Please help - vegetarian plans a meaty Christmas!

[Florianna]

My husband and I are hosting Christmas this year. We've got my parents over Christmas Eve to Boxing Day (so cooking for 4 people) and 2 extra guests on Christmas day.

I have been a vegetarian for 30 years, and will remain one, but we will be preparing meat for our guests. (My husband is very excited about having meat in the house for once!)

Anyway, we are buying the following £50 package from our local butcher:

1.5 kilo rolled Turkey breast
1.5 kilo rolled Topside Beef
Gammon joint
16 pigs in blankets
16 chipolatas
1lb sausagemeat
2lb back bacon
Large Pork Pie
Packet of stuffing

I'm a dedicated meal planner, but I'm used to tofu, Quorn, lentils and pulses! What meal plan would you put together using the meat. What would be good for Xmas Eve, Boxing Day...?

Any help greatly appreciated 😁

[Xiaoxiong]

I think I'd do:

Christmas Eve: Roast beef, dauphinois potatoes, green salad or spinach with garlic

Christmas Day: the usual dinner which will use up the turkey, pigs in blankets, stuffing, maybe some of the bacon, and roast the gammon at the same time in case people prefer that to turkey - if they don't, then you have cold meat for the next day

Boxing Day: cold meats (gammon/roast beef), the rest of the pork pie if any left, salad, cheeseboard

Have the pork pie available with piccalilli for snacking or have it for lunch on Christmas Eve, finish off leftovers on Boxing Day

The chipolatas and the rest of the bacon you can use for breakfasts for your parents, if they are the type to want a full English on Christmas Day or Boxing Day!

[Mookatron]

My only tip (as a vegetarian) is to make DH stuff the turkey (not envy)

[Xiaoxiong]

Sorry meant to say that I'm assuming that the stuffing you make will use the packet of stuffing (basically seasoned breadcrumbs, in my experience), mixed with the sausage meat.

I usually prefer to make stuffing using torn up bread, rather than the packaged stuff, but up to you! You can do that for the meat eaters and then make this utterly delicious vegetarian stuffing and refuse to share with them: smittenkitchen.com/2013/11/apple-and-herb-stuffing-for-all-seasons/

[maxelly]

I think mine would be as below, you can swap the lunches and dinners depending on when you want your main meal, and equally could swap Christmas Eve and Boxing day over, although for me boxing day is all about the leftovers!

-Christmas eve Lunch: Pork Pie with a nice selection of salads and breads, cheeses etc
-Christmas eve dinner: chipolatas roasted in the oven with some apple and onion, stuffing balls, onion gravy and mash or potato gratin

Christmas day breakfast: bacon and/or sausage sandwiches (you probably won't have used all the sausages the day before unless they are very small or anyone has a huge appetite).

Christmas day lunch: roast turkey stuffed with the sausagemeat, roast beef, pigs in blankets and all the trimmings (you will have too much for 4, but this allows plenteous leftovers ). I like to do a whole braised red cabbage which also allows much leftovers and actually is better eaten the next day with gammon.

Christmas day dinner: no-one will want anything but have the materials for sandwiches available plus leftover pie from the day before)

Boxing day lunch: leftovers sandwiches OR bacon sandwiches, plus pork pie leftovers. If you wanted a hot lunch you could make a turkey curry or turkey risotto with the leftover meat but far too much faf for me!

Boxing day dinner: Gammon joint cooked in coke and glazed a la NIgella, veg and trimmings inc. leftovers from Christmas day.

[Florianna]

Oh yes!!! These responses were just what I was looking for!

My butcher told me I can pick the order up on Sunday 23rd, so might roast the beef then - that way we're spreading it out over more days.

Can't wait to investigate the apple stuffing and nigella's gammon in coke!

[FamilyOfAliens]

I take my hat off to you, OP.

I’ve been vegetarian for 30 years and it would turn my stomach to have that much dead meat in the house. Plus I would have no idea how to cook it.

[StopTheVeganMadness]

@FamilyOfAliens I'd rather have dead meat than alive - think of the mess! imagining a turkey, a cow and a couple of pigs stomping around the house

[FamilyOfAliens]

I would love to have farm animals running around my garden at Christmas