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. 😂
I hope you and your team have the most amazing Christmas, you all deserve it, Merry Christmas. 🎉🎊
My daughter and son on law just had another baby! They won’t be going anywhere for Christmas and I am looking for a recommendation of a meal (or main dish) that travels well (1/2 hour drive) to take to them. They have our 2 year old grandson as well. She had gestational diabetes and restricted carbs while pregnant but she has no restrictions now! Also, she adores any kind of potatoes. Any suggestions welcome! Thank you, and Merry Christmas to you all!!
Oh, and I have both of your cookbooks if you just want to suggest a recipe from them. I live how hard you work to give us the best recipes and food possible! God bless you all!!! Love to Dozer!!!
Hi Nagi, JB and Dozer
Can you freeze/reheat an impossible pie. If i can make several and keep for the hot days when nobody wants to cook and it’s too hot to bbq. Thanks and Merry Christmas to all
Love this idea – and the pictures!
My question is for JB. I would love to try the Christmas Ham, but have no idea how to tell my butcher here in France, which piece I need… What should I order?
Un grand merci – not just for this, but for all the work you both do!
Not a question, just best wishes for Christmas and a fantastic new year. By the way, love your recipes. I do appreciate them
Nagi, could you be any more amazing??? I shared your kale marinating tip today with a customer whilst working in a Woolies store. She had heard of you and appreciated the tip!
Hello, how many days before Christmas can I make a New York cheesecake and a pavlova please.
I have a great Christmas Cake recipe I’ve been making for many years. It calls for 1/4 cup Sherry. This year I changed it out and added a full cup of Port. OMG it’s delicious. But it’s nearly almost already eaten. I want to make another cake before Christmas. What other alcoholic or non-alcoholic (not water) liquid options can I use? TIA
Merry Christmas have a nice one with your family and friends🎄🌲🌸🌼🌻
I am making Dessert for a Christmas Dinner but working from 21st – 25th (yes Xmas Day). What are good make ahead recipes that will keep or with components that keep and constructed early? I would prefer to make myself.
In creamy prawn risotto, can I use cream instead of milk? Thankyou legends!
Hello & a Merry Christmas! My colleague & I (ED nurses) started a RTE Food Club this year (we consider it exclusive & elite 😎) – it will turn 1 soon! We started this lunch-swap from our mutual love of RTE & sharing scrumptious food!
It would only be fitting for our last 2025 RTE Food Club swap be a recommendation from the inspiration themselves! So, what should Georgia & I make for our last 2025 RTE Food Club, Chrissy Edition? 😊
Our Smeg oven has a cooling fan that cannot be disconnected or turned off. This plays havoc with pavlova recipes that often require the pav to be left in the oven after it’s been turned off and is cooling down naturally. Any tips are welcome please.
I have a piece of venison rump about 1.5kg in the freezer. How is the best way to cook it for a special meal?
Hi Nagi and JB, I have cooked the Christmas cake many times but I find the edges of the cake are always overcooked. I cook the cake in a square tin. If I put foil around the sides will that solve my problem?
If you use a double layer of grease proof paper / baking parchment around cake tin and tie with string this will help stop edges burning 🙂 Good luck 🙂
hi im making a pavlova and was wondering if you think i should decorate it the astrailian way or kiwi
Hi Nagi, JB and mod course Dozer,
Do you have any suggestions on how to do roasted veggies to go with the glazed ham?
Hope you have a wonderful and safe festive season!
Hi Nagi I would like to do a 3 layered pavlova for Christmas lunch Thinking that i would make a batch of pav then split it into 3 bowls .. leaving one white and then adding red color to one and green color to the third Spread each into a flat disc on baking tray on baking paper and bake Planning that i would use your stabilised cream idea between each layer adding fresh fruit topping with dark choc drizzle and moist coconut on top Any thoughts Thanks for your site Happy Xmas Peter
Hello! Thoughts on prepping potatoes for roast potatoes ahead of time? Can I parboil and then cook from frozen later?
Yes, absolutely. I parboil, then freeze on trays uncovered. Once frozen pop them in a ziplock bag for easy storage in the freezer. Simply remove from freezer and deep fry or roast in oven from frozen.
I’m cooking turkey and usually wrap it in bacon. Just found out that someone who doesn’t eat bacon (They’re Jewish but don’t really keep kosher) is joining us. I’ll still make the bacon on the side but can you recommend an alternative to wrap the turkey in?
I have used a butter baste trick with cheesecloth. Put a generous amount of butter or combo with olive oil/or tallow in a sauce pan, add any herbs, and seasoning that you wish, and after the fat and seasoning has a few minutes to all melt and blend well together, turn off the heat, and add a big piece of cheesecloth to the pan. Mix it around until it soaks up the seasoned butter/fat, then carefully spread out and cover the turkey. Bake as normal. You can add any remaining seasoned butter in the pan when you pull it out to check it. Just pour or brush it directly on the cheesecloth.