Going live effective immediately – and open right through to Christmas Eve, JB and I are on duty to answer your Christmas cooking questions. ✨Welcome to our Christmas Cooking Hotline!!✨
JB and I are on call!
I’m so excited to be doing this! I’ve had the idea of a Christmas cooking hotline bubbling away in my mind for years, but I always hesitated because I worried it would be too much to handle on my own.
But now that JB is part of the face of RecipeTin and it’s not just me, there’s two of us here to answer your questions. So for the first time ever, we’re opening up a hotline for Christmas cooking questions, bringing together home-cook practicality and actual proper chef experience (JB!), which means more ideas and better problem-solving for you!
So drop your question in the comments section below and we will answer as many as we can (we need to sleep, and we have some other work things to finish!). Ask anything you want, like:
Can I make this ahead, freeze it, or reheat it?
What can I substitute if I can’t find an ingredient?
How do I scale recipes up or down?
Help, something’s going wrong – how do I fix it?
Menu planning, timing, or oven logistics chaos 😅
Even though our last day of work is this Friday, JB has generously agreed to continue helping me with questions right through to Christmas Eve. Thank you JB, you’re the best.
And now…. the Christmas Cooking Hotline is now officially open. So drop your questions below and we’ll jump in to help wherever we can, because Christmas cooking is much more fun with backup! 🎄 – Nagi x
PS Few out-takes from today’s little Christmas shooting session. We know how to cook better than taking selfies. Promise. 😅
PPS Who nailed The Wink? 😉
Life of Dozer
My favourite Dozer Christmas outfit.
Though to be honest, Santa spends most of his time like this:
Which I’m sure is Santa after a few too many Christmas wines. This has absolutely nothing to do with his ride – or the stable hand who saddled up his ride. 😂
My family would love duck this Christmas. Any suggestions?
I’m planning on making the summer salmon from tonight for mains this Christmas. What sides would you suggest to serve with this. I’m having prawn cocktails for entrees. Thanking you!
SHANI! I hope you love it, that was honestly one of the most top rated recipes by all my recipe testers!! I would do corn cobs with softened butter – to be really indulgent, I’d do the Mexican corn cobs (rolled in spiced mayo + parm) but to go ALL OUT I’d do corn ribs (they are EPIC)! For salads I’d do my no mayo slaw and/or a French Bistro Salad, and probably roast pumpkin feta baby spinach salad (I like that it contrasts with the salmon) plus instead of mayo potato salad I’d do the Lemon Potato Salad or German Potato Salad. Add warm soft bread rolls and softened salted butter, or maybe corn bread muffins (OMG YES!), and I’d be one happy gal! 🙂 – N x
Awesome, thank you so much! X
OH my the corn ribs are delicious. Cooked these with the bbq short ribs for some friends. Everyone loved them.
The summer salmon is delicious.
Nagi! JB! Dozer! My saviours!
2 questions for you please 🙏🏾
1. I have 2 events that I need to bring a charcuterie board. I saw you had a challenge about a budget charcuterie board but I can’t for the life of me find the outcome! Can you reshare the results please?
2. Having Christmas Brekkie & Lunch at mine. Brekkie has to factor in peeps that don’t do eggs and lunch has to factor my pregnant daughter…..HELP!!! PLEASE!
Love you guys, keep doing what you love and doing best! 🎄🎅🧑🎄🎁⛄️
Hi Moya! We ditched the budget charcuterie board because we felt we could do better then ran out of time to make more versions 🙂 The board was mostly about making economical ingredients look amazing on a plate, and tips for how to do that – like how to cut and arrange the cheese, and to group chunks of course for impact, choose contrasting colours – again for impact. And also visual ways to arrange the ham. If you search “cheese board reel” on instagram you will see many talented creators online to get some great ideas! Brekkie – homemade granola or Bill Granger’s brekkie corn fritters or morning glory muffins (all on my website) or a spread including all plus fruit platter / charcuterie board + yogurt (DIY situation). For lunch – Christmas Glazed Chicken is an all rounder winner I find. Kids to grownups love it, and it’s easy + economical to make. Read comment above for side suggestions – I’d do the same for the glazed chicken! – N x
I’m having 26 for a hot lunch. Can I peel and cut potatoes the night before and leave in cold water?
Depends what for! Not for dauphinoise/gratin type dishes. For potato salad and mash it’s ok (but consider the mashed potato casserole to make your life easier) but for roasting I wouldn’t recommend it, it will mess with the starch levels and I don’t know what it’d do to bloat the potatoes with water (and how that would affect roasting). Hope that helps1 – N x
Hi Nagi and JB, first off..I think Nagi nailed the wink!
Could you recommend something other than a cheeseboard as a pre lunch snacks..I love cheese butan I’m sick of cheese boards!
Thanks and Merry Christmas everyone.
HA! I was going for fun, JB was going for sultry 😂 Personally I’d go for a giant hot dip. It is a winner every time because it’s so unexpected – I have a few on my website – hot corn dip, bacon dip, spinach artichoke dip. They are big format high impact and you can honestly, everybody goes mad for them! You can also browse the Finger Food collection on my website (go via menu bar) for more individual assembly type foods. 🙂 – N x
I’m hoping to make biriyani for Christmas this year to serve 6 as a main. If I were to substitute chicken for lamb, what cut of lamb would you recommend and what quantity? Thank you! Xx
OH MY GOD CHERYL you are my kind of person 🙂 OK – hang on – let me go to the recipe….So, here’s what I would do. Use boneless lamb shoulder cut into chunks about the size of the chicken pieces per biryani recipe (I’d use about 1 kg as it will shrink in size more than chicken). Then when you get to the part where you cook it, add enough low salt chicken stock so it is JUST covered then bring it to a simmer then put the lid on and slow cook on super super low for however long it takes to become fall-apart-tender (guessing 1.5 – 2 hours on the stove), turning the meat once or twice. Then take the lamb out and reduce any remaining liquid right down so there’s not much left, then put the lamb back in and you can proceed with the same biryani recipe. Oooh I want to try this myself!!
