...to ask what your usual meal plan/content is on Christmas Day?

[StillSquirrelling]

Following on from the very divisive thread from earlier, asking whether one has a starter before Christmas dinner or not, I am now feeling a bit nosy curious as to what people actually eat on the big day. Here's what ours usually looks like:

Pre-breakfast: Kids usually have some chocolate from their stockings that we politely decline in sharing

Breakfast: Oven goes on for the turkey and we warm croissants and pain au chocolat in it whilst we are waiting for it to get to temperature. These are served with lashings of tea, freshly squeezed breakfast juice (orange and grapefruit) and butter/jam

Mid morning: Probably some more chocolate or some Twiglets savoury nibbles if we fancy some

At some point in the morning we will take all the Christmas dinner peelings to give to our sheep, along with a Christmas swede for each of them!

2pm (ish): Main event - no starter - which comprises turkey, roast spuds, sometimes new potatoes too, roast parsnips , sprouts, mashed carrot and swede, broccoli, peas, pigs in blankets, our special stuffing (cooked in its own dish not in the turkey - pack of stuffing with extra fried onions and a pack of sausage meat, all mixed together and baked) and possibly some Yorkshire puddings if we are feeling particularly hungry. All served with fizz of some sort (Shloer for the kids) and lashings of gravy etc

Pudding may or may not be served after dinner (DH is the only one who likes xmas pud)

Some point in the early evening: a buffet style supper of cold turkey and possibly a baked ham, pickles, cheese and biscuits, fruit and possibly more chocolate.

Before we got married Christmas used to be

Midnight Communion at church, getting home about 12.30 am
The damson gin was then filtered and put in the special decanter used just for that.
The turkey was covered in long back bacon and put in the oven on a low light, and was stuffed with a Paxo sage and onion stuffing and a home-made chestnut one.

Can't remember what I used to have for breakfast.

Back to church for Matins at 11am, home just after 12.

Quick sherry in the kitchen.

Starter of asparagus soup, with added asparagus bits and cream, except for the year that df decided to do swanky smoked salmon bits on toast.
Roast turkey with bacon, sausage, carrots in onion sauce, roast potatoes, sprouts and bread sauce.
Then Christmas pudding, made by my great-aunt from an ancient Atora cook book, probably pre-war. When I was very small it was served with a sweet white sauce, but then that changed to icing sugar and cream after that appeared on a tv cookery programme - probably the Galloping Gourmet.

Then the washing up used to be done, interspersed with a bit of picking at the turkey, dm used to change her dress and then we used to sit down with another sherry and watch HM. After that presents were opened.

Tea used to be ham and/or tongue sandwiches and Christmas cake.

Before DD, and when we had Christmas on our own, DH and I started to try and cook the turkey overnight, but our simmering oven was very slow and it didn't work, so we had a couple of years when we'd get very pissed on champagne while we waited for lunch to be done.

When dd was small, we try and get her to eat a sensible breakfast like boiled egg and then we'd open presents. Mid morning I'd do something like pigs in blankets or puff pastry nibbles to keep her going. About 2 or 3pm we'd have turkey with the trimmings and the family Christmas pudding.

Last year we decided to revert to opening presents after lunch. DD refused Christmas pudding and had sticky toffee pudding instead. We had beef Wellington and Michel Roux's red wine sauce.

This year we're having roast pork, and have decided to get a Tesco order via one of the ex-pat delivery services so that we can have proper apple sauce from Bramley apples. The pork was on promo a little while ago, so I bought a whole shoulder and boned it myself and then made some rolled joints that are now in the freezer.

Have also salted and brined 2 ox-tongues that in the massive stone pot in a sweet cure at the moment. Next weekend they'll be cooked and put in a tin to set. Then they'll be sliced and frozen. About 2 years ago, I lashed out on an industrial slicer, so that the slices will be wafer thin, just as we like them.

We usually have just tea and open stockings first thing, then have a brunch (usually smoked salmon, blinis, champagne) after church. Then open some presents, loaf about, phone family, get the dinner on. We don't have a set meat for the main meal - last couple of years we've had chateaubriand and hollandaise sauce for Christmas dinner, but this year we'll probably have venison - but it always with roast veg and then cheese and biscuits to follow. DH gave me a case of a very nice pudding wine few years back and we open a bottle of that with cheese after the meal. Then in the evening it's whatever we fancy, usually not much - cold cuts, biscuits, fruit.

