The most forgotten item at Christmas is cranberry sauce – followed by cream for the Christmas pudding and stuffing for the turkey.
A poll of 2,000 adults found 23 per cent of those who cook Christmas dinner have forgotten a key item before.
Among those who’ve been caught out, 44 per cent realised on Christmas morning and 31 per cent only noticed once cooking was already underway.
Aldi has released its definitive Christmas Dinner Missed List, revealing the most commonly forgotten items – with other often-overlooked staples including crackers for the table (12 per cent), cheese for the cheese board (10 per cent) and after-dinner mints (10 per cent).
Meanwhile, 11 per cent have run out of carrots and the same number (11 per cent) have served up a meal without gravy after forgetting to re-stock the granules.
Rachel Geary, spokesperson for Aldi, said: “Christmas dinner is the most-hyped meal of the year.
“While people sometimes miss an item when there’s so much to think about, there’s nothing worse than getting to Christmas Day and realising you’ve forgotten something.
“That’s why we’d urge shoppers to take tips from Santa and check their lists twice, just to make sure they don’t miss anything off their Christmas shop.”
The research also found respondents didn’t learn from their mistakes the first time, as the average person who has forgotten a crucial ingredient for the Christmas feast has done so on two occasions.
Nearly a quarter (23 per cent) even admitted they have a pattern, forgetting the exact same thing for multiple years.
For 19 per cent, this may be because the item they missed off their list is one they don’t use at any other time of year.
Meanwhile, the same number (19 per cent) blamed the fact they were too focused on buying presents rather than food.
Other key causes for missing ingredients included being overwhelmed by the number of things to remember at Christmas (36 per cent) and failing to write a clear list of what’s needed (29 per cent).
This festive forgetfulness may also be caused by the fact that more than a quarter (27 per cent) finish stocking up for the big feast only the day before.
And when it turns out something is missing, a third (33 per cent) will try to figure out a similar replacement, with notable examples including ‘mayonnaise instead of butter’ and ‘crushed biscuits instead of breadcrumbs’.
That may be why exactly one in five said their family and friends still joked about the fact they forgot something for the festive feast.
The OnePoll data also revealed the nation’s most crucial Christmas dinner components, with roast potatoes taking the top spot (79 per cent), followed by turkey (66 per cent), carrots (62 per cent) and pigs in blankets (61 per cent).
In a surprising festive twist, Brussels sprouts (59 per cent) were deemed more essential than gravy granules (51 per cent).
The most devastating items to forget on Christmas Day were turkey (56 per cent), roast potatoes (41 per cent) and pigs in blankets (32 per cent), followed by gravy granules (23 per cent) and stuffing (22 per cent).
Rachel Geary added: “If you’re hosting, the best trick is to start early and build your shop around the staples, then add the finishing touches.
“Write a clear list, check it twice and keep a couple of freezer back-ups - it can really take the stress out of the big day.”
TOP 10 MOST FORGOTTEN CHRISTMAS DINNER ITEMS:
1. Cranberry sauce
2. Cream
3. Stuffing
4. Christmas crackers for the table
5. Gravy granules
6. Carrots
7. Cheese
8. After-dinner mints
9. Wine
10. Custard
