Well, That's Our Miller And Carter Christmas Lunch

[Tilly2]

cancelled.

I'm going to have to turn my oven on. Bum!

[emmie]

means you will have to cook?

[Buenchico]

>>> I'm going to have to turn my oven on

You don't need an oven to eat baked beans straight from the can, Tilly2 ;-)

[bednobs]

you ciuld always get a frozen microwave meal

[Buenchico]

If you're looking for an easy way out, I can heartily recommend the 'Cook' range of frozen meals. Some need to be oven cooked but others can simply be microwaved. They're as good as many expensive restaurants meals are, if not better.

The main course for my Christmas lunch usually consists of something like this
https://www.cookfood.net/products/Rump-Beef-brandy/
which I simply zap in the microwave and serve in a giant Yorkshire pub (from Asda's frozen aisle), with possibly a few spuds and/or sprouts.

https://www.cookfood.net/menu/christmas
(Having just looked at that link, I'm now getting a bit worried about the bit that says many of their festive specials have already sold out. However the dish in my first link is one their year-round offerings, so I hope that I'll still be able to find it in one of the several 'Cook' outlets in this area).

[Togo]

Are they still delivering Tills? You will have to be pdq mind.

https://www.millerandcarter.co.uk/restaurants/east-of-england/millerandcarterbedford/delivery

[webbo3]

Chris.
//which I simply zap in the microwave and serve in a giant Yorkshire pub//

Yorkshire pubs are always frozen this time of year, they try and save money on the heating. :-)

[Buenchico]

Another cheat I've used in the past has been to buy sliced cooked turkey breast from the deli counter in Morrison's. (I'm referring to the 'off the bone' product, which they only have in their larger stores, rather than the far inferior 'cut from a roll' stuff). That can be heated up (in foil, with some butter added) in an oven, which is far easier than cooking a whole turkey or a turkey crown. Adding frozen roast potatoes and some nice stuffing (from the chiller aisle, not out of a packet), perhaps with some pigs in blankets, and a few sprouts makes it really easy to turn out a traditional turkey lunch.

[Buenchico]

LOL @ Webbo3. (I really must try to spot my typos before posting!).

However, having spent 20 years of my life living in Yorkshire, I can't think of anywhere with a warmer atmosphere at Christmas than a Yorkshire pub!

[pastafreak]

Deli counters are open? Not in my local Sainsbury's :(

[Tilly2]

Aww, thank you all very much for your ideas of what to do instead. I am ok with cooking a Christmas lunch but would rather have dressed up and gone out.

I had my ovens cleaned recently and didn't want to spoil the look of them by cooking. I'm a lazy toad really and don't like using things that might create a mess that has to be cleaned later.

Fortunately, I did put an order in to our local butcher, just in case things went wrong, so I will have things to cook for an acceptable Christmas lunch.

Togo, our local M&C are not doing deliveries, unfortunately. Never mind. I shall have to put my pinny on and get cracking. :-)

[rockyracoon]

'Deli counters are open? Not in my local Sainsbury's :('
Nor our Tesco. In fact I think they are closed permanently as they have taken away the fridges and signage etc.

[Old_Geezer]

How do you cook bum ?

[Tilly2]

The same as you cook leg, I suppose, O.G. :-)

[Vagus]

Tilly, if you don’t want to mess up your lovely clean oven then have a look at a one tray Sunday lunch. You could cover it in foil to stop splashes, and you only have one tray to wash up (or in my case none as I’m using a foil turkey roasting tray which will get binned).
Add a pan of sprouts and Bobs your uncle!

[New Judge]

Never mind, tilly. It’s been calculated that hospitality venues are responsible for a whopping 3% of infections, so you’ll be doing your bit.

The story of your oven made me chuckle. I was out for a pint with a few friends (seems so long ago now) and one said “I mustn’t be too late home tonight. The over cleaning bloke’s coming tomorrow.” “Why must you be home early?” I asked. “I’ve got to clean the oven,” he said, “Er indoors said we can’t let him see it that state!”

[ummmm]

Tilly...get some oven liners. They are a god send.

[Vagus]

Do oven liners really line the whole oven, or just the bottom (I have one on the bottom of the oven,it’s the rest of the oven which gets messy)?

[ummmm]

Just the bottom. That's where all the spillage ends up though.

I suppose you could put them on the racks but they're easy to clean.

[anneasquith]

Tilly, if your bathroom/toilet has been cleaned , do you use a commode ?

[Mamyalynne]

That's when you go next door Anne ;-)