The December table, handled
Christmas dinner for 10, one oven and all.
Roast math for prime rib, ham, or tenderloin, every side scaled, and the December week in order — so the cook gets to sit down too.
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Pick your main — the rest follows
| Main | For 10, buy | The math | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime rib | 10 lb bone-in (4 bones) | 1 lb bone-in pp | The showstopper. One rack, no carving skill needed — slice between bones. |
| Ham | 8 lb bone-in | ¾ lb bone-in pp | Cheapest, most forgiving, best leftovers. Spiral-cut = zero carving. |
| Beef tenderloin | 5 lb trimmed | ½ lb pp | Priciest per pound, done in under an hour, impossible to carve badly. |
| Turkey (again) | 13–15 lb | 1¼ lb pp, whole bird | If your family expects it, see the Thanksgiving guide — same playbook, smaller bird. |
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Roast by thermometer, not clock. For prime rib and tenderloin, pull at 120–125°F for medium-rare and rest 20–30 minutes — carryover finishes the job. (The USDA’s official number for whole beef roasts is 145°F with rest; the steakhouse standard is lower. Know both, choose knowingly, and use an actual thermometer either way.)
Sides for 10, scaled
| Dish | Amount for 10 | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Potatoes (mashed or roasted) | 5 lb | Yukon Golds work either way |
| A green vegetable | 2½ lb | Brussels sprouts roast while the meat rests |
| A root or squash side | 3 lb | Glazed carrots hold well and reheat better |
| Yorkshire puddings or rolls | 15 | Puddings if prime rib (the drippings are right there); rolls otherwise |
| Gravy or jus | 3 cups | From the roast’s own drippings |
| Dessert | 2 desserts | One centerpiece (bûche, trifle, pie), one make-ahead backup |
The week, in order
- Dec 20–21: Order or buy the roast — prime rib and tenderloin sell out; a frozen turkey needs fridge time starting now.
- Dec 23: Dessert day. Both desserts done, cranberry if you’re doing it, table linens found.
- Dec 24: Prep every side to the point of cooking. Salt the roast tonight and leave it uncovered in the fridge — better crust, better seasoning.
- Dec 25, morning: Roast math backward from dinner: prime rib wants ~15–17 min/lb at 325°F plus a 30-minute rest — a 10-lb rack goes in about 3½ hours before you carve.
- The rest window is the sides window. Oven jumps to 425°F while the meat rests: vegetables roast, puddings puff, gravy comes off the drippings. Same one-oven trick as Thanksgiving.
What to buy instead of make
Dessert is the classic Christmas buy — a bakery bûche de Noël outclasses most homemade attempts and frees your entire Dec 23. Rolls, obviously. Even the sides flex: good deli mashed potatoes exist and nobody checks. Spend yourself on the roast and the gravy — that’s the memory. Store-bought is fine; two mothers we trust built half this app on that principle.
Quick answers
How much prime rib do I need for 10 people?
About 10 lb bone-in — a four-bone rack — at roughly 1 lb bone-in per person. Slice between the bones to carve.
How much ham for 10 people?
About 8 lb bone-in at three-quarters of a pound per person. Spiral-cut requires no carving and leaves the best leftovers.
What temperature should prime rib reach?
Pull at 120–125°F for medium-rare and rest 20–30 minutes; carryover cooking finishes it. The USDA’s official recommendation for whole beef roasts is 145°F with rest. Use a meat thermometer either way.
Planning the Christmas table?
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