I tried Cote’s full Christmas dinner in a box – I was seriously surprised and it rivals Tesco and Sainsbury’s on price

There’s nothing like a home-cooked Christmas dinner with family or friends, where you indulge in turkey and all the trimmings.

But spending more time in the kitchen than celebrating with loved ones is a major drawback.

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Côte in the house solves that with a restaurant quality house delivered full Christmas meal you just put in the oven.

But how does this compare to the real thing? I tried it to find out – and was seriously surprised.

First impressions

The big blue box arrived at my door containing a dozen items in microwave meal containers and vacuum-sealed bags, promising to feed four to six people for £124.95 with minimal preparation.

The boxes will be available for home delivery from December 18 to 23, but Cote recommends ordering on the 21st or later if you want them fresh before December 25th.

It’s certainly easier than searching for it supermarket delivery times or head to the hectic aisles of brick-and-mortar stores.

At the center of the stage is a Brit weighing 2 to 2.5 kg turkey crown from Larchwood Farm, East Anglia, which comes with a festive salt (100g) for seasoning.

There are 12 pigs in blankets – slightly larger than the usual supermarket cocktail chipolata – which also come with a spiced honey sauce (70g).

As my favorite side for Christmas dinnerI was excited to try the twist on a traditional dish, but a little concerned about how few there were.

There is also a chic twist on the traditional festive vegetables, with Brussels sprouts gratin (650 g) with a cheesy sauce.

There is a generous portion of spuds (2g) that are fully prepared: peeled, seasoned and oiled, ready to go straight into the oven.

Stewed red cabbage (600 g), rainbow carrots (500 g), sage and onion filling (for 12 balls) complete the whole.

Not to forget the essentials for any festive feast: there was a generous 600 gram portion of shallot and thyme gravy.

It all looked seriously mouth-watering and despite the large box (well stocked with ice packs to keep everything fresh) it all fit comfortably on one shelf of the fridge.

The cooking

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The instructions are clearly printed on two sides of A4 paper, but can also be found online.

First the items were listed and the to cook times for each – useful for an overview of what is needed.

More detailed instructions followed when ordering and what preparation was required for each dish.

And when I say prepare, this is nothing more than transferring the item to a baking sheet or platter, seasoning the ingredients. turkey or roll the filling into balls.

With only 12 steps downuber Christmas dinner it seemed fairly simple – and it turned out to be.

The instructions were completely reliable and I think it would be incredibly difficult for most amateur chefs (of which I am one) to go wrong.

Leave the turkey in there for an hour, baste it and then put it back in.

Then, 30 minutes later, do the same, also removing the foil from the turkey (to give it time to turn golden brown) and return it to the oven, along with the roasts.

Then 30 minutes later, the turkey comes out to rest, while pigs in blankets, carrots, stuffing and Brussels sprouts go in for 30 minutes.

Cabbage and gravy can be microwaved or reheated slowly on the stovetop just before you take it all out.

All told, the cooking took just 2 hours and 30 minutes, with only a fraction of that time actually requiring your attention.

The taste

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I doubted the meal would really live up to home-cooked standards. But I didn’t have to be.

I was seriously surprised how – with so little input – I could serve such a large and tasty meal.

The turkey, which can often be dry, was moist with a crispy golden top.

Because it was a crown rather than a complete bird, it only contained the breast meat and I found that I didn’t miss the other parts, such as the leg meat, because the prime cut was perfect.

The cheesy creamy Brussels sprouts were also a revelation. Although they sounded heavy in an already rich line-up, they were surprisingly light and added a different flavor to the meaty meal.

The carrots were a colorful array of purple, yellow and white, which have subtly different flavors than the typical orange. I especially liked the peppery and earthy purple ones.

I really enjoyed the hint of honey on piggies and those who don’t can just leave the sauce alone.

Controversial: When it comes to potatoes, I can take them or leave them, and they often stay on my plate. But these were crispy and fluffy, a perfect combination, and I even helped myself for a second.

Together with the cabbage, stuffing and gravy, this was an A* setup. I had no notes and would happily eat it all again. In fact, I did.

The meal is said to serve four to six people. Initially I thought six would be a tall order, or that it would be mostly filled with potatoes since there were so many.

But the turkey was huge, and the ratio of meat, vegetables and carbs was perfect.

Once it was cooked with two main servings, the leftovers lasted me another three days – eight very healthy servings in total.

The only things you need to buy on top are condiments such as cranberry sauce and bread sauce.

Additionally, my tip would be to buy disposable foil containers to minimize the time spent washing and cooking.

The verdict

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There is no doubt that it is fully prepared to have everything delivered in the oven Christmas Day a breeze.

You don’t have to peel potatoes, cut Brussels sprouts or wrap sausages in bacon.

And who’s going on a trip to the supermarket during the busiest time of the year?

Traditionalists may miss cooked Brussels sprouts and a stuffed bird on the menu, but many of the dishes are well beyond my ability to cook from scratch, and I felt there was a perfect balance of classics and interesting flavors.

Some may even miss the tradition of spending time preparing food for Christmas, but not me.

With a total price of £124.95 there’s no denying it looks pricey at first glance, but I was once again surprised once I did the maths.

It works out to £31 per person for four people or £21 per person for six people.

If, like me, you serve eight, either on the day or as leftovers, you can bring it down to just €15.63 per person.

It’s not the cheapest way to feed the family during the holidays, just.

Tesco is promising a Christmas dinner with all the trimmings for four people for £60 (£50 with club card). That’s £15 per person or £12.50.

Sainsbury’s has a boxed roast for £45, which serves four people and is ready in just 55 minutes – or £11.25 per person.

Of course you can make a Christmas roast much more economical – even for just €3.75one mother told The Sun.

But if you can afford to treat yourself (and what better time than Christmas), then Cote’s Christmas Dinner in a Box is a worthwhile investment for top quality food, reduced stress and maximizing the quality of time for the whole family.