Is my Christmas dinner unreasonable?

[shivermytimbers]

I have just done a big chunk of the Xmas food shop today. I'll be cooking for 10 including PILs who haven't had Xmas lunch with us before. I luuurve Christmas dinner and all the leftovers so tend to make a bit of a feast. DH has happily tucked into said feast for many years. I'm doing...
Smoked salmon starter
Turkey
Pigs in blankets
Stuffing
Roasties
Parsnips
Sprouts with bacon
Red cabbage
Gravy
Christmas pudding with brandy butter and cream

Apparently, according to DH, PILs will not be happy because 1) pigs in blankets are a bit common 2) sprouts shouldn't have bacon anywhere near them 3) starters are unnecessary 4) it really is too much food to be able to enjoy it.

My response was that I've bought the food, I will cook the food and if they don't eat it I will happily consume the leftovers. Therefore - tough bloody luck if they don't like it!!!

I know I'm right... aren't I???

I have never had pigs in blankets but lots of people clearly have so that makes them commonplace. But then we will ba having a nut roast...

according to DH, PILs will not be happy because 1) pigs in blankets are a bit common 2) sprouts shouldn't have bacon anywhere near them 3) starters are unnecessary 4) it really is too much food to be able to enjoy it

I would be careful about making any subtle digs at the in laws...you haven't actually said that your DH said they said it! Maybe it's him that thinks all that ^ !

...will be having...

We are having dinner at my parents this year and there will be at least 3 kinds of meat, 3 kinds of potato, 5 different types of veg. Nothing will be wasted but there will be lots of food. We are delightfully common though

Seems a perfectly reasonable menu to me. Pace it right and allow folk to help themselves to however much they want I don't see a problem.

I am often baffled when folk grumble about too much food, you are not obliged to put a food mountain on your plate!

"Common"...?! Ugh, what snobs!

Also, Nigella's Christmas turkey is pictured with pigs in blankets. And she's not exactly a working class lass...

Your menu is fab, just a little light on the desert front. I also tend to offer something with chocolate (log or similar), some ice cream and some fruits.

Unless a guest has a food allergy or really cannot stomach something - and should let you know in advance - I wouldn't change a thing.

I would never plate the food for anyone above the age of a toddler, everybody has different appetite and, even if it's rude to refuse something, at least the guests have the choice of not taking something they dislike. It's more enjoyable when you are not struggling to finish massive quantity of food plonked on your plate!

My house for three people:

Breakfast - Bucksfizz, Salmon and Croissants.

Lunch:
Turkey with a fruit stuffing
Pigs in blankets - seriously its not Christmas without these.
Nut Stuffing
Yorkshire Puddings
Gravy
Cranberry & Bread sauce
Roast potatoes
Honey roast parsnip
Brussels sprouts with bacon bits
Red cabbage
Peas & Carrots
Cauliflower cheese - Dad loves this beyond belief

Xmas pudding with cream
Upside down Trifle
White Choc tree thing
Ice creams are also available.

We have done this for a few years and the leftovers get eaten over a few days and also made into soups. OPs family are just wrong.

I'm having my parents and brother round at ours so cooking for 7.

We're having :-

Tomato Soup and crusty bread for starter (Dh is having breaded mushrooms with dip, he's the only one that likes mushrooms)

Main course is :-
Turkey,
Roast potatoes,
Mashed potatoes,
Pigs in blankets
Chipolatas,
Peas,
Baby carrots,
Croquettes,
Yorkshire pudding,
Turkey gravy.

We then have pudding about and hour later as we are stuffed.

Pudding is chocolate Christmas log and ice cream.

At least you don't have to cook this year because obviously your DH has offered to cook?

• stuffing as well

We're not having a starter as that leaves more room for dinner / pudding and turkey sandwiches later!

Our menu is:

Turkey
Beef
Pigs in blankets
Yorkshires
Stuffing
Broccoli
Carrot and Swede Mash
Roasted parsnips
Sprouts
Xmas pud
Yule log (for my OH and DB who are the only ones that don't like Xmas pudding)

Sounds more or less like ours OP, except we will add some warm slices of ham, cauliflower cheese, bread sauce, cranberry sauce and another green veg.

Ohh and probably trifle as well for people who don't like Chistmas pud. We will have leftovers for several days as well.

I am so freakin' hungry after reading this thread now...

I don't get the UK obsession with sprouts! I loathe them and where I come from we have new seasons veg -- new potatoes, fresh peas, broad beans etc. Fresh raspberries & strawberries with the puddings.
However, getting back to sprouts, this year I've discovered chocolate sprouts in M&S and will add these to the table as a joke!
Maybe that would be regarded as common, too?

I love sprouts.You have to have them.

Yep, turkey dinosaurs are still around. DS's love them. :o

You could have a lot of fun here.

How would the feel about arctic roll or viennetta for desert?

dessert*

Christ your in laws would hate me. Common as muck I am

Our menu for 10 is...

Roast turkey
Slow cooked gammon
Goose fat roast potatoes
Mashed potatoes ladened with butter
Parsnips roasted with butter and honey
Cauliflower cheese
Chipolatas wrapped in bacon pigs in blankets
Cranberry stuffing
Pork sage and onion stuffing
Yorkshire puddings
Brussels sprouts with bacon, Brie sauce and topped with breadcrumbs, herbs and Parmesan
Plain Brussels sprouts
Carrots, broccoli, and peas
Gravy
Cranberry sauce

Then chocolate gateaux or Christmas pud with cream for anyone that's still hungry unlikely

And tons of prosecco/wine/j2os/shloer

Nom nom nom

I'm not particularly fussed about a starter but if offered smoked salmon would be delighted. I do wonder if you ought to add carrots??

Sounds fabulous and no yanbu, think you need to be Sybil from faulty towers and just say 'yes basil...' to your dh?

pigs in blankets are a bit common: so? They're tasty (they don't have to treat them).
sprouts shouldn't have bacon anywhere near them... well, I prefer them without, but you are the one that is doing the cooking
3) starters are unnecessary. How dare he? I love starters
it really is too much food to be able to enjoy it. Well, yet again, nobody is force feeding them, right?

Seriously, that sounds simply weird. As long as you aren't offended when somebody doesn't eat something it's all good.

We're doing a (mostly) vegan (some alcoholic drinks aren't vegan according to strict standards) mostly local New Years party. Some may say that's ridiculous. But really? Nobody will make them eat.

*eat them.

My menu is almost the same as yours OP:

Starter: Smoked salmon or camembert with crusty bread
Turkey
Pigs in blankets
Stuffing
Roast potatoes
Boiled potatoes
Carrots
Parsnips
Sprouts (with bacon!!)
Red cabbage
Gravy
No specific puding but there's plenty of chocolate and cake available so we can graze for the rest of the day

Make sure you don't give your DH any pigs in blankets an keep extra for yourself. And cook sprouts for him seperately, making sure to stew them for a few hours so they are as tasteless as possible

Oh, and if he tries to go for a second helping of anything, take it away from him and tell him you don't want him to have "too much to be able to enjoy it..."

We're not bothering.

Our daughter has been invited to have Xmas lunch with friends.

We'll have pancakes for breakfast. And something nice for supper. Probably soup, bread and cheese for lunch. Then a walk.

A biggish meal - duck? potatoes dauphinoise - on Boxing Day perhaps. We haven't decided.

Sounds lovely, tell them this is what you are cