Christmas Day cooking timeline
Work backwards from lunch or dinner time and plan what goes in the oven, on the stove or barbecue and in the fridge each hour, and who is doing it.
Meal time
| Oven | Stovetop or barbecue | Fridge, prep and table | Who | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6:00 am | ||||
| 7:00 am | ||||
| 8:00 am | ||||
| 9:00 am | ||||
| 10:00 am | ||||
| 11:00 am | ||||
| 12:00 pm | ||||
| 1:00 pm | ||||
| 2:00 pm | ||||
| 3:00 pm | ||||
| 4:00 pm | ||||
| 5:00 pm | ||||
| 6:00 pm | ||||
| 7:00 pm |
Using this page
An hour-by-hour plan for Christmas Day cooking, with columns for the oven, the stove or barbecue, the fridge and table, and who is doing each job.
Tips
- Work backwards from the time you want to eat.
- Write the oven temperature next to each dish so two dishes that need different heats are not planned for the same time.
- Give each helper a job and write their name in the last column.
How to use the timeline
Write the time you want to eat at the top. Put the dish that takes longest into the timeline first, often a roast or a glazed ham, then work backwards to find when it needs to go in. Fit the other dishes around it, using the separate columns so that the oven, the stovetop or barbecue and the fridge are not all needed at once. Write a name next to each job.
Leave the hour before the meal for carving, gravy, setting the table and a few minutes to breathe.
Tips
Check that every dish fits in the oven at the same time, or plan to cook some on the barbecue. Make desserts and salads the day before where you can. Put the timeline on the fridge so helpers can see what is next without asking. After Christmas, note what ran late, so next year's plan is even easier.
Common questions
Where do I start?
Write the meal time at the top, then put the dish that takes longest, often the meat, into the timeline first, and fit everything else around it.