to provide this food...

[Whathashappenedtomyboobs]

So, this Christmas I have 11 family members (including DH, DS and I) coming to my home for Christmas dinner.
I really don't want to spend ALL of my time in the kitchen sweating over a hot stove, so today I went out and brought frozen Roast potatoes, parsnips, mixed veg, yorkshire pudding and peas. Nothing fresh in this house apart from the turkey I'm picking up Christmas eve and the puddings my mum will be making.

[HairyGrotter]

HEATHEN...HOW DARE YOU?

Do what you want, and what's easiest, I'm usually pretty pissed on fizz when cooking to even notice what the food tastes like come serving up time.

Crack on and enjoy your day!

[giraffe213]

Nothing wrong with that. Your house, you cook what you want. FWIW I quite like frozen roasties.

Whoever said "doesn't take long to peel potatoes".. for 11 people... you can come to my house and help me or buy me a proper decent vegetable peeler

I am a bit at people who disdain frozen veg but are happy to each shop bought mince pies.. each to their own I guess!

[PickledInAPearTree]

I don't but I do love a Yorkshire pudding.

I would find that a most welcome addition!

[Sirzy]

I don't use shop bought mince pies either so am I allowed to dislike frozen veg?

[Whathashappenedtomyboobs]

Well due to overwhelming disgust, I guess I'll be prepping and cooking....

[PickledInAPearTree]

Frozen veg & potatoes I don't like the taste of.

I ain't Heston but that's just me.

You can buy potatoes already peeled.

[Sirzy]

My grandpa used to serve Yorkshire puddings as a starter at Christmas (and any other time he did roast beef) he did have beef with the Christmas dinner though

[PickledInAPearTree]

You can buy all the veg already done if you can't be arsed. Just get the chilled stuff and no one will ever know.

I don't blame you!

[Sirzy]

Why invite so many people to eat if you don;t like the idea of cooking for them?

Why not invite them just for drinks and snacks later in the day?

[FellatioNelson]

Actually, upon reflection I'll amend my post. I would not assume you hated my guts but I would assume you were only cooking for everyone under duress and that you resented having to do it.

[shrimponastick]

Mushy peas for Xmas dinner ???

[Whathashappenedtomyboobs]

Because Sirzy I like their company. I get it, I'm a terrible person, how dare I!

[amyboo]

Me and DH prep the night before. It's not that hard, and frozen veg, especially softer veg like carrots and parsnips, are horrid... MIL always uses frozen veg and they end up like mush. Why not crack open some pre-Christmas champers, nibbles, ut a Christmas film on and sit on the sofa and prep veg?

[Whathashappenedtomyboobs]

I don't resent having to do it, the frozen meal would probably be better than if I did it myself.

[PickledInAPearTree]

Def get chilled. All you need to do it zap it.

Not everyone enjoys cooking isn't it.

[Pandemoniaa]

I'd be absolutely fine with the Auntie Bessie's Yorkshires. To be honest, Yorkshire pudding isn't traditional with turkey anyway so I'd not be precious. But apart from the peas, the rest of the frozen veg wouldn't really cut the mustard on Christmas Day and I'd not serve them to guests. Or to me and DP, for that matter. Parsnips and spuds are easy to prep the day before.

[ClippedPhoenix]

Once you've bought them though they no longer belong to Aunt Bessie, they're YOURS

[starfishmummy]

I wouldn't do it, but MIL does it every time we go for a roast dinner - all veg, roasties and yorkshires are from farm foods. She also gets those joints that come in foil trays and incinerates them. Pudding is great though - its hard to go wrong with something from the m&s chiller cabinet.

[SweetMingePie]

We had frozen parsnips last year, thought they were quite nice. Dislike any other form of frozen vegetables unless peas though, would prefer fresh like sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower.

Could you prepare the veg the day before,put fresh water in just before you cook it.

Frozen yorkshires don't bother me either.

[Viviennemary]

I can't see anything wrong with Aunt Bessie's roast potatoes. And roast potatoes for a lot of people are quite hard to do unless you have a catering sized oven or employ a chef. Getting the fat hot enough to brown the potatoes and stop everything else from burning including your fingers. It's a nightmare!

[wordfactory]

Don't go the frozen route OP. Except peas.

Buy ready prepped veg if you must and oven bake. M&S are giod for this. Forget the yorkshires - unecessary unless well prepared. No one will miss them.

[ihearsounds]

Frozen mushrooms are vile. Had them once and never, ever again. I would rather starve. I lurve mushrooms, but these were vile slimy nasty things.

I regularly cook for 11+ (6 people in house, plus regular guests) Christmas there is always at least 12 of us. Buy the little potatoes, no peeling or chopping, don't even have to par boil before going in oven. Buy chantaney carrots, and baby parnsip, only the parnsips will need peeling and the only chopping is the tops from both. Only decent frozen peas imho are petit pois. Frozen yorkies are aunt bessies... You can also rope in help from the guests, I do lol.

[BlueberryHill]

Wordfactory - you do not just forget the yorkshires. I don't care if they aren't traditional, I love them and eat them at every opportunity.

[Bunbaker]

Good Housekeeping recommends that you parboil potatoes for about 5 mins and then freeze them. You can then roast them from frozen. I can guarantee that it works. I loathe parsnips, but OH and DD like Aunt Bessie's so I wouldn't hesitate to do them. I'm afraid that frozen veg other than peas are horrible, especially carrots, sprouts and broccoli.

You can prep all your veg the night before and to cook them won't take much longer than frozen ones.

I wouldn't have a problem with Aunt Bessie's yorkshires at all.

[Hopeforever]

Frozen Roast pots done in goose fat are fine, I'd rather spend time with the family than prepping.

DH works till 1am Christmas Eve night and again christmas day 9am til 1pm. Kids and family come first.