Food Network star Ree Drummond, famous for her cooking show The Pioneer Woman, has an easy method to transform the sauce into a sweet jam to spoon over pancakes, waffles or French toast: simply heat the leftover cranberry sauce with pure maple syrup in a saucepan until it thickens. You'll be rewarded with the most amazing aroma, too.
Cooking and peeling fresh chestnuts is a hassle you definitely don't need at Christmas. Instead, stock up on vacuum-packed, ready-to-use chestnuts, and try them with bacon and Brussels sprouts. British TV chef Nigella Lawson also suggests rustling up a seasonal salad of fried pancetta cubes, chestnuts and sturdy, bitter leaves, all mixed up with a vinegar and Dijon mustard dressing.
Simple to throw together and guaranteed to please, cheeseboards are a reliable party staple. But to really spoil your guests this Christmas, American lifestyle expert Martha Stewart advises taking things one step further and creating a cheese buffet. To make one, spread your cheeses and accompaniments – Stewart recommends honey, almonds, olives and cured meats – over a table or countertop on an array of plates lifted by pedestals.
For a delicious post-dinner treat, Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood suggests combining a chocolate roulade with cherries to create the ultimate festive yule log. "Use good-quality ingredients – putting cherries in the cream is fantastic, as they keep it moist," Hollywood says. He suggests making it on Christmas Eve, then leaving it in the fridge throughout Christmas Day and Boxing Day to allow the flavours to infuse and the moisture to seep into the chocolate sponge.
The host of Food Network's hit TV show The Barefoot Contessa says the key to a stress-free Christmas dinner could be to skip the first course altogether. She suggests serving the roast first, then bringing a cheeseboard and green salad to the table – and finishing off with a decadent dessert. "Now I'm not sitting and eating my soup while I'm wondering how in the world I'm going to carve the meat and get everything hot to the table," she says.
There's already enough pressure to get your meal perfect on Christmas Day – so don't add any more by attempting to cook an array of overly complicated dishes in a short time. British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay suggests keeping it simple with classic flavour combinations everyone loves (think honey-glazed carrots and parsnips, Brussels sprouts with bacon, and spiced red cabbage), and pushing back lunch until 3 or 4pm to allow plenty of time to get everything ready.
If you plan on serving mashed potatoes or casseroles alongside your festive centrepiece, take a tip from American TV chef Rachael Ray and make them in advance. Seal casseroles with cling film, then keep them in the fridge until it's time to bake them. As for mashed potatoes, get them ready a little ahead of time, then hold them in a water bath – that way, they'll stay warm and fluffy.
We all know how busy supermarkets can get in the lead-up to Christmas. Instead of braving the queues, American TV personality and lifestyle expert Martha Stewart encourages people to skip overcrowded stores and instead buy as many grocery and pantry items as possible online – or by phone from local stores that deliver or offer collection. "It can help save you precious time," she says.
This is entirely a matter of preference, but American celebrity chef Ina Garten insists that un-stuffed turkey cooks faster, with juicier results. Plus, if you leave the stuffing out, you can make it ahead of time (Garten favours a savoury bread and apple pudding), then bake it alongside the turkey. "You can have the best of both worlds – perfectly cooked turkey and moist, delicious stuffing with a crispy topping," she says.
If you're tired of the same old flavours at Christmas, British TV cook Nigella Lawson has a top tip up her sleeve: invest in a jar of harissa. She suggests mixing a couple of tablespoons of the rose paste with a little oil, a pinch of cinnamon, and the zest and juice of a satsuma to add oomph to anything you roast. It'll work wonders on cauliflower as well as root vegetables like carrots and parsnips.
Nobody likes dry ham – but unfortunately, it's easy to overcook this festive favourite. For juicy, flavoursome results, American TV chef Ree Drummond says you're better off choosing a bone-in ham, as pre-cut hams tend to dry out in the oven. "You'll also want to cover the ham with foil as it bakes to keep it nice and moist," she says. A glaze, although not essential, will make a lot of difference (and remember to cook your ham low and slow, too).
It's not just pantry staples and fresh meat and vegetables you'll need to get through Christmas – former Great British Bake Off judge Mary Berry says that you should also have a decent supply of extra-wide foil, kitchen roll, cling film and non-stick baking paper. Before shopping, check you have enough of these products in your kitchen cupboards. You'll also need a skewer or meat thermometer to test whether your turkey is cooked, as well as a large spoon for basting.
Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a mountain of leftovers. If your panettone is a little past its best, don't worry – it's not destined for the bin. US chef and television personality Giada De Laurentiis' trick to make panettone last a little longer involves turning it into a whole new dessert with fruit, cream and mascarpone. We think it's even tastier this way!
American television personality and cookbook author Chrissy Teigen's secret to perfectly crispy turkey skin? Getting rid of the moisture. She suggests patting the skin completely dry before roasting. For even more crispiness, rub the skin with melted butter or oil, then crank up the oven to let it brown for the first 20 minutes of cooking time. If the turkey looks like it's getting too brown towards the end of cooking, use kitchen foil to cover the darkest parts; that way, they won't overcook and dry out.