You’re absolutely amazing! Thank you for your help and have a wonderful Christmas Xx
Hi I plan to have the standing prime rib n Christmas salmon for dinner . Which one should I put in oven first
Prime rib. You can have it resting while the salmon is in the oven. It will stay warm enough for serving for up to an hour 🙂 – N x
Hi I’m thinking of making prawn cocktail for our Christmas lunch starter. However my son does not have dairy. Is there a citrus alternative to the traditional mayonnaise so he can be included. We live in the UK and I have your cook books which are amazing and follow you too. Many thanks and happy Christmas to all of your team.
Hi Irene – I made the prawn cocktail last year using the lime dressing in this: https://fast-enhancement.today/prawn-mango-avocado-summer-salad/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Else any citrus based dressing would be wonderful! PS tip – if you make enough so you can blitz the dressing with a stick blender it will go really creamy like mayo because it is furiously emulsified. It coats things better with more mayo-like behaviour 🙂 – N x
What’s a nice recipe for chicken breasts/thighs
https://fast-enhancement.today/chicken-breast-in-creamy-mushroom-sauce/%3C/a%3E 🙂
I want to cook my turkey in the morning. How do I reheat without drying it out?
It’s not possible because turkey is so lean, sorry to say. But from much turkey cooking and reheating experience, I can say that the two turkey recipes that reheat the best are the slow cooker turkey breast (slow cooker is a gentle way of cooking breast so it stays more moist) or the juicy roast turkey recipe which is dry brined which makes the flesh retain more juices so it reheats better than turkey that is not brined 🙂 Reheat gently! – N x
Nagi I dont have a question. I just want to wish you and your team a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2026. I also want you to know how much I appreciate you and your wonderful recipes. You have transformed my world this year. I used to cook boring same old recipes that were very uninspiring and now I just look up a new one each night and create something that I would never have tried before. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you! I am looking forward to lots of new inspiration in 2026. Take Care
This is such a lovely message to receive on a Wednesday evening! Thank you Michelle. Merry Christmas to you too! – N x
I have made turkey stock ready for my gravy but our turkey breast and pork will be cooked on a hooded bbq so no delicious pan juices. What should I do?
Use the slow cooker turkey gravy recipe ->. https://fast-enhancement.today/turkey-gravy/%3C/a%3E ie use the stock you have in place of the slow cooker juices!
You are a new discovery for me – love what you do. I am planning to cook a whole dry brine turkey using your recipe. I have to travel for dinner so the turkey needs to be finished 2 hours before eating. How would you suggest I transport it/keep it warm/ rewarm it without it drying out? Thank you!
Hi Siobhan! Time it so you can leave the house as soon as the turkey is out of the oven. VERY loosely cover with foil (so it doesn’t sweat) and place on a towel in your car (so you don’t scorch your seat!). Drive, don’t speed! It will still be warm in the middle. Then give it a 15 minute blast at 180C/350F just to rejuvenate the outside. A still-slightly-warm or even room temp turkey is far better than a reheated one, in my opinion. 🙂 – N x
There is just two of us this year and we live in Central Queensland. I am used to having lots of people to share the day with and know how to cook for many, not two. What can I make for a yummy lunch with options not just two veges that includes seafood, eve though I have a major seafood allergy. 🤭
Hi Lizzie! For mixed seafood I personally can’t go past a cold seafood platter which is also easy to make for 2 or 20 🙂 I’ve done a post on what I put on mine, plus sauces, here you go! https://fast-enhancement.today/seafood-platter/%3C/a%3E If you can do something warm, I would do individual servings of the seafood pie in my cookbook “Tonight” (it is really special, very Christmas worthy). Hope that helps! – N x
Hi. I am cooking crayfish tails and whole crayfish. I am told that putting them in a freezer bagwith some wine and then in the microwave. Do you have any thoughts and process suggestions on this method. Many thanks. Long time follower and book purchaser. Have a cracking Christmas. Cheers 🍻
Hi my future daughter in law is vegan and coming for Xmas
Thinking of making a nut roast for Xmas dinner
Can you suggest a recipe
Thanks Shari
Can I peel potatoes for roast potatoes the night before? If so, how do I store them overnight ?
In case they don’t see your comment:
Peeled, fully submerged in cold water, stored in fridge.
I’m going to ask a dumb question. When a recipe states a standard cooking temp
A and a fan temp. which do I cook on? There is usually 10/20 degrees difference. I have a Miele oven which has a fan plus mode which I assume is fan forced?
Thankyou so much! Use your recipes constantly.
Guidance re cooking turkey breasts stuffed with minced turkey/fruit/nuts – 2 X aprox 2.5kgs
On weber Q.
Also, best salads to accompany turkey/baked ham for 25 people. Pref some you can prepare at least parts of day before.
Thank you so much
a very Merry Xmas and New Year!!