cooking for 15 at Christmas, how much veg?

[sacbina]

With a fish dish planning on

Choice of new pots or a mash/broccoli combo
Greens - probably green beans and a sprout based dish
Sauce - yoghurt/dill and a cheesy herby thing

any help much appreciated

[sacbina]

Anyone? ?

[chemenger]

What kind of fish?

[ppeatfruit]

If you're cooking for 15 (is it a buffet?) you need easy things in bowls that you can make in advance I know you'll probably want hot food but I'd go for (hot or cold) rice salad and green salads.

[sacbina]

It's a Salmon and Cod dish. It was only for 8 and now I've been inundated and feeling a bit railroaded and daunted!

Like the idea of a cold rice dish ☺

[ppeatfruit]

Are you doing a dessert? I'd do a trifle or 2 because you can make the components in advance and put it all together on the day before

Maybe a soup to start? Good luck

[sacbina]

A choc log decorated with the kids the day before. And either some thing light and moussey/cheesecakey or my very best crumble.

Not going with starters, straight into main. They'll already be stuffed with my MILs nibbles

[ppeatfruit]

Sounds nice I made a lovely crumble recently with apple and some quince it was delish !!

[IHaveBrilloHair]

I'd do some roast vine tomatoes to add colour

[momb]

Christmas is all about the side dishes really.
I often cook for 15 on a Sunday and would prepare enough of 5 different veg for 8 people approx. So people may take a spoonful of three things or may take 3 of one; you know you are covered and Boxing day is all about leftovers!

buttered New pots
Roast potatoes

Roast carrots and parsnips

steamed broccoli or cauliflower

a warm green bean salad

sprouts with bacon

A coloured veg which will go well with your cheesey herb sauce ?peppers?

Desserts I apply the same principle: spread the risk!
Chocolate log made by kids
Christmas pudding which can be microwaved in 5 minutes, brandy butter
Meringues, lovely ice cream, preserved dark cherries in syrup: a little bit of your favourite liquer to pour over the lot in a posh glass.

[sacbina]

Love the idea of roast toms, my favourite

Only have single oven and 4 hobs and bit enough pans. Mum is bringing what she can.

Also cheating with the cheesecake, going for shop bought ☺

[sacbina]

Thanks so much btw. Really appreciated

They shall be fed, even if there's nowhere to sit!

[momb]

I posted and it vanished so I retyped a simplified version:

roast potatoes and carrots and parsnips go in the oven.
broccoli and sprouts into a steamer
green bean salad gets made the day before. Comes out of the fridge and hour before serving, then dressed with hot dressing at the last second.

Roast toms will look amazing !

[sacbina]

Thanks momb. Don't have a steamer but do have a very big pot.

[sacbina]

Any chance of foolproof green bean salad instructions?? Thank you xx

[momb]

Have a look at the Jamie Oliver one, but rejig the timings to suit your schedule (ie part cook/reheat etc)

I just think that for 15 people you'll need more than one choice, and if you split your choices between things you can precook and reheat, things that need cooking on the day but can be taken away from the fish cooking area (eg in a steamer) and some 'once it's in you don't need to worry' stuff like the roasts it makes everything a bit simpler for you.

I use a lot of batch-cooked things that I can reheat in the microwave or slow cooker: mashed potato, braised red cabbage, carrot and cumin puree, mashed swede and turnip etc, but I can't see those going well with salmon and dill, so I was trying to think of things which could avoid all your effort on one day, avoid having the whole hob full of veg simultaneously, and would complement your fish dish.