MasterChef finalist shares her 'godsend' Christmas dinner cheat sheet that's 'so helpful'

Fionnuala Boyle
·2-min read
Christmas dinner table
-Credit:Getty Images


A MasterChef finalist has revealed her budget Christmas dinner cheat sheet which diners have dubbed "a godsend".

Hope Batchelor appeared on this year's season of MasterChef UK and made it all the way to the final three before being voted out.

The 31-year-old has gone on to rack up a huge following of over 70k on TikTok where she shares hosting and recipe techniques, as well as some travel and dining out tips which, for some users, has been transformative.

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Earlier this month, the cook posted her cheat sheet to hosting Christmas dinner. Speaking in the clip, Hope explained: "If you're hosting Christmas this year and want to know what to buy, what to make, and when to make it all, save this video because I'm going to walk you through everything that I made for Friendsmas and how I made it."

Hope pulls up a playlist showing every recipe for the dishes she made for followers to check out as well as a list of all the grocery items she purchased for Friendsmas that, incredibly, came in at around just £80.

"I kept things relatively simple in terms of the dishes that we made just because I didn't want to be taking up loads of oven space," Hope went on. "I wanted it to be as easy as possible just using one oven."

The foodie listed every aspect of the meal including components for gravy, stuffing, and Yorkshire puddings, meaning it's not just the main event but the sides and condiments that are taken into account, too.

A turkey being carved on a Christmas table with people picking at it
Leftover turkey creations are as much a part of Christmas as the meal itself -Credit:Getty

Hope also included timings. She advises to start your prep two days before Christmas Day. One caveat is that she sat down for Friendsmas at 4pm, so if you eat earlier than that, the times should be shifted to a few hours earlier.

"The turkey stays hot for a really long time so just cover it with foil and tea towels and you'll be surprised at how hot it stays," Hope said. Users told Hope she was a "guardian angel" and "doing the Lord's work" for sharing the guide.

One viewer commented: "Sooo helpful! Done Xmas before but first time hosting 10 with a 3 year old! Thanks for this xx/"

"This playlist is quite literally the only Christmas gift I need. Thank you," wrote a second.

The Christmas cheat sheet is as follows:

Veg

  • Leeks or celery

  • Carrots

  • Brussel sprouts

  • Red cabbage

  • Garlic

  • Rosemary

  • Flat leaf parsley

  • Sage

  • Onions

  • Maris pipers

Meats

  • Chicken wings

  • Chipoltas

  • Streaky bacon

  • Turkey

Dairy

  • Whole milk

  • Butter

Pantry

  • Basic white bread

  • Eggs

  • Veg oil

  • Soy sauce

  • Mustard

  • Honey/maple syrup

  • Salt and pepper

  • Plain flour

  • Ground cinnamon

  • Ground nutmeg

  • Cloves

  • Star anise

  • Balsamic vinegar

  • Ginger and garlic

  • Brown sugar

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