Also forgot the roast parsnips, along with the roasties, essential!

Scrambled egg and smoked salmon bagel for breakfast, kids have cereal. Kids have already eaten some of their stocking choc by then. I can't face fizz at breakfast but DH usually does.

A few snacks whilst opening pressies, something from the freezer to the oven, or a hot mince pie.

Dinner mid afternoon of turkey that's been basted in butter (covering with bacon distorts the taste too much I think), roast pots in goose fat, roast parsnips ala nigella in maple syrup, sprouts, carrot and swede mash, pigs in bacon and sausage meat stuffing done in separate dish, everyone's favourite, mums recipe. I love bread sauce too but no-one else does. Usually have pudding later and am always too stuffed for anything else. I like something light to drink like prosecco. Love a snowball at Xmas too! Mmm getting excited, I love Xmas!!

we have not traditional lunch, we've had baked beans on toast, crispy duck pancakes all sorts.

This year we are having a roast chicken because nobody actually likes turkey and if the family come they are more than welcome. We'll have a stupid amount of veggies, I'll be cooking both bird and roast pots the day before. There will be a LOT of beer/cider/fizzy wine. My birthday is Xmas eve so we usually have left over birthday cake for breakfast

LookingForwardToXmasTiggaxx

DH and I don't eat breakfast. The kids have cereals or toast and then a few chocolates from their stockings.

Dinner (3pm) is turkey, ham, roast potatoes, stuffing, pigs in blankets, yorkshire puds, carrots, peas and sprouts (yuk @ sprouts!) and gravy.

Afters (for the kids, cos we'll be too stuffed!) will be chocolate gateaux and cream.

Then about 8pm-ish we'll have sandwiches and little buffet type snacks.

stockings opened on our bed ('kids' are 18 and 22 ) breakfast is smoked salmon and scrambled eggs with croissants and fresh juice, for them DH and I broke with tradition last year and had eggs benedict much to boys disgust as it wasn't 'right' into the living room for proper present opening, mid morning glass of sherry or port, lunch preparation and table setting accompanied by a snowball. lunch around 3 ish prawns and crab for starter and egg mayo for me as I don't like prawns, monkfish tails and white wine sauce for ds 2 and DH large chicken with all the trimmings for ds2 and me. red and white wine available. mince pies and cream later on as dessert, liquer coffee then chill with a gin and tonic or three and an xmas film.

Open preasents first then bacon sandwiches for breakfast.
Christmas dinner about ish
-pate/breadrolls or prawn cocktail
-roast beef, yorkshire puddings, roast potato, mashed potato, roast parsnips, braised red cabbage, brussell sprouts, peas/carrots, pigs in blankets,
-trifle/vienetta!

One son eats everything, the other will only have beef, yorkshire puddings and pigs in blankets-so there are always dozens of each!!

The DCs eat the Orange from their stockings as soon as they get up so about 6:00ish.
Christmas chocolate for breakfast as presents are being opened between 7 and 8.
Cereal if they want it at 9

Dhs aunt makes Christmas dinner so we don't have much choice but
Christmas dinner starter at 1:30 soup or some sort of fish with bread rolls or garlic bread.
Christmas dinner at 2:15ish - Turkey, sausage stuffing and sage and onion stuffing, mash , roasters ,pigs in blankets , sprouts ,carrots,peas,cabbage, broccoli , cauliflower cheese and gravey.

Then we open more presents and play some board games in DHs aunts house

Christmas dinner desserts at 5:00 which includes a random dessert that aunt will have made, a trifle , Christmas pudding and fruit salad all served with cream or ice cream (or both) and a cheese platter.

You can mix and match so everyone can just have a bit of what they like. We don't tend to eat till late on boxing day afterwards though.

