tell me about your christmas dinner :-)

[liz1985]

So its my first year doing christmas dinner. Im cooking for 12 people and the most I've ever cooked for is about 6. Obviously i know the gist of a christmas dinner but anyone put anything different on? Cook something in a special way that makes it taste better? Etc. What starters do you have? Deserts? No one coming likes christmas pudding so trying to think of a good desert. Any ideas appreciated.

 

[Tanikins]

I feel like im making monica's christmas dinner this year (friends)

Feeding 4 adults and 1 child. Were making enough for leftovers (till bloody feb im sure )

We having:
STARTER - no starter, well just snack and have a late breakfast

MAIN - turkey crown stuffed with sausage meat stuffing (got 2lbs of sausage meat, apparently i need this amount again )
Potatoes - mashed, roasted and crockets
Veg - brussels, parsnips, peas, carrots, brocolie poss cauli
Stuffing (more sausage meat )
Pugs in blankets (full sized sausages)
Yorkshire puds
16 litres of gravy

PUDDING - sticky toffee pud with custard or banoffee pie

 

[Reid]

Both myself and OH hate turkey so we go to the butcher for gammon joint with roast potatoes Yorkshire pudding peas carrots all with gravy
Then we have truffle or chocolate cake with cream oh I could go it now lol yum xx
Oh and it's just the 3 of us we had boxing day take away at mil and fil which was lovely to x

 

[jd83]

My family does the exact same meal as Thanksgiving:
Main: Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, macaroni salad, deviled eggs, corn, broccoli salad
Dessert: probably like 20 pumpkin pies. no joke, lol. They make enough to send a full pie home with each family.

My in-laws do a different meal to Thanksgiving, which I'm glad for so we don't have to eat the same meal twice in one day, lol!:
Main: grilled steak, marinated mushrooms, baked potatoes, squash, green beans
Desserts: Apple Pie, Cherry Pie, Peanut Butter Pie

 

[kimmyttcno3]

The key is preparation, I get all the veg and turkey prepared Christmas eve....not cooking them but peeling, chopping and stuffing. We have turkey stuffed with homemade stuffing, goose fat roasted potatoes, pigs in blankets, cheesy leeks, carrots, swede, broccoli, roasted parsnips, cranberry sauce, bread sauce, Yorkshire puddings and gallons of proper gravy. We don't have a starter as we wouldn't fit in the pudding lol. I always have a choice of puddings. ...homemade Christmas pudding, mince pies, yule log and profiteroles. .....all served with lashings of custard and extra thick cream mmmmmmmmm x

 

[kimmyttcno3]

Ooopps forgot my favourite veg....sprouts x

 

[jenstar]

I like pate or smoked salmon for starter. You can buy lovely tasty smoked salmon canapes in e.g. m&s or tesco finest, although for 12 people it'd be quite dear maybe £6 or so. But you'd only need a bag of salad leaves and a salad dressing.

Desserts just buy what you like. We like vienetta. Not too heavy.

 

[SmartieMeUp]

MIL or SIL does ours: for 12+ people
3 gravy's - chicken, turkey & beef (made with meat juices)
Mashed potato
Steamed veg - peas, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, sprouts
Roasted veg - parsnips, carrots, potatoes
Meat - Pork, gammon, beef, chicken & turkey
Pigs in blankets
Stuffing
Yorkshire puddings
Sauces - cranberry & mint

Desserts - Gateuxs and cheesecakes

Slow cook your meat (oven or slow cooker)

 

[Kay_Baby]

The key to feeding a crowd is preparation.

I always do a cold starter to save room for cooking the main. I've done everything from smoked salmon and prawns through to a clementine salad.

I always do a turkey and ham. I do my ham in fruit juice and spices in the slow cooker.

I make 2 types of stuffing a sage and onion one and a chestnut one. I also make both cranberry and bread sauce.

I don't bother with any other pudding. I just put out a chesse board.

 

[Mrs_T]

I like my parnips with honey drizzled on top...they kind of caramelise.

