The Christmas planner’s timeline from Taste.com.au

From making cakes to buying in bulk, Christmas planning doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. Follow this comprehensive guide from the foodies at Taste.com.au to kick-start your preparations.

Follow our lead and make this year’s Christmas food prep a breeze with this comprehensive planner for the silly season.

Fruit mince pies.

7 weeks out

• Decide on your Christmas food theme: Traditional, modern Aussie, Asian feast, buffet, BBQ.
• Send invitations to those attending, requesting RSVPs so that you can calculate numbers.

• Stock up on packaging and storage (resealable bags, cling wrap, foil, containers, ham bag).
• Start running your freezer down, clearing space for your Christmas food.
• Make the fruit mince for your mince pies (it will keep in a cool place for months).

• Make your Christmas pudding or cake.
• Plan your menu (let us inspire you with our menu plans).

Make your Christmas pudding in week seven.

6 weeks out

• Confirm guest list
• Buy table decorations (bonbonnieres, balloons, name places).

5 weeks out

• Order the seafood, meat or turkey.
• Write two shopping lists (perishables and non-perishables).

4 weeks out

• – Stock up on alcohol and non-perishables (eg. tinned foods, olive oil, vinegar, tomato sauce, gravy granules, rum balls, nuts, crackers).

3 weeks out

• Make brandy butter for your pudding.

2 weeks out

• Make Christmas truffles for gifts, to keep in an airtight container in the fridge
• Prepare mince pies with previously-made fruit mince (here’s a recipe).

Sticky caramel ham.

1 week out

• Clean the barbecue and make sure you are stocked up on charcoal, firelighters or gas.
• Buy hardier fresh produce (eg. potatoes, onions, garlic, meat, cheeses).
• Roast your Christmas ham (we love this sticky caramel recipe).
• If doing roast potatoes, parboil then roast until dried out, then freeze in resealable bag once cool.

Pancetta, sage and onion stuffing.

23 December

• Double check your final shopping list.
• Buy fresh produce like fruit, veggies, salads and herbs.
• Collect your fresh seafood and refrigerate immediately.
• Take the turkey out to defrost in the fridge (if frozen).
• Make the stuffing, then cover with cling wrap and refrigerate (try this pancetta one).
• Start chilling your drinks.

24 December

• Clean, peel and de-vein your prawns, then cover with cling wrap.
• Prepare veggies for the salads and sides, storing in resealable bags.
• Make salad dressings and seafood sauce and store in jam jars
• Boil potatoes and/or rice, if making salads.

Pavlova with kiwi fruit.

The night before

• Take turkey out of fridge to defrost completely in a cool place overnight.
• Defrost potatoes from freezer.
• Assign serving plates and bowls to each dish.
• Make meringue for pavlova, leaving to cool in oven overnight.

Christmas morning

• Prepare and roast the turkey (follow our step-by-step guide).
• Fill the esky with ice ready for your guests’ drinks.
• Put out nibbles such as nuts, chips and dips.

Roast turkey.

An hour before lunch

• Roast vegetables, stuffing and potatoes.
• Make gravy.
• Assemble salads (nuts, seeds and fresh fruit will liven up leaves if you’re short on time).
• Top your pavlova with whipped cream and fresh fruit.
• Place cheeses on platter.

Before bed

• Wrap up all leftovers thoroughly ready for picking the next day or freezing for later use.
• Try not to think about next year.

For more recipe ideas, go to taste.com.au or check out the Taste Test Kitchen now.

Originally published as The Christmas planner’s timeline from Taste.com.au