Enter when you want to eat and how big your turkey is, and get a personal cooking schedule for Christmas dinner: when to thaw, what to do on Christmas Eve, and what time the turkey, roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, vegetables and gravy start on the day. Roasting times use the upper end of the USDA chart for a thawed turkey at 325°F (163°C); always check it reaches 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the thigh and breast.
Times are a plan, not a guarantee: ovens vary, so start checking the turkey's temperature 30 to 45 minutes before the end of the roasting time. Potatoes and pigs in blankets go in a hotter oven once the turkey is out to rest.
Thawing in the refrigerator takes about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds (roughly 2 kg). A 16 lb (7 kg) turkey needs about 4 days, so for Christmas Day dinner move it to the fridge by December 21.
Count back from dinner: the roasting time for your turkey's weight plus up to an hour of resting while the potatoes roast. A 16 lb unstuffed turkey at 325°F (163°C) takes up to about 4¼ hours, so for a 2 pm dinner it goes in around 8:45 am.
Peel the potatoes and keep them in cold water, trim the sprouts, peel carrots and parsnips, wrap the pigs in blankets, make the stuffing and cranberry sauce, and set the table.
See also: Christmas dinner calculator · Turkey cooking time calculator · Turkey thawing calculator · Cookie exchange calculator · What day is Christmas · Christmas countdown · All holiday dates · all tools