• Skip to main content
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Justine Pattison

Justine Pattison

Everyday inspiration in the kitchen

  • Home
  • About
    • About Justine
    • Meet the team
    • In the Test Kitchen
  • Writing
    • Cookery writing
    • Books
  • TV, Video & Film
    • TV, video and film
    • Media
  • Food styling
  • Contact

A Very Different Christmas

justine pattison itv this morning christmas lunch

A few weeks ago, I appeared on ITV This Morning sharing my ideas for a more flexible festive season. Everything I made could be divided into portions, including the turkey! To watch the full piece, which aired live on the programme with Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes,  click on the link here – or read the tips and recipes below.

Making individual portions is a great way to avoid waste. Only take out what you need when you need it – great if numbers change, or if you need to isolate or shield.

Roast turkey and chocolate profiteroles

Roast Turkey for Two

Look out for turkey breast mini fillets. You’ll find them in most supermarkets and they are great value – I paid £3.50 for two from M&S. They are just the right size for making roast turkey for two – with leftovers for sandwiches or salads too.

  • 2 x 190g turkey breast mini fillets (Smaller breast fillets can be made into turkey for one.)
  • 1-2 tsp sunflower or vegetable oil
  • 5 rashers streaky bacon, smoked or unsmoked
  • 1 good quality herby sausage
  • 1 thinnish slice fresh orange, quartered, or 2 slices clementine, halved (optional)
  • coarsely ground black pepper
  1. Flatten the mini fillets with a rolling pin until around 1.5cm thick – cover with cling film or baking paper and the rolling pin won’t stick.  Brush with a little sunflower oil – this will help stop the bacon making the turkey meat slightly pink. They will end up in roughly heart shapes.
  2. Stretch four rashers rindless streaky bacon until about half as long again and place side-by-side on a piece of non-stick baking paper, roughly 2-3cm apart (they need to be the length of your turkey fillet).
  3. Place one turkey fillet on top, smooth side facing the bacon (as this will be the top of your roast).
  4. Squeeze a herby sausage out of its skin and into the centre of the fillet.
  5. Cover with the second flattened fillet, then wrap in the bacon to make a neat parcel.
  6. Turn the turkey over and place another piece of bacon on top, down the centre, tucking in at the ends.
  7. Garnish with thinly sliced orange wedges and season with a little coarsely ground black pepper.
  8. Wrap first in the baking paper and then in kitchen foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. (If not freezing ahead, you can wrap and keep chilled for up to day before roasting.)
  9. Thaw thoroughly on a plate in the fridge overnight.
  10. Uncover the turkey and remove the foil. Place the parcel on the baking paper in a baking or roasting tin and cover loosely with the foil.
    Bake at fan oven 180C/Gas 6 for 50-60 minutes, removing the foil after 30 minutes, or until fully cooked throughout.
bacon wrapped turkey - raw

Roast potatoes

Par-cooked potato chunks can be tossed in lots of sunflower oil or melted goose fat and seasoning, then cooled and frozen in a large freezer bag. Cook from frozen in a hot oven for 50-60 minutes. You can even freeze fully roasted potatoes to save even more time and oven space on the day. That way, they can be roasting while the turkey is resting.

  1. To par-cook them, put in a pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes then drain in a colander and return to the pan.
  2. Shake a bit to rough up the surfaces, then pour over 5-6 tbsp sunflower oil for 1.3kg peeled potatoes -adjust the quantity of oil according to how many potatoes you started off with. Season with a little salt and pepper – and some finely chopped rosemary if you like.
  3. Scatter over a baking tray and leave to cool. Open freeze for 2-3 hours or until solid then transfer to a bag or container and freeze for up to 1 month.
  4. Cook from frozen on a large baking tray – or around the turkey – for 50-60 minutes, turning once or twice. There is no need to add extra oil, but for extra, extra crispy potatoes, you could drop some small chunks of goose fat or dripping on top, then turn and baste with the oil a couple of times as they cook around every 15 minutes.
Uncooked roast potatoes
potatoes roasting in the oven

Christmas stuffing

Home-made stuffing freezes brilliantly. Make a batch then use an ice cream scoop to place balls on a lined baking tray. Freeze until solid then put into a lidded container or bag. Cook from frozen, alongside your turkey or potatoes, for 20-25 minutes, or until fully cooked.