Pudding wise I usually buy a roulade - sainsburys do a nice toffee and pecan one - it's not too heavy and doesn't need cooking- personally after the mess and cooking of the main I don't wanna cook a pud!

Also, it is a bit wasteful, but frankly it's soooo much easier... I buy disposable baking tray for my turkey and sometimes spuds to save a bit of washing up!

 

[Amber4]

I'm cooking for 10

No starter!

Main will be
Turkey and beef
Roast potatoes in goose fat
Carrots, swede, sprouts, peas, parsnips
Stuffing
Pigs in blankets
Yorkshire puds
Gravy
Mint/apple/cranberry sauce

Then for pudding I am not 100% decided!
Think there will be mince pies and cream for sure.
Then either cheesecake/profiteroles/gateux.
& a cheese board with crackers.
(if everyone has room! lol)

I'm dreading doing it for sooo many people but I am just gonna be prepared the night before and get everything ready and prey it goes well haha.
Don't worry though. I am sure guests will offer a hand too I know my mum will offer to help!

xx

 

[shanny]

Starter - canapés

Main - Turkey crown wrapped in bacon and stuffed
boiled and then roasted ham coated with wholegrain mustard and honey
roasties, parsnips peas, carrots, sprouts - whatever veg you want

pigs in blankets etc

Puddings - a big must in our house

Xmas pudding, ginger nut roll, trifle, Christmas tree pavlova

Cheese

Coffee

preparation and a list of times and doing as much before as you can - delegation -- ask people to bring puddings is always good

 

[Bid]

So its my first year doing christmas dinner. Im cooking for 12 people and the most I've ever cooked for is about 6. Obviously i know the gist of a christmas dinner but anyone put anything different on? Cook something in a special way that makes it taste better? Etc. What starters do you have? Deserts? No one coming likes christmas pudding so trying to think of a good desert. Any ideas appreciated.

I think the main thing is not to get hung up on making everything from scratch, unless you enjoy doing it of course. It's your day too and you don't want to spend it in the kitchen instead of spending quality time with your family. I'm speaking from experience here! This is our third xmas with DS, fourth if I count the one where I was heavily pregnant with him, and it's our first one alone as a family. Every other year we've had 8 people for dinner and I spent the whole time stressing and running around in the kitchen while everyone else got to play with DS. This year I'm buying pre-prepared everything and it's getting bunged in the oven while I play with DS alllll day! It's only a bit of food at the end of the day, it's the people that make it special.

Now I've got that out of the way.... starter-wise I would just do something cold. We always have pate with oatcakes (or melba toast) and red onion chutney. It's yummy and you can serve it away from the table.

For dessert you can't go wrong with profiteroles or a chocolate yule log. Easy to dish and people can have as much or as little as they like.

And for mains, prep as much as you can the day before, buy the fiddly stuff like pigs in blankets and stuffing balls ready made unless you are used to making them anyway, and don't do too many varieties of veg just for the sake of it. Better to have a few things cooked well than a table full of soggy stuff because your timing was off!

Finally, my best tip: Wine!

 

[leoniebabey]

i dont cook it but we have ...

starter: prawn cocktail
Main: turkey (we also had beef and gammon last year)
roasties, mash, carrots, turnip, yorkshire puddings, stuffing, pigs in blankets.
dessert: normally a cheesecake, irish lumpy bumpy cake (it's probs not actualy called this). I prefer trifle though but my mam doesnt buy it.

 

[shambaby]

I do my best to minimise the amount of time i spend in the kitchen, as i don't want to miss spending time with the family. So, i prepare what i can in advance and write out a timeline of what i need to do and when. This never quite goes to plan, so i always work it out to be ready earlier than we actually want to eat! We don't have starters as there's always so much of the main and we like to have dessert, too!

