Help needed with Ideas for Buffet as Christmas Day Lunch

[swampie2]

Now, I know it's early to be thinking about Christmas, but as we've had our summer holiday, washed, dried & put away all our summer stuff, we're trying to be organised for when family bring up Christmas! Usually both sides will mention it at some point between now & mid September.

We've (me & DH) have already decided it's our turn to have his family over Christmas day. Which is over due as although we'd initially alternated, the last 2 or 3 years have been difficult through illness/births/deaths/family in hospital, etc, etc. All being well, things seem more settled at the moment!

So, the plan is that there will be myself, DH, DD (DH's dsd), MIL, FIL, SIL, 2 x DNephews & possibly BIL (depending on work). So there will be either 8 or 9 of us.
Now this last year or 2 we've been decluttering & have disposed of the spare table we'd get out at Christmas, which would allow us to seat 12 of us in the dining room for a sit down meal. I really don't want to have to buy another table (of any form) as to allow us to move up from the table & 6 seats we currently have in use at the moment. We have enough spare seats dotted through the house to accommodate another 3 or 4 in the dining room, but not enough table space to allow 8 or 9 people to eat a meal at the table.

So, my thoughts are that we'd do more of a buffet style lunch. Something like a prawn cocktail starter could still be optional at this stage (it's a staple xmas starter with dh's family!).I'm thinking of a turkey crown & a ham (cooked the day before, chilled in the fridge & served cold on the day), served with pigs in blankets, stuffing, some roast potatoes or hassleback potatoes (new pots with the sliced cuts in them & roasted). But then i'm stuck with what else to do!! Obvously, I don't want to go down the veg route, but will salad, coleslaw, etc, go down with half a Christmas roast dinner? Has anyone done this before & can give me some ideas or can confirm how it went? My DH is talking about still wanting gravy on his dinner & I also wonder how MIL & FIL will take it. SIL, BIL & the boys will happily accept it, I think. And MIL & FIL wouldn't not eat it, but would probably make some comment about it. Not enough for me to be put off by doing a buffet style though! We'd be asking for desert contributions from all the inlaws, which is standard practice so we'll have 2 dessert choices available without having to think about it/buy them. They all live locally & we aren't having to consider breakfast or tea for them, just lunch!

[FireflyGirl]

Firstly - this is the Christmas board, you are safe. We've been thinking about Christmas since...erm...well, quite a few of us haven't stopped.

As I understand it, you're still wanting to keep elements of the Christmas Dinner, but in nibbly form? I'd say your best bet would be to see what comes out in the Christmas food catalogues. I'm sure they had canapes that were like mini versions of Christmas foods.

[OliviaStabler]

I'd borrow a table and have a proper sit down dinner.

[NapQueen]

If theres no table to sit at then all food needs to be eaten with just a fork in one hand. So nothing needing cutting etc.

Canapes, or mini versions of stuff (mini yorkshire puds with sliced beef etc).

[Flimp]

IMHO, I think having turkey and roast potatoes then salad is making it look like a half Christmas roast and it would be obvious that the veg and gravy was lacking. I'd make it more 'proper buffet', like chicken drumsticks, ham, sausage rolls, bread and salad etc. No roasters. And make everything possible to eat with one hand.

[NoCapes]

Tbh if I was invited to this I wouldn't come, I don't want my Xmas dinner cold, and I'm just not a fan of buffets anyway but Xmas dinner is very important to us
We're borrowing a table big enough as I'm sure many people do at Christmas time, whenever we go to my Nans we have to take our own chairs
Seriously just borrow a table

[Flimp]

yes, or just borrow a table and do as normal! then nobody's disappointed.

[VivaJen]

When it comes out have a look at the M&S Christmas food brochure, I always use that to go get ideas. There have been quite a few posts in the Christmas area that have said they do more of a buffet on Christmas Day so if that's what will work for you all go for it.

Alternatively - is there any way you can adapt your table to make it bigger. When we were in our (very) small flat DH got a piece of MDF and put it over our table and secured it without damaging the table but it let us seat 6 rather than 2.

[WaxOnFeckOff]

What age are the children? I'd do 6 adults at the far and do side table/ kneel at a coffee table for the young ones. Or do a children's grazing buffet of Christmas dinner stuff and hot dinner for the adults. You can still cook the meat the day before and put the amount you want to serve hot into a covered dish with gravy and pop in the oven or slow cooker.

[WaxOnFeckOff]

Far? That was meant to say table!

[BananaFrenchToast]

I'm all for breaking with tradition, but in this case I think you need to borrow a table and get everyone round it!

