Hi everyone, it’s Sean here. Several years ago, I took over making Christmas dinner. Despite the time commitment, and the difficulty (at least for an amateur cook such as myself), I came to love the process and now look forward to it every year. I enjoy a few select beers and slowly put together the best holiday meal for my family I can. Even this year, when Covid will prevent a large family gathering, I plan to keep up this tradition.

When I first began cooking Christmas dinner, each year I would seek out new recipes to try: novel ways to prepare the turkey, a new take on the gravy, a decadent new dessert. For the last couple of years, however, I’ve followed Gordon Ramsey’s Christmas menu almost in full. I heartily recommend it.

I discovered Ramsey’s Christmas dinner via YouTube (thank you, Christmas YouTube algorithm!) and it immediately intrigued me — and not only because he draped his entire turkey in thick slices of bacon like some perfect meat-skirt for his poor fowl. It was also because Ramsey clearly had a well-thought out approach to the overall meal and how each dish would complement the others. I choose not to use his stuffing recipe, which is some log-like concoction distinctly unlike the traditional bread stuffing I adore. But other than that single exception, I make every item on his list.

The result is phenomenal (a result, I would note, which has nothing to do with my talent and everything to do with his recipes). The bacon-wrapped turkey is moist and delicious, while the bacon itself–as well as the onions and lemons you stuff into the turkey’s cavity–become the basis for arguably the best gravy I have ever had: tangy and rich, elevating everything it touches on the plate. Coupled with a fantastic cranberry sauce, brussels sprouts with pancetta, turmeric-roasted potatoes, and an incredible pain au chocolate (chocolate croissant) bread pudding for dessert, it makes for a wonderful Christmas meal from beginning to end. Even in a Covid world, you can still experiment with new recipes for Christmas. Try Ramsay’s for yourself—you won’t be disappointed!

Gordon Ramsay’s Christmas Turkey

Gordon Ramsay’s Gravy

Gordon Ramsay’s Bread and Butter Pudding