Christmas dinner shopping list: what to buy and when

Times use the upper end of 10 to 12 hours per kg, counted back from Christmas morning. Check that the turkey has thawed all the way to the middle before you cook it: a turkey that is not fully defrosted may cook unevenly. Once it has defrosted, keep it in the fridge and cook it within 24 hours.

Make room in the fridge before the big shop

• Check the temperature. Keep the fridge at 5 °C or below; a fridge thermometer shows it.
• Plan fridge and freezer space for the turkey and the extra food, and check which items need to be kept cold.
• Move out what does not need chilling, such as unopened soft drinks or bread.
• Keep raw meat covered on the bottom shelf, away from food that is ready to eat.
• Take cool bags to keep chilled food cold on the way home.

Start from the menu, not the shop

1. Write the menu. The turkey, the roast potatoes and vegetables, the sauces and gravy, dessert, and how many people are coming.
2. List what each dish needs. One line per ingredient, with the amount.
3. Check the kitchen. Cross off what is already in the fridge, freezer and cupboards.
4. Shop for the gap. What is left is your list. Buy what keeps early and the fresh food late.

Christmas dinner shopping list by aisle

For a classic menu: roast turkey, stuffing, roast potatoes, parsnips and carrots, Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, cranberry sauce, bread sauce and gravy. Swap in your own dishes and dessert, and cross off what you already have.

Turkey and stock

• A whole turkey or a turkey crown (see the defrosting table above)
• Chicken or turkey stock, for the gravy

Vegetables, fruit and herbs

• Potatoes for roasting
• Parsnips and carrots
• Brussels sprouts
• Red cabbage
• Onions and garlic
• Fresh sage, thyme and rosemary
• Cranberries, fresh or frozen, or a jar of cranberry sauce
• An orange or a lemon

Dairy and eggs

• Butter
• Milk, for the bread sauce
• Double cream
• Eggs

Cupboard

• Breadcrumbs or a stuffing mix
• Plain flour or cornflour, for the gravy
• Cloves and bay leaves, for the bread sauce
• Vegetable or sunflower oil, for the roast potatoes
• Sugar, salt and pepper

Bakery

• A white loaf, for the bread sauce and stuffing

Kitchen kit

• A roasting tin big enough for the bird
• A separate tin for the stuffing
• Foil
• Containers for the leftovers

Christmas dinner checklist: the weeks before

• Two weeks before (by Friday 11 December): cupboard items, stock, spices, cranberry sauce, and a frozen turkey if you are buying one.
• Sunday 20 to Wednesday 23 December: move a frozen turkey to the fridge on the day the table above gives for its weight.
• Monday 21 or Tuesday 22 December: make room in the fridge, then buy the vegetables that keep: potatoes, carrots, parsnips, red cabbage and onions.
• Wednesday 23 December: sprouts, herbs, dairy and eggs.
• Thursday 24 December: bread, and anything you find missing while you prepare.
• Friday 25 December: cook. Cook the stuffing in a separate tin, and check that the turkey is steaming hot and cooked all the way through: no pink meat at the thickest part, between the leg and the breast, and juices that run clear.

How long to cook a turkey

Check the retailer’s instructions on the packaging first. If there are none, the Food Standards Agency gives these times in an oven preheated to 180 °C (160 °C fan, gas mark 4):

• Under 4.5 kg: 45 minutes per kg, plus 20 minutes.
• 4.5 to 6.5 kg: 40 minutes per kg.
• Over 6.5 kg: 35 minutes per kg.

The times are for a turkey that is not stuffed. The Food Standards Agency also advises not washing raw turkey before cooking.

Plan the leftovers before you shop

Cool cooked food and put it in the fridge or freezer within one to two hours, and eat leftovers within two days or freeze them. Cooked turkey freezes well; after defrosting, eat it within 24 hours and reheat it until steaming hot. Knowing what Boxing Day and the 27th look like means buying less of what would only be thrown away. Our Christmas leftovers guide has a plan for both days.

Sources

Defrosting, cooking and leftover advice: Food Standards Agency, Christmas food hygiene and Food Standards Agency, how to chill, freeze and defrost food.