We have:

Roast turkey breast joint with bacon lattice on top (make the lattice in advance, the breast joint cooks much quicker than a whole turkey or a crown, and i will only be cooking for 4 adults and 2 little ones, and everyone wants breast meat any way) i also put halved lemons and onions, and some sprigs of rosemary in the roasting tin - doesn't take a lot of time, but does help keep it moist and add to the flavour. Also, remember to allow resting time.
Pigs in blankets (buy ready made, or make in advance and keep in fridge on oven tray)
Stuffing balls (as above, if i make them it is just with instant packet mix, not from scratch)
Yorkshire puddings (absolutely will not buy frozen ones, would rather not have any, but the batter can be made ahead)
Roast potatoes and mashed potatoes (peel in advance and keep overnight in pan of cold water)
Carrots, broccoli and peas (cook in the microwave so don't need to watch constantly for boiling over, buy bags of ready prepared, or prepare in advance and store in water, as above, use frozen peas)
I have tried doing roast parsnips, but can never seem to get them right, will either give them a miss or buy ready made this year.
Gravy - i just use bisto granules, no faffing with juices or anything.

Wondering if i can somehow use my slow cooker this year for the meat, but not sure it would work for turkey. Might add a gammon joint, i love gammon!

For dessert we always have a christmas pudding for those who like it (not me!) and a chocolate yule log for those who don't both are shop bought, and hubby heats up the pudding in the microwave.

Don't make it hard for yourself - you need to enjoy the day, too, so don't feel pressured to make everything perfect, from scratch, it's just not worth it in my opinion. And don't feel you have to make something you know noone will eat just because it's traditional (hence sprouts no longer make it onto our menu!)

 

[DanielleM]

For starters we have around 1pm to fill the gap kids have soup, me and hubby have garlic mushrooms

The main event happens around 3-3.30 consists of;

Whole turkey, (butter under the skin and streaky bacon on top for cooking)
Roast potatoes in goose fat
Extra special mash (m&s shop bought)
Pigs in blankets
Yorkshire puddings
Roasted veg (chatney carrots, parsnips, butternut squash)
Carrot and swede mash
Broccoli & cauli
Turkey gravy (shop bought m&s is divine)

Pudding is after eight ice cream and a chocolate cake

 

[MrsEngland]

We always stuff butter under the turkeys skin and cover in streaky bacon keeps the turkey lovely and moist, just be careful not to tear the skin.
Roast potatos in goose fat. Sprouts stir fried with bacon and pine nuts. Savoy cabbage with bacon, cream and a little bit of nutmeg then baked. Honey glazed parsnips and carrots. Chestnut stuffing.

For desert we have homemade christmas pud or i make a white chocolate and baileys cheese cake, my sister usually makes a orange chocolate torte too.

Nom this is making me hungry!

 

[Baby Bell]

Ok so I don't actually make christmas dinner but last year my mum had 15 at the table!

Starter: home made soup (leek &potato)
Prawn cocktail (just cause)

Main; turkey
Roast potatoes
Mashed potatoe
Sprouts
Pigs in blankets
Stuffing
Carrots
Yorkshire puddings
Roast parsnips
Nut roast (for the veggies)
Gravie

Pudding; chocolate profitteroles
Trifle
Selection of ice cream
Cheesecake
Biscuit and cheese board! (All desserts shop bought)

My mum says she's never doing it again......she has fed all the granny's and cousins etc for years...this year my parents and my wee granny are going to the hotel 4* hotel right to our house for christmas dinner I say good for mum we going to my mils and my sister is going to her sils. My other grandparents have said they don't want to do anything (my mum had offered to take them to hotel too) but if my dad's brother comes to there's they more than welcome to cook for my gran n grandad lol

 

[liz1985]

Thanks so much for all the ideas and tips. Allthough im now starving! Haha. Think im going to do a trial run with a chicken just for us 4 and try out some of your ideas.

 

[c1403]

I don't cook but this year is our first Christmas at home so we will both do it together. At the moment its just me, oh and our dd's (youngest is three months so no food for her). We have invited brother in law and his girlfriend too but not 100% of they're coming.

Our menu is

Breakfast-scrambled egg, smoked salmon and muffins/crumpets

Lunch-turkey/beef, roast potatoes, roast carrots, roast parsnips, broccoli, swede, Yorkshires,stuffing and pigs on blankets

Desert - undecided maybe a cheesecake or gateaux

Tea- cheese board, cold meats, pickles, crackers

Mmmm yummy can't wait


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