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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Christmas dinner for 2.

51 replies

Pasithea · 07/12/2014 23:46

Ok husbands kids not coming til Boxing Day, not a problem. We can have dinner out.

Nowhere accepts a booking for a table for two on Christmas Day. Ok will look on marks and spencer and waitrose sites for really nice scrummy not too much trouble food for Christmas dinner.

Mmmmm everything serves at least 6 people. We would be eating it for weeks. Does no one cater for couples or small families at Christmas. I'm not spending 50 quid on a naice ham or turkey. Just for it to go to waste. Or for the trays of prepared veg that you can't reheat after cooking once .

[fhmmm]

OP posts:
MardyBra · 08/12/2014 08:46

And your Aibu is?

ThinkIveBeenHacked · 08/12/2014 08:47

Mmm id do Chateaubriand. And lots of champagne.

MrsMook · 08/12/2014 09:02

Two adults and two young children here. We're having a Lidl 3 bird roast. They have a few options that will be suitable for a small number.

LaurieMarlow · 08/12/2014 09:11

The year it was just the two of us we had a pheasant and a small, but naice ham. It was fab.

Vinomcstephens · 08/12/2014 09:12

My husband and I always book Christmas lunch out - we've lived all over the UK and never once been turned away for there only being two of us so I'm afraid I rather suspect you may have tried fewer places than you claim, or you've left it until today to try and book.

Regarding buying food for the two of you - what do you do every other meal of the year for just the two of you? Cos maybe you could, I dunno, replicate the amount you buy for those meals but just add sprouts?

BiddyPop · 08/12/2014 09:22

Your OP sounds like you want a turkey dinner but are not a major cooker of roast dinners.

You can get turkey breast in most SM now. We got one 2 weeks ago for Thanksgiving, which was supposed to serve 4-6 but we got 1 sandwich for leftovers after 3 of us had dinner (only 2 adults). Honestly, if you got a breast, already stuffed, yes you will have some leftover but not loads (a few sambos, or maybe just enough to freeze a chunk to make a curry another time).

If you like ham with it, just get a small ham. Again, sandwiches, or something like a chicken and ham pie, or stilton and ham potato bake afterwards with any leftovers.

In terms of veg, yes the prepared trays may be too big. But what veg do you like? M&S have lots of lovely small packs of regular veg prepared (broccoli, mixed veg, sugar snap peas, French beans etc). You could get frozen mixes and only pour out enough for 2, keep the rest for another time. Just buy say 2 carrots and 1 parsnip to do roasted roots.

Roast potatoes are easy to do, most supermarkets will have some sort of pre-prepared version and usually have smaller batches as well as huge family ones, and there are the frozen versions too so only cook what you 2 will eat. Or get nice potatoes to steam, or make mash, or get dauphinoise or a gratin.

Buy ready made gravy, especially if you don't want a whole turkey so won't get giblets to make stock. Or buy a pouch of turkey stock to snazz up your regular Bisto or whatever. Pour in a slug of wine as you are cooking the gravy.

Or make whatever meal you 2 both really love - forget the turkey altogether and just get creative together in the kitchen!!

trinitybleu · 08/12/2014 09:29

OH, DD and I had antipasti last year - was amazing. I made a lovely potato salad and a fancy rocket salad, otherwise it was just opening packets. Grin

twofingerstoGideon · 08/12/2014 09:38

Try your local Turkish or Indian restaurant? They don't all celebrate Christmas and some of our local ones are open.

twofingerstoGideon · 08/12/2014 09:39

Whoops. I see allypally got there before me. Teach me to read the thread!

goshhhhhh · 08/12/2014 09:47

What about Poussin? Too fiddly for lots (i.e. oven room, not recipe) and perfect for two.

DoraGora · 08/12/2014 09:58

Three bird roast. I put the tin on upside down, slices of orange under and fill the oven pan with water, cover with the grid and put the tin-covered roast on the grid. That way it doesn't dry out.

PurpleCrazyHorse · 08/12/2014 10:00

We're just DH, me and DD (5yo) and we're away from boxing day evening so we don't want loads left over. I'll be getting a small turkey crown from the supermarket, making my own roast potatoes, some carrots, peas and broccoli. We buy some nicer instant gravy than usual and a yummy dessert.

