Crafting Christmas Dinner in Your Student Accommodation
Want to make a mouth-watering Christmas dinner in your student accommodation this year? Whether you’re living away from home for the first time or going into your next year of University, you can create a festive feast that your housemates will remember. Look forward to gathering around the table in your London house-share and enjoying your favourite tipple.
Your hall’s Christmas dinner is the perfect excuse to get a little merry, eat lots of good food and reminisce on the antics you have got up to this year. So we have put together a guide to ensure your student accommodation Christmas dinner runs as smoothly. From choosing the succulent meat, exploring vegetarian options, and selecting the freshest vegetables at your local market — we’ve got the details covered.
Continue reading to learn how to Create a delightful student Christmas dinner…
The meat
First, you need to work out how much meat you will need. Work out the numbers and then decide on what meat you’d like to consume with your dinner. Turkey is traditional, but chicken is often more popular. We recommend to head down to your local butcher. That way you know you are getting good quality meat. Either individual chicken breasts or a small chicken can be purchased from a local butcher, too. By going to a butcher, you can also ask them about cooking times if you’re unsure.
If you want to do it properly and go for the ultimate Christmas turkey dinner, this step-to-step recipe for Mom’s Roast Turkey from Simply Recipes will help.
Vegetarian/vegan options
Although the Christmas turkey takes centre stage on many dining tables, nowadays, there are popular vegetarian options too. Diversify your menu by including something everyone can enjoy. Whether you’re trying to cut down on meat or have a plant-based diet, you can find what suits your dietary preferences.
- Nut Roast: ideal for creating a warm, communal atmosphere among housemates, the nut roast provides a satisfying option for those seeking a meat-free celebration.
- Cauliflower Wellington: for a scrumptious twist, elevate your student Christmas dinner with Cauliflower Wellington.
- Stuffed Buffernut Squash: Enjoy a sensational centrepiece on your table with a stuffed butternut squash – these are delicious and easy to find in UK supermarkets this time of year.
The vegetables
Head down to your local market to get your vegetables. These vegetables tend to be a lot fresher and generally taste better. When the mulled wine is flowing, and you’re panicking trying to cook your first-ever turkey, a roasting dish recipe makes life a lot easier. It combines all the usual Christmas dinner suspects; carrots, parsnips, red onion etc. but involves little preparation.
Simply peel and chop your vegetables, then throw them in a pan together. Pour over about 5 tbsp of vegetable oil, season and evenly spread thyme throughout the tray. Roast in an oven at 190 degrees for 1hr 15 mins and toss at regular intervals.
The roasties
Making delicious roast potatoes is simple and cheap all you need is a bag of potatoes or two and a packet of butter. Chop the potatoes to the size you want them, boil the chopped potatoes until they’re just starting to get soft, drain, then add in some chopped-up butter (the more, the merrier). Alternatively, get your roasties extra crispy by adding duck or goose fat. We recommend 100 grams of either for a luxurious taste. Finally, pop them in the oven at 180° until they are golden brown. Simple and delicious.
The extras; gravy, Yorkshire pud, stuffing – and those pigs in blankets
To keep things simple, you could head down to the local supermarket and pick these up pre-made on the cheap. If you decide to get gravy from the supermarket, add the juices from the turkey or chicken and vegetables to make it tastier.
Again, if you want to do it properly, and give your mum or dad’s Christmas dinner a run for its money, use these recipes:
The Gravy: BBC Good Food: Easy Turkey Gravy
Yorkshire Pudding: All Recipes: Classic Yorkshire Pudding
Stuffing: BBC Food Recipes: Sage and Onion Stuffing
Pigs in Blankets: Nigella Lawson: Pigs in Blankets (via FoodNetwork)
Things to remember:
- Don’t forget to organise the Secret Santa. Set an amount that everyone has to spend so that one person doesn’t get a pair of socks and the other gets a Michael Kors handbag. Check out our guide to homemade gifts for crafty options!
- All hands on deck! Give everyone a different job and make sure it matches each of your domestic skills. If one of you is renowned for bad cooking, keep away from the oven and set the table or do the washing up.
- Don’t forget to purchase all the decorative items, such as Christmas napkins, crackers and party poppers. It just won’t be the same without them!
So there you have it, the ultimate student Christmas dinner. Make this festive celebration your new tradition in your London home.