Kitchen Gadget Christmas. In episode 047 of the Magic With Gadgets Podcast we are talking about how you can use the air fryer and other kitchen gadgets to create a stress free Christmas dinner meal plan along with our useful Christmas Dinner Checklist.
This Christmas dinner step by step guide is also featured in the Magic With Gadgets Podcast. Simply search for Magic With Gadgets on your preferred podcast player, then scroll to episode 47 of season 1 to access this awesome episode.
Table of Contents
Our Christmas With Kitchen Gadgets
Last year we shared with how to quit the oven and save money by cooking with kitchen gadgets. It occurred to us that the most stressful time of the year for food and planning what you are going to be eating, is Christmas.
That wow moment of making the perfect Christmas dinner.
Though in the Milner house we don’t find it stressful.
That is because we cook at Christmas with our kitchen gadgets. If we are doing a large turkey we will put the turkey in the oven, but every side will be cooked elsewhere.
Last Christmas I decided to write down what we made for Christmas dinner and which gadgets we used for a family of four for Christmas, plus of course there were leftovers to eat the next day, and the day after and the day after that.
We also did most of our prep on Christmas Eve to make Christmas Day easier, especially with having kids.
This is exactly what we had for Christmas Dinner:
- Air Fryer 3 Bird Roast
- Ninja Foodi Swede & Carrot Mash
- Ninja Foodi Mashed Potatoes
- Air Fryer Duck Fat Roast Potatoes (Page 170)
- Air Fryer Potato Gratin (Page 136)
- Air Fryer Pigs In Blankets (Page 171)
- Air Fryer Stuffing Balls (Page 171)
- Air Fryer Yorkshire Puddings (Page 173)
- Air Fryer Frozen Sprouts & Bacon (Page 163)
- Air Fryer Honey Carrots (Page 156)
- Air Fryer Cauliflower Cheese
- Ninja Foodi Veggie Bake
- Air Fryer Cranberry Sauce (Page 179)
- Air Fryer Turkey Gravy (Page 179)
Note those with a page number next to them are all made using The Complete Air Fryer Cookbook. The page numbers refer to where they are in the cookbook.
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Plus, it also proves that our air fryer cookbook is brilliant for Christmas in the air fryer and how much of Christmas can be cooked in the air fryer.
But other gadgets are handy for the foods that are not really air fryer suitable such as your mashed potatoes and your veggie bake.
Then from our list of our own Christmas Dinner checklist, you see which foods you can make with your gadgets and have some ideas for your own.
But first, let me show you how to create that perfect Christmas meal plan. Or you can skip to the good stuff and enter your email below to download the full printable with your full Christmas Checklist!
Before The Christmas Dinner
Okay, so you have a plan of action of what you are cooking for your Christmas Dinner, but what about before your Christmas dinner and the other food you want to eat that day.
Christmas Eve Meal – Now this is my favourite one. I think that there is so much stress on what to cook for Christmas Dinner that Christmas Eve on top of this becomes a real stress factor. What we do is make extra air fryer cauliflower cheese, Ninja Foodi Veggie Bake and then we have them as a nice meal on Christmas Eve. Usually served with some air fryer part baked bread rolls.
Christmas Day Brunch – Our kids just want to eat the chocolate that Santa has left them, so we never have a breakfast as such. Though if you wanted to you could make our air fryer English breakfast or keep it simple with air fryer frozen pain au chocolat. What we actually have is our favourite part baked bread rolls with air fryer sausages and bacon, along with some air fryer homemade sausage rolls. Plus, of course, some of the kid’s chocolate!
Christmas Dinner Starters – We stopped having a Christmas Dinner starter a few years ago. As we realised, we just couldn’t manage to eat it ALL. There is just tooooo much food! But if you want to do starters then try our air fryer frozen scallops, soup maker chicken liver pate, or instant pot butternut squash soup. Though don’t forget about the air fryer pull apart bread rolls.
Planning A Christmas Dessert
Then let’s talk Christmas desserts. I prefer to go traditional with some instant pot Christmas pudding, but Dom and the rest of the family hate it.
I also find that after Christmas Dinner I am too full for anything else, but you could do a cheese board and then include air fryer camembert or just some warm air fryer mince pies.
Or why not make ahead our air fryer Christmas cake and have it with some cheese and some mince pies?
Your Christmas Dinner Checklist
So now that you are full of ideas lets talk a checklist and then making your Christmas dinner checklist work for you.
