Preparing a Christmas dinner can be stressful, as can the dash to the shops to get fresh veg and pray they still have a turkey. But Iceland may have ended all that anxiety with their £25 ‘Christmas Dinner in a Box’.
The frozen food specialists have pulled together a box of everything you need for the perfect roast. I got the chance to test it out and was immediately impressed with the packaging.
The huge, sturdy box is not going to fit in the freezer, but it is handy to keep as it has all the cooking instructions in one easy-to-follow board you can pop in your kitchen come December 25. And as a bonus, you could cook most of it in the air fryer if you wanted to.
What’s in the box?
- Perfect Stuffed Turkey Joint Wrapped In Bacon
- Perfect Beef Dripping Roast Potatoes
- Honey Roast Parsnips
- Brussels Sprouts Loaded With Bacon
- Carrot Baubles With Parsley & Chive Butter
- 12 Perfect Pigs In Blankets
- Turkey Gravy
My tips for cooking Iceland’s £25 Christmas Dinner in a Box
Obviously, get your turkey in first. This was so easy to do from frozen, and for an hour and a half, I didn’t have to worry about a thing; with no veg to prep and the turkey just in the oven doing its thing, I just made a brew and chilled out, reports the Mirror.
The beef dripping roast potatoes cook at gas mark 7 while everything else is gas mark 6, so I would recommend cooking the roasties in the air fryer. You also get loads of parsnips, so I don’t think you will need all of them, or maybe you will, perhaps you have a parsnip fanatic at home.
The best cooking method for the carrots and Brussels sprouts is pan frying, which is good as it saves oven space. I actually felt like I had some input, moving them around the pan; I felt like I was cooking.
Buttery turkey, sweet carrots and crisp yet fluffy roast potatoes
Serving up this Christmas dinner was a visual delight. The vibrant colours from the carrots and Brussels sprouts were very appetising, and after allowing the turkey to rest for 10 minutes, it carved well, providing ample thick slices for everyone.
The turkey was buttery, moist and well-seasoned. The bacon clearly played a role in locking in all the flavour, and the stuffing was a perfect accompaniment.
The roast potatoes were superb, crispy on the outside and fluffy inside, surpassing the frozen Aunt Bessie’s in my view.
The bauble-shaped carrots were adorable, the butter was star-shaped and I could easily devour a whole bowl of these alone – indeed, I might. And if you’re not a fan of sprouts, then you’re missing out; they were wonderful, fresh with a hint of sweetness.
I found the parsnips a tad dry. The gravy helped, but they were somewhat overshadowed by the other vegetables.
If we were to prepare them again, I would want to add a touch of honey during the cooking process. The gravy was flavoursome but a bit on the thin side.
Verdict
In my opinion, this is a solid, great-value dinner. The products lean towards the luxury end, so I would be more than happy to have this served to me on Christmas Day.
It was easy to prepare and required minimal clean-up, another plus. And it comfortably serves four people.
But everyone has different Christmas traditions and we felt it was missing Yorkshire puddings. We also love mash and peas on our roasts, but they are easily added.
If you are not used to cooking and want to impress your guests and pull off a showstopper this festive season, or just have a break from the prep stress, this delicious dinner is perfect.
You can get the Iceland Christmas dinner in a box for £25 in store and online now.