Brussels sprouts ready-to-go

Fill a lidded container with frozen Brussels sprouts, lightly fried bacon, chunks of cooked chestnut (from a packet) and a knob of butter. Cover and freeze. Twenty minutes before serving, take the butter out, then heat the rest from frozen in the microwave for around 8 minutes, stirring halfway through, until piping hot. Season with a little sea salt, a grind of black pepper, return the butter to the sprouts and toss together well.

frozen Brussels sprouts, lightly fried bacon, chunks of cooked chestnut

Braised red cabbage

Braised red cabbage freezes very well. Flat-freeze in small zip-seal bags or lidded containers and thaw for 3-4 hours at room temperature before reheating.

Braised red cabbage freezes very well

Cranberry sauce

Make up a batch with a pack of the fresh cranberries widely available in the supermarkets, adding sugar and grated orange zest to taste. Freeze in a silicone muffin tin, or cupcake cases. Transfer to a lidded container or freezer bag. Thaw what you need at room temperature and reheat gently in the microwave or on the hob before serving.

Bread sauce

Bread sauce freezes beautifully, so whizz up a batch with the end of a loaf and flat-freeze in zip-seal bags to save space in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge overnight and add a little extra milk when you reheat.

My gooey microwave 'baked' camembert is featured i My gooey microwave 'baked' camembert is featured in @dailymailweekend today, along with scrambled eggs, warm fruit compote and pitta bread pizzas - all taken from Ping!⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠
#microwaverecipes #microwave #Ping! #weekendmeals #weekendrecipes
My latest book – PING! – is published today.⁠
⁠
It’s a collection of over 100 energy-saving, family-friendly recipes cooked using just a microwave oven. ⁠
⁠
It’s a bit of departure from my recent books, but one I hope you'll find useful – and perhaps intriguing too. There's something fascinating about cooking in the microwave and, even though I’ve been using them for many years, I was surprised by the huge variety of different - and very delicious - dishes that could be cooked successfully using microwave power alone. Everything from easy curries and 'casseroles', to lasagne, barbecue-style chicken, spicy rice, banoffee pie, sticky toffee pudding, rich chocolate brownie and lemon drizzle cake! ⁠
⁠
If you do fancy taking a peak at Ping!, you can find it in your local bookshop, online and via the link in my bio.⁠
⁠
#microwaverecipes #microwavemagic #quickandeasymeals #familymeals #energysaving #tastyinminutes #microwavecuisine #convenientcooking #microwaverecipebook #justinepattison⁠
⁠
For a healthy midweek meal, why not try a simple v For a healthy midweek meal, why not try a simple veggie bolognese? Taken from my slow cooker book, this one makes four really generous servings or six smaller portions. It freezes very well and can be used for a lasagne, pasta bake or base for veggie cottage pie. Perfect if you like to go meat-free or simply fancy a change.⁠
⁠
Click in the link in my bio to take you to the recipe.⁠
⁠
#slowcooker #healthymidweekmeals #meatfreerecipes ⁠
#veggiebolognese #slowcookerecipes #freezerfriendlymeals⁠
Slow cooker pulled pork makes an easy meal for ove Slow cooker pulled pork makes an easy meal for over the weekend. My version is rich and spicy - perfect for piling into warmed wraps with pink pickled onions, avocado, soured cream and shredded lettuce. ⁠
⁠
You can find the recipe by clicking on the link in my bio. ⁠
⁠
#slowcookerpulledpork #justinepattisonrecipes #weekendcooking⁠
#easyrecipes #spicypulledpork⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠
Thinking you'd like something different for breakf Thinking you'd like something different for breakfast? These fruity layered yoghurt pots can be made with fresh or frozen berries and prepped ahead. Add a small handful of nuts or some granola for extra crunch.⁠
⁠
Click on the link in my bio for the recipe.⁠
⁠
#healthybreakfast #crushedberryyoghurt #justinepattisonrecipe #yoghurtbreakfast #mealprep
Load More… Follow Justine on Instagram
  • Mail

Copyright © 2017–2025 · Justine Pattison · All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy · Terms and Conditions