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Christmas dinner planner

A glazed ham with potatoes, green beans and carrots, rolls, and cookies plus a pie made ahead.

10 people · Friday, December 25 · served at 4:00 pm · start cooking at 9:11 am on the day (plus the day before)

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Everything fits: 1 oven and 4 burners are enough for this plan.

Cooking timeline

Worked back from serving time using each recipe's own steps and timers. Step links open the recipe at that step.

Days ahead: your make-ahead plan

Dishes ticked "Make it ahead" go on the day before, and up to 3 days before when a day already holds about 3 hours of work and the dish keeps (its own storage note says how long).

  1. Wednesday, December 23 (2 days before)

  2. The day before: Thursday, December 24

  3. On the day: Friday, December 25

Could also be made ahead: Mashed Potatoes (up to 2 days), Dinner Rolls (up to 3 days). Tick "Make it ahead" to move it.

What the recipes say you can do ahead

Make-ahead notes from the recipes

Up to 5 days ahead (from Sun, Dec 20)

Up to 3 days ahead (from Tue, Dec 22)

  • Glazed Ham: Make the glaze up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate; warm it before brushing.

Up to 2 days ahead (from Wed, Dec 23)

  • Mashed Potatoes: Make up to 2 days ahead, cool and refrigerate. Reheat covered in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 30 to 40 minutes with a splash of milk, stirring once, or keep warm in a slow cooker on WARM for up to 2 hours.

A day ahead (Thu, Dec 24)

  • Dinner Rolls: After shaping, cover the pan and refrigerate up to 18 hours. Let the rolls sit out about 1 hour to puff, then bake. Baked rolls freeze up to 2 months.
  • Christmas Cut-Out Cookies: Dough keeps 3 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen; thaw overnight in the fridge before rolling.
  • Apple Pie: Bake up to 1 day ahead. Rewarm slices at 300°F for 10 minutes if you like.

Wednesday, December 23 (2 days before)

  1. Cranberry SauceStovetop: step 1, about 2 min
  2. Cranberry SauceSimmer, 20 min (step 3)
  3. Cranberry SauceCool, 1 hr (step 5)

The day before: Thursday, December 24

  1. Apple PiePrep: steps 1–4, about 20 min
  2. Apple PieChill dough, 1 hr (step 5)
  3. Apple PiePrep: step 6, about 6 min
  4. Apple PieChill crust, 20 min (step 7)
  5. Apple PiePrep: steps 9–13, about 20 min
  6. Apple PieHeat the oven to 400°F
  7. Apple PieBake hot at 400°F, 20 min (step 14)
  8. Christmas Cut-Out CookiesPrep: step 1, about 1 min
  9. Christmas Cut-Out CookiesCream, 3 min (step 2)
  10. Christmas Cut-Out CookiesChill dough, 2 hr (step 3)
  11. Apple PieFinish baking at 350°F, 50 min (step 15)
  12. Apple PieCool, 3 hr (step 16)
  13. Christmas Cut-Out CookiesHeat the oven to 350°F
  14. Christmas Cut-Out CookiesBake at 350°F, 30 min (step 6)
  15. Christmas Cut-Out CookiesCool, 20 min (step 7)
  16. Christmas Cut-Out CookiesSet icing, 1 hr (step 8)

Morning of Friday, December 25

  1. Dinner RollsPrep: step 1, about 4 min
  2. Dinner RollsMix, 2 min (step 2)
  3. Dinner RollsKnead, 7 min (step 3)
  4. Dinner RollsFirst rise, 1 hr 15 min (step 4)
  5. Dinner RollsPrep: steps 5–7, about 15 min
  6. Dinner RollsSecond rise, 45 min (step 8)
  7. Dinner RollsHeat the oven to 375°F
  8. Dinner RollsBake at 375°F, 22 min (step 10)

Hour by hour

  1. Roasted CarrotsHeat the oven to 425°F
  2. Dinner RollsPrep: step 11, about 4 min
  3. Roasted CarrotsPrep: steps 2–4, about 5 min
  4. Dinner RollsReady 3 hr 45 min early: it waits happily at room temperature
  5. Roasted CarrotsRoast at 425°F, 40 min (step 5)
  6. Roasted CarrotsGlaze at 425°F, 16 min (step 8)
  7. Glazed HamHeat the oven to 325°F
  8. Roasted CarrotsReady 2 hr 45 min early: cool it, then cover and refrigerate until it reheats
  9. Glazed HamPrep: steps 2–3, about 10 min
  10. Glazed HamWarm ham at 325°F, 1 hr 52 min (step 4)
  11. Glazed HamGlaze, 3 min (step 5)
  12. Mashed PotatoesPrep: step 1, about 5 min
  13. Mashed PotatoesSimmer, 28 min (step 2)
  14. Glazed HamPrep: step 7, about 5 min
  15. Glazed HamGlaze bake at 400°F, 10 min (step 8)
  16. Glazed HamFinal glaze at 400°F, 8 min (step 9)
  17. Green BeansToast almonds, 4 min (step 1)
  18. Green BeansStovetop: step 3, about 3 min
  19. Mashed PotatoesDry potatoes, 2 min (step 4)
  20. Green BeansSteam, 5 min (step 4)
  21. Mashed PotatoesPrep: steps 5–6, about 10 min
  22. Roasted CarrotsReheat at 400°F (covered), about 8 min
  23. Green BeansCook off water, 2 min (step 5)
  24. Green BeansPrep: steps 6–7, about 5 min
  25. EveryoneDinner is served
  26. EveryoneLeftovers in the fridge by now (2-hour rule)

How much to make for 10 people

Change "People" above and every dish, batch and the shopping list follow. So do the 2 desserts; every side and bread is made for everyone.