Firstly, let’s talk what you can make ahead and what can be done before Christmas Eve:
A month before Christmas is a great time to get prepping and there is a LOT that you can freeze too.
Air Fryer Mince Pies – Make these ahead and then place them onto a tray in the freezer. Then once almost frozen transfer to a Ziploc bag. Remove from the freezer the day before you need them.
Air Fryer Sausage Rolls – You can make these ahead and freeze them too. Which is what I normally do when I make too many of them!
Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies – Whilst in the UK we would give mince pies to Santa, in the USA it’s all about the chocolate chip cookies. Just like the mince pies you can freeze ahead in the same way and take the stress out of Christmas Eve. Or mix it up and make some air fryer gingerbread too.
Air Fryer Christmas Cake – Many make these months before Christmas, but it will still taste nice if made a month before Christmas. It can then be stored in the pantry ahead of Christmas time.
Air Fryer Stuffing Balls & Pigs In Blankets – Now this an interesting one. I mainly make these on Christmas Eve and then they are ready for the special day. BUT you can make these a month ahead when they are at a lower price and then freeze them. Defrost on Christmas Eve and you are all set for Christmas.
Christmas Eve is our main prep day, and we will get as much done on Christmas Eve as we can. We also have two of us in the kitchen and we soon get through our prep list.
On Christmas Eve we will:
Cook the turkey – it saves the stress of cooking it or the main meat on Christmas Eve. We will also cook the turkey first and then whilst we are waiting on the air fryer, we can focus on our sides. You can do an air fryer 3 bird roast like we did last year, or why not try an air fryer turkey crown, air fryer gammon, or how about an air fryer prime rib.
Prep as much as you can. Prep the ingredients for the instant pot carrot and swede mash, and the ninja foodi mashed potatoes. Prep the potatoes for the duck fat roasties and then place them in a bowl of cold water in the fridge. Prepare the carrots ready for honey glazed carrots.
Next on the list for us is always making a big batch of cheese sauce that we can then use for our potato gratin, cauliflower cheese and our veggie bake.
We will then make the potato gratin, veggie bake and the cauliflower cheese. We will triple batch each of them and they will become our Christmas Eve meals and an extra batch for the freezer as its nice to enjoy it later.
Then if its your thing you can also prep the cranberry sauce and also as the turkey finishes, use the juices in the bottom to make a delicious turkey gravy.
Dom and I can normally do all of this in the morning of Christmas Eve and then put our feet up and have some Christmas fun with the kids.
Then after a couple of Christmas movies later, we will cook the prepared cookies and prepared mince pies.
On Christmas Day we will:
Cook anything prepared in the fridge but not cooked such as stuffing balls, pigs in blankets, duck fat roast potatoes, honey carrots.
I also focus on anything that has not been prepared that I cook on the day, such as homemade Yorkshire puddings and frozen sprouts.
Then I find space in my gadgets for the potato gratin, veggie bake, and cauliflower cheese that simply need a reheat.
Usually last on the agenda is heating the gravy.
We will make use of the microwave, and air fryers for reheating and doing the last bit of food so that everything can be ready at the same time.
We also consider what time everything will be ready at and what has the longest cook time/slowest cook time.
Your Smaller Christmas Dinner + Grocery List
We have also put together a grocery list. The grocery list focuses on the recipes below from the cookbook that are perfect for your Christmas Dinner.
It is also a good starting point if you want to get organised and plan your Christmas food.
When we created the recipes for The Complete Air Fryer Cookbook one major factor was about being able to cook a lot of your Christmas dinner foods in the air fryer.
You can download your Christmas printable which will include all ingredients for the following:
- Air Fryer Roast Chicken Dinner (Page 176)
- Air Fryer Potato Gratin (Page 136)
- Air Fryer Homemade Yorkshire Puddings (Page 173)
- Air Fryer Cranberry Sauce (Page 179)
- Air Fryer Turkey Gravy (Page 179)
Note the roast chicken dinner includes roast chicken, duck fat roast potatoes, carrots and parsnips, stuffing balls, pigs in blankets, and sprouts. So, what you really have is 11 things all cooked at a similar time.
Simply enter your email address below for the free printable or if already a member of Recipe This, simply head to the members area and download it.
Did You Know We Have A Podcast?
We started the Magic With Gadgets podcast in the January of 2021 as a way to offer a different way to enjoy Recipe This. It focuses on cooking with kitchen gadgets. You can find out more about our podcast here.
With weekly episodes that will help you cook smart with kitchen gadgets. This is episode 47 of the first season and you have the choice between reading this post, listening to the podcast or both.
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