[BananaFrenchToast]

(or yes, a childrens table is not a bad idea)

[Shadow666]

We always do a buffet instead of sit-down dinner. I usually buy in a big ham rather than have turkey. Do a nice cheese board, quiche, sausages, home-made bread, etc. One year I did a cheese fondue. Im not really bothered about roast dinners though, so just cook food everyone likes.

[MrsGB2225]

If you can't borrow a table, could you get a large bit of board to put over the top of your table and then hide it with a table cloth? We used to do this when there were 25 for a sit down lunch.

[MrsGB2225]

We also had a kids table with non alcoholic fizz to make us feel grown up!

[Motherofterriers]

How about a plastic garden table you can cover with a tablecloth for the day?
I'd either go for a proper Christmas lunch, or a proper buffet - sausage rolls, sandwiches etc

[Theimpossiblegirl]

I do a big roast just before Christmas for more than my table holds but plate it up in the kitchen and it works fine. You call a couple of people at a time, usually kids first.
People sit anywhere and don't mind. They're just grateful they aren't the ones cooking.
I tend to do ham, turkey (no bones), stuffing, roasties, pigs in blankets, a few veggies and gravy.
If the gravy is good and hot it hides anything cooling as you dish up.
Get people to bring a dessert or cheese.

[BrieAndChilli]

I think it depends what people 'expect' for xmas. A couple of years ago it was just us for xmas so the kids decided we should have a buffet for dinner instead of a roast. I did a huge buffet with cheeses and cold meats and pickles and picky bits etc etc but afterwards I did feel a bit cheated and wished I'd done a roast.

[shortgreengiraffe]

I can see why you're thinking this, but in my opinion it will be a lot of work, you'll be worrying about what people will think, someone will get gravy on your sofa, and all in all it will be a lot more effort and expense than just going out and buying a camping table would be.

If you really don't want to have the clutter in your house do you have - or could you borrow - anything which would work as a table? E.g. coffee or playtable which would work for kids, garden table, camping table? Is there a village hall nearby which could loan you one for the day? Put a nice Xmas cloth on and it'll be fine.

To me it isn't really Christmas unless there is some outdoor furniture inside.

[NoWordForFluffy]

@Shadow666 I did that last year for the first time and will continue in the same vein this year. We then had / have a roast on Boxing Day. The big roast dinner isn't what makes Christmas for me, I've discovered since having kids.

[Bluntness100]

Get something like a wallpaper pasting table, rent if you need to, and shove a table cloth on and sit folks round that, there is always ways and means.

Honestly though I don't fancy the sound of your menu, cold turkey is fine but it's not Xmas dinner, and serving it with some warm and some cold food isn't good or appetising.

I think it you're going to do Xmas dinner then do it properly. If not then say you're willing to host, but it will be a non traditional buffet and you won't be serving a traditional meal and let people decide if they wish to come or not. I don't think you should mislead them.

We'd come but then arrange to have a traditional Xmas dinner separately.

[AgentProvocateur]

It's neither a buffet meal nor a Christmas dinner - cold meat/hot potatoes. I'm politely make my excuses. Could you borrow a bigger table and have a sit-down meal?

[Justnowthisone]

If it was my Christmas meal - on that one day of the year - I would want a traditional Christmas meal

[Shadow666]

I think you might be better doing either a proper Christmas dinner or a proper buffet. Its the neither one nor the other that confuses things.

Christmas buffets are very popular. So, have a Google or look on Pinterest for ideas. There are loads about. But gravy with a buffet doesnt really work. If you want to do a buffet, do a kick-ass buffet.

The family sounds very traditional though, so why not host Boxing Day every year instead?

[IHopeYourCakeIsShit]

Boxing day is for buffets.
Get a wallpaper pasting table or a cheap plastic garden thing and just have everyone for the traditional thing.
Or do Boxing day instead.

[BananaSandwichesEveryDay]

I'm not wedded to the traditional turkey dinner, in fact we don't have turkey here, however, what you are proposing is not really what I'd call a buffet. It sounds like half a turkey roast with salad. Can't say I'd fancy that. Buffet, or alternative meal, absolutely. Maybe a ham, salmon, nice salads. I might do jacket potatoes for anyone who wants something hot. Love the idea of a fondue, but not everyone here eats cheese. So I'd have a fantastic cheeseboard for those who do like it. I'd get as much as possible from m&s or here word of warning though - when the Cook Christmas catalogue comes out you need to order very quickly so you get the delivery slot and the food you want. We left it too late last year and had to drive quite a distance to the nearest shop and then couldn't get everything we wanted.