Come and Critique my Christmas Menu

[Kendodd]

Breakfast
Fruit salad, croissants, yoghurt, coffee and posh juice.

Mid morning snack ???? Ideas please

Lunch
Starter- Not sure, maybe prawn cocktail in a filo pastry case with some salad leaves, any other ideas?
Main- Roast turkey, home made stuffing, roast potatoes and honeyed parsnips, sprouts with chestnuts, mashed carrot, swede and garlic, red cabbage, pigs in blankets, gravy, white and cranberry sauce.
Pudding- Christmas pudding with the usual sides.

Evening snacks- Cheese board, gala pie, chocolate log, mince pies, fruit, nuts

Sounds pretty boring actually.

Any suggestions for a starter? What are you having?

[Bunbaker]

Why do you need a snack mid morning? Will you be serving lunch very late?

Personally I think there is just too much food. I wouldn't even bother with a starter or pudding unless you intend to serve meagre portions of the main meal. Also, after that lot I wouldn't even bother with an evening meal.

On Christmas Day we just have normal breakfast because my lot aren't bothered about having a special breakfast. One day I would like to do so though. The lunch is pretty similar to what you have planned minus the red cabbage, but we don't bother with starter or pudding as we just can't manage that much food.

In the evening I might have a couple of cheese and biscuits because I am still full from lunch.

[MortifiedAdams]

Mid morning snack is surely all the choclate!.

[LillianGish]

I'd never do a starter with Christmas lunch. I'd hand round snacks with the aperitif (some sort of canapes probably which can be prepared (or bought) ahead of time and brought out to order by the dcs) freeing me up to concentrate on the turkey etc then sit down to the main event. M

[turkeyboots]

We have a big breakfast, usually smoked salmon and scrambled eggs and freshly baked bread. Plus chocolate! Lunch is late, so adults tend not to eat in between, but will feed DC mince pie or sandwich if needed.
Do traditional roast, with chocolate chesnut cake for after.

And DH usually has turkey and chilli cheese toasty at 8pm.

[Kendodd]

I wouldn't even bother with a starter or pudding unless you intend to serve meagre portions of the main meal

I hope/plan to serve meagre portions of the main meal. This is always my plan though and it usually never happens, big portions all round. In the past we have always had Christmas pudding about 4/5 hours after lunch because we're all too full, this year it will be different though! Pudding straight after main (I say that every year though).

Breakfast is about 7am (children get up early) and lunch about 1.30/2pm I like to have a little something with the champagne while opening presents.

Evening meal is just tiny little bites of things.

[tracypenisbeaker]

As a starter, what about paté on crusty bread/ toast? I love it.

[Kendodd]

Hmm, yes maybe, pate could be nice and small, lighter than what I'd thought of. My daughter wants to try lobster, can I make lobster pate?

[Rockchick1984]

Agree, mid morning snack is the selection boxes

Meal all sounds good to me, we always have starter, main and dessert - wouldn't be the same with just a main course, and we like to take a good couple of hours at the table! We tend to have beef as well as turkey, as I insist DS insists on Yorkshire puddings. Last year for starter I did little pastry cases filled with goat's cheese, with red onion marmalade which was simple, small but tasty.

Does everyone like Xmas pud? We have a pudding, and a chocolate alternative like a Yule log or similar. Evening snacks are cheese board, leftover dessert, or nice crusty bread with leftover meat. Boxing Day I make a pie using the leftovers.

[SugarHut]

Breakfast: Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs and champagne.

I always ask one set of guests to bake mince pies, and another to bake sausage rolls and bring them round, so we have these about 10.30-11am as they arrive with more fizz.

Lunch, I really go to town with the main event, so I always buy prepared starters. Favourites have been Waitrose little dressed hebridean crabs with a little salad and melba toast. Another nice one is the smoked salmon mousse stacks from there too. Another year I bought breaded brie and served with plum chutney, that was nice. I did once make a smoked mackerel and horseradish pate..that was yum.

Dessert is always Christmas pud, again bought as I make a fairly intricate cake for Boxing Day. Always from Fortnum and Mason, never ever had another one that tastes better. And a bought cheesecake for the heathens that won't entertain Christmas pud.

After, cheeseboard with port for the men.

Evening, sounds pretty much the same as yours. Charcuterie and greek salad with the remaining cheeseboard instead of gala pie.

I think you sound pretty much spot on :)

[Bunbaker]

"with port for the men"

Aren't the women allowed any? I like a drop of port myself.

How do people manage to eat so much food in one go?

[bymoonlight]

After, cheeseboard with port for the men

Are you in Downton Abbey?

D they retire to another room with cigars to talk serious business while you women titter away to each other?

[bymoonlight]

X post Bunbaker

[Mintyy]

Pmsl at "port for the men"

Sorry but ARF!

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

You could make or buy some posh nibbly bits for the mid morning snack.

Nigella has a recipe for Parmesan shortbreads that are very easy to make and utterly delicious!

[deepfriedsage]

I do dressed crab for A starter and have an hour before main. I do dinner/lunch about three or four depends . We have dessert cheese, booze or coffee about six. Then pick at leftovers. I would add yorkshire pudding and do non meager portions.

[tracypenisbeaker]

SugarHut sorry, port for the whatnow??

[PercyIsGreen]

Mid morning snack = selection box

[Bunbaker]

Do you put a pissing pot in the dining room for the men as well?

[tracypenisbeaker]

x post whoops

[InTheRedCorner]

Please tell me the women aren't washing up whilst the men drink the port!

[PercyIsGreen]

I think the men are playing cards

[QuickQuickSloe]

What is gala pie? I think I would like it! I like galas and I like pie anyway.

[SugarHut]

They do play backgammon actually and then go into the garden for a cigar and finish the port around the firepit!! Not in the house, that would pong. And yes we do leave them to it, it's like a tradition. We just tidy up a bit, get the kitchen straight (fairly easy, I tidy up as I cook) and try and generally make the place a bit less like a stun grenade has gone off in a wrapping paper factory. Honestly, it's nice shutting them in there for a little bit, keeps them out of the way while I need to get on!!! And yes we can all have a good old girly natter. We all go out for a walk afterwards.

Please don't derail OP's thread :)

[tracypenisbeaker]

facepalm.

[BonaDea]

Op the menu sounds lovely.

Last year we had a nice breakfast, then our 'starter' of French onion soup avec gruyere croutons at around 12 then did some Xmas activities (pressies and a walk I think) then had the main course as you describe at 3. As others have said it is a lot of food for just one day. Then we has pudding in the evening watching Downton.

That saves the bother of a mid morning snack, lets you have all the main Xmas food without it being too much and also provides some wriggle room for folk to cram in some mince pies and selection boxes. Just an idea.

Our trad mid morning thing with a glass of fizz and some pressies is homemade sausage rolls