Will be just myself, my 2 younger (teenage) children and their dad will come for dinner.
Breakfast - no one really eats it.
Lunch - a chicken mini roast,possibly a tiny piece of roast pork. Stuffing, roast potatoes, peas, carrots, brussel sprouts, cauliflower cheese for me (I don't eat meat). No pigs in blankets cos no one likes them.
Pudding - probably just ice cream, mince pies, cheese and crackers for the ex.
Tea - a little buffet with sausage rolls, cheese,pickles some nice crisps, dips, etc. Whatever we fancy.

LOVE this thread, making me so warm and christmassy inside

We normally have:
Breakfast- croissants with butter and jam and lots of tea and coffee after stockings have been opened.

Lunch- starter of cold meats including parma ham and melon with raspberries
main of huuuge roast turkey, roast potatoes, sprouts with pancetta and shallots, carrots, peas, parsnips, cauliflower cheese, pugs in blankets with gravy and cranberry sauce.
pudding of cheesecake/chocolate torte/Christmas pudding soaked in brandy and set alight (usually only consumed by my grandad)

afternoon grazing of chocolate coins, selection box chocolates, biscuits and crisps/nuts

supper of leftovers, although very rarely eaten. far to stuffed as we tend to have a late lunch at around 3.

lots of wine, bucks fizz and pop consumed throughout the day.

*pigs not pugs!
would never eat a pug- love their little faces

For breakfast we have a full monty fry up, including fried bread, the only time of the year we have it. The kids probably just pick at it, they've eaten a load of shite from their stockings.

We don't really have lunch. If we are at my house, they pick at stuff till the main meal is ready. If we are at my / his folks, they do the same.

If we are at my / his folks we sadly look forward to a load of overboiled/ overcooked stuff. Which we will eat anyway as we are drunk.

If we are at mine, DH will have smoked a turkey in his American smoker, along with a ham (half a pig). It takes 2 days to cooks, slowly. We eat it with anything and everything, but also creamed corn and squash. The previous year, we rebelled and took a turkey we'd cooked ourselves as a gift. All the other visting relatives fell on it like ravening hoardes, they are begging us to bring one again, just have to broach it with Mum...

No-one bothers with pudding. We've all eaten too much. All the men must have, by law, at least 5 brussells to excuse the farting later on, which will be blamed on my dog / the youngest child.

For tea, (and it is teatime), we eat trifle, ham, pickles, cheese. Basically a ploughmans lunch.

Then we slump and watch crap or play boardgames.

I like to take the dog out. The kids can usually be persuaded to join me, with the guns / scooters / bikes they got.

I will either be driving and sober, or not, and definitely not. I have drawn the driving straw this year, so my Boxing day will commence with a sloe gin cocktail.

The dog gets the turkey neck. The chickens get the leftover stuffing. My horse used to get a bran mash made with Guiness.

Usually not bothered with breakfast, as we're still full from Christmas Eve dinner (Polish, so this is the main event for my side of the family)

Late lunch (4pm ish) cockerel, chipolatas, stuffing balls wrapped in streaky bacon (sausage meat, fried red onions, dried cranberries), roast potatoes, carrots, roast parsnips, sprouts, mashed swede, braised red cabbage, gravy. And breathe... Christmas pudding / mince pies. And breathe some more... Cheese and biscuits.

Nuts and chocolates.

Can't wait!

2 adults 3 children

breakfast kids usually far to busy with their new toys but sometimes chocs
adults fry up or toast or sausage sandwich

lunch no starters
turkey/beef and the usual fully loaded plate glass of wine
pudding chocs cake what ever we fancy

no snacks during day usually stuffed from lunch lol

tea time cold buffet style bit of this bit of that

maybe a snack of crackers and cheese

plenty of hot choch drinks lathered with cream and marshmellows

early breakfast (post pressie opening) - triple stack americam style bacon with bacon, egg and maple syrup

Lunch goes a bit like this:

• Seafood platter or pate to start

• Turkey or Goose (number dependant) pimped up red cabbage, roast and mash tatties, roast parsnips, sprouts with garlic and pancetta, broccoli, roast carrots, stuffing, york puds (kids insist), gravy

• eton mess or xmas pud or profiteroles

• cheese board

wine, port, fizz, coffee, water throughout.

coma ensues at 8pm ish

American style pancakes that should say