It'll be the same as most Sunday lunches Blush plus crackers! But I don't mind. All cooked in 45mins or so, so not too much to do.

TripTrapTripTrapOverTheBridge · 08/12/2014 10:05

It's always just me and ds for Christmas but we still have a turkey,just the smallest one!

If you don't want to faff around why not just get a turkey or nice basted joint,some nice frozen roasted veg etc and bung it in the oven?You can buy frozen roasties done in goose fat too.

Personally I still do it all myself but if you want the meal with no faff then try the above.

I don't get the issue tbh

ghostyslovesheep · 08/12/2014 10:10

You are looking at the Christmas food ordering services which cater for large orders and party food! Of course m & s and waitrose sell food for two!

SeasonsEatings · 08/12/2014 10:14

I have been cooking Christmas Dinner for DH and I for years. This year DD will have a bit. (Aged 2).

I don't understand the issue. I get a small Turkey, small ham, lots of cheese, lots of booze and wear Christmas cracker hats

sashh · 08/12/2014 10:18

Phone the restaurant back and ask if you can pick up an Xmas dinner as a takeaway?

bobbyjoe · 08/12/2014 10:32

M&S do a small turkey roll thing with bacon on top and sometimes stuffing that serves 2-3 I think. I buy one every year. Even if it's 4-5 there's not that much left over apart from for a few sandwiches - your DH's kids would polish that off in no time. M&S also do red cabbage prepared veg, chuck in some sprouts, ready mix gravy (kallo do a nice organic chicken one that's just add hot water), tray of roast potatoes in goose fat. Get M&S lobster halves for a starter and pick your dessert.

Honestly, I've heard of some many disappointing meals out by people at Christmas not worth the premium you'll pay.

LuisSuarezTeeth · 08/12/2014 11:27

DP and I had "our" Christmas lunch yesterday as we won't be together on the day. I did Barbary duck and cherry sauce, leeks in cheese sauce and red cabbage fried with onion, plus roasties done in the duck fat.

It was delicious, we have some leftovers but not loads. Very simple too. I do take your point about being unable to book a table for 2 though, seems rather unfair.

HatieKokpins · 08/12/2014 11:32

Just buy smaller things! Jeez, what really is the problem here? Don't you ever cook just for two the rest of the year? Or cook normally on Christmas Day and have the leftovers on Boxing Day like most people!

daddyorchipsdaddyorchips · 08/12/2014 11:42

I assume you're in London if you were going to go to Marcus Wareing?

I just tried OpenTable and got this result...

232 tables available for 2 people on Thu, 25 December, at 14:00

Or if you wanted to do it later...

246 tables available for 2 people on Thu, 25 December, at 19:00

So, plenty of places take reservations for 2 on Christmas day!

LadySybilLikesSloeGin · 08/12/2014 11:45

We're getting a small goose. I'm going to chop it in half (somehow as it's full of fat), cook one half for lunch and freeze the other half for New Year's Day. Freeze half the stuffing/pigs in blankets and it's all done. A couple of slices of cheesecake for desert.

BringMeTea · 08/12/2014 11:52

I have been squeezed in at a 5* hotel for Xmas lunch late notice as it was only 3 of us. If the cooking for 2 is an issue I would keep ringing places.

Lovecat · 08/12/2014 11:53

I've just come back from Lidl and they're doing goose crowns - they are TINY (Dh would inhale one all on his own) so if you don't want a lot of meat hanging around but want the christmassy vibe that could be an idea.

I've cooked for just DH and me for many years before DD came along - a small turkey or turkey crown leaves enough for evening sarnies but isn't any more faff to cook than a roast chicken. Make your bread sauce ahead or buy a packet version, bung a pack of pigs in blankets around the roast, anything else is just a roast dinner, surely?

LadySybilLikesSloeGin · 08/12/2014 11:57

You don't need lots of meat, you bulk it out with veg/roast potatoes/stuffing/pigs in blankets.

AugustaGloop · 08/12/2014 12:03

I was cooking to suggest Cook but someone else got there first.

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