DishServingsBatchesMakesSpare
Glazed HamMain1016 to 7 lbabout 0.7 lb a person, bone and all–
Mashed PotatoesSide101100
Green BeansSide102½100
Roasted CarrotsSide102½100
Cranberry SauceSide101½122
Dinner RollsBread101155
Christmas Cut-Out CookiesDessert5of 10, shared13025
Apple PieDessert5of 10, shared183

Oven schedule and stovetop

One row per dish, from its own temperatures and times. An oven holds 2 racks; dishes within 25°F can share it (the plan says which temperature to keep), anything else that overlaps is flagged.

The oven on the day

11 am12 pm1 pm2 pm3 pm4 pm Dinner Rolls375°FRoasted Carrots425°FGlazed Ham325°F→400°FRoasted Carrots (reheat)400°F
The oven on the day
WhenDishOvenRacksStatus
11:24 am–12:01 pmDinner Rolls375°F1 of 2Fits
12:01 pm–1:14 pmRoasted Carrots425°F2 of 2Fits
1:15 pm–3:45 pmGlazed Ham325°F, then 400°F2 of 2Fits
3:52 pm–4:00 pmRoasted Carrots (reheat)400°F2 of 2Fits

Busiest stovetop moment: 3 burners at 3:48 pm (you have 4).

  • Roasted Carrots: 2½ batches need 2 rounds in the oven; the timeline allows for it.
  • Roasted Carrots is cooked earlier and reheated (400°F, about 8 min), as the recipe suggests, to free the oven.

Food safety

  • Glazed Ham: 140°F in the center (a fully cooked ham, reheated).
  • Keep hot food at 140°F or hotter and cold food at 40°F or colder; food shouldn't sit out more than 2 hours.
  • Reheat leftovers to 165°F. Most leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge.

Safe temperatures follow the USDA safe minimum internal temperature chart. Check with an instant-read thermometer.

Shopping list

34 items, merged across the menu, scaled to your headcount and rounded up.

Produce

  • Crumb-Topped Apple Pie
  • Honey Thyme Roasted Carrots
  • Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
  • Orange-Ginger Cranberry Sauce
  • Orange-Ginger Cranberry Sauce
  • Honey Thyme Roasted Carrots
  • Lemon Almond Green Beans
  • Lemon Almond Green Beans, Crumb-Topped Apple Pie
  • Lemon Almond Green Beans
  • Orange-Ginger Cranberry Sauce
  • Orange-Ginger Cranberry Sauce
  • Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Dairy and eggs

  • Soft Buttery Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls, Spiced Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies
  • Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes, Soft Buttery Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls, Spiced Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies
  • Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes, Lemon Almond Green Beans, Honey Thyme Roasted Carrots, Soft Buttery Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls, Spiced Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies, Crumb-Topped Apple Pie

Meat and seafood

  • Brown Sugar and Mustard Glazed Ham

Pantry

  • Soft Buttery Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls, Spiced Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies, Crumb-Topped Apple Pie
  • Brown Sugar and Mustard Glazed Ham
  • Spiced Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies
  • Brown Sugar and Mustard Glazed Ham, Spiced Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies, Crumb-Topped Apple Pie
  • Brown Sugar and Mustard Glazed Ham
  • Orange-Ginger Cranberry Sauce, Soft Buttery Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls, Crumb-Topped Apple Pie
  • Brown Sugar and Mustard Glazed Ham, Honey Thyme Roasted Carrots
  • Soft Buttery Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls
  • Spiced Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies
  • Crumb-Topped Apple Pie
  • Lemon Almond Green Beans
  • Spiced Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies

Spices

  • Spiced Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies, Crumb-Topped Apple Pie
  • Orange-Ginger Cranberry Sauce
  • Brown Sugar and Mustard Glazed Ham, Spiced Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies
  • Spiced Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies
  • Spiced Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies, Crumb-Topped Apple Pie
  • Spiced Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies
Already have it? (6)
  • Brown Sugar and Mustard Glazed Ham, Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes, Lemon Almond Green Beans, Honey Thyme Roasted Carrots
  • Honey Thyme Roasted Carrots, Soft Buttery Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls
  • Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes, Lemon Almond Green Beans, Honey Thyme Roasted Carrots, Soft Buttery Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls, Spiced Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies, Crumb-Topped Apple Pie
  • Honey Thyme Roasted Carrots
  • Orange-Ginger Cranberry Sauce, Crumb-Topped Apple Pie
  • Brown Sugar and Mustard Glazed Ham, Lemon Almond Green Beans, Orange-Ginger Cranberry Sauce, Soft Buttery Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls, Crumb-Topped Apple Pie
How the plan is worked out
  • Mains and desserts are shared: two pies for 10 people means each pie serves about half. Every side and bread serves everyone, so expect leftovers.
  • Batches round up (whole batches for baked things). A big roast is one piece scaled by weight; a whole turkey's roasting time follows USDA's timetable for its weight.
  • An oven holds 2 racks: a roasting pan fills it, sheet pans take a rack each and baking dishes go two to a rack. Dishes within 25°F of each other can share an oven.
  • Hot sides finish within 30 minutes of dinner (longer when the recipe says it keeps warm); breads, desserts and cold dishes can finish any time that day. When a dish doesn't fit near dinner and its recipe says how to reheat it, it's cooked earlier and reheated.
  • Untimed steps share the recipe's prep time; ovens get 15 minutes to heat. Real kitchens vary, so check doneness as each recipe says.