Perfect roast potatoes are key to a crowd-pleasing Christmas dinner. British TV chef Gordon Ramsay, known for his hit show Hell's Kitchen, recommends parboiling and steam-drying your potatoes, then roasting them in duck or goose fat. For the ultimate crunch, gently shake the potatoes to create fluffy edges (which will crisp up beautifully in the oven) and finish with a sprinkling of semolina.
Want to make sure your Christmas dinner plans go without a hitch? British cooking expert Mary Berry has a suggestion for you: plan as much as possible. "I do an awful lot of preparing in advance over the festive season. I start by making my list of who's visiting and how many meals I'll need to make," she says. "Then I list all the meals over Christmas and what ingredients I'll need."
British celebrity chef and restaurateur Jamie Oliver thinks hosts have every right to enjoy Christmas just as much as dinner guests – so, to avoid being in the kitchen all day, they should keep their snacks and starters simple. "Avoid fiddly nibbles and instead prepare piles of toast and chopped vegetables so everyone can tuck into easy cheese fondue or classic chicken liver parfait," he says.
If you find that your gravy has turned out too thin or has broken, don't panic. To rescue it, slowly whisk in some more liquid until you have the right consistency. American TV personality Chrissy Teigen says you can even use the starchy potato water from the pot to help bring it back together. If the gravy is too thin, thicken it by whisking in a mix of cornflour and flour. To avoid lumps, first mix 1 tbsp cornflour and 2 tbsp flour with a little cold water – that way, it'll form a paste.
As tempting as it may be, American cook and television personality Rachael Ray says Christmas just isn't the time to reinvent the wheel and try out a host of new recipes. Her advice? Take the stress out of cooking and entertaining by sticking to familiar, tried-and-tested dishes that you already know and love. "It doesn't have to be complicated," she says.
"Everyone wants their turkey to be moist throughout, but that often turns out to not be the result – by the time the legs are cooked, the breast may well have dried out," US television presenter and lifestyle mogul Martha Stewart says. Instead, she suggests roasting your bird upside down; the secret lies in placing the turkey on a buttered loaf of ciabatta, which helps the meat to cook evenly.
"For me, the only turkey is a brined one," says British celebrity chef Nigella Lawson. But what is brining, exactly? This clever method involves soaking the bird in a salty solution, breaking down the proteins in the meat. Not only will brining your turkey make it wonderfully tender, but it'll also add a subtle spice and depth of flavour. If that weren't enough, it'll also make carving the bird much easier.
Though roast turkey is a Christmas Day staple that's considered essential by many, there are lots of other tasty centrepieces you can try if you feel like mixing things up a bit this year. Beef tenderloin is a great alternative to turkey; it'll feed a crowd, it's quick to make, and it's 'heaven on a fork', according to Ree Drummond – known for her Food Network show The Pioneer Woman.
British cook and television personality Mary Berry insists that fresh turkey is best, but if you do buy frozen, it's crucial that you make sure to start thawing it well ahead of time. Berry recommends thawing the bird in a cool place like a garage, then making sure it's defrosted completely before moving it to the fridge on Christmas Eve. "When thawed, the meat should be soft and the cavity ice free. Check that the legs move freely from the breast too," she says.
How does Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood spend Boxing Day? Making a delicious pie from his Christmas leftovers, that's how. "I put in turkey, apricots, stuffing, sausage and anything else that is left," he says. Not only will this thrifty dish be a big hit on the day, but it'll require minimal effort to put together – plus, it's a great way to use up all those odds and ends.
As much as we love a delicious Christmas dinner, the holiday season isn't about serving the perfect meal; it's about being together and spreading festive cheer. Italian American celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis encourages home cooks to let kids help with the baking. "Pick out a fun recipe you can make together," she says. She also recommends involving other family members in smaller jobs, so you can focus on the most important tasks at hand.
As the author of a cookbook titled Make It Ahead of Time, it's hardly surprising that American celebrity chef Ina Garten advises cooking and prepping as much as you can in advance. Plan your menu so that you only have to finish the last steps of dishes you're serving – that way, you'll have more time to spend with your guests. She also suggests keeping Post-it notes handy with last-minute instructions, like steps for reheating.
Not a fan of dry turkey? Gordon Ramsay has just the tip for you. "If you only do one thing, rest your turkey," says the Hell's Kitchen host. Once your bird is cooked, make sure you've factored in at least 45 minutes of resting time in a warm place. Not only will this allow the meat to relax – meaning it'll be deliciously tender – but it'll also ensure that the turkey stays moist.
"I find it easier to carve one side of the turkey first," says British cooking icon Mary Berry. You'll want to start from the leg; take it off, and divide it into drumstick and thigh. Next, cut the wing off as close to the breast as possible – and finally, slice the breast meat on the diagonal. That way, you can arrange the different cuts on a serving platter, and everyone can take their pick from the lighter breast meat and the darker meat from the legs.
Now discover our 25-step guide to serving the tastiest Christmas feast ever
Last updated by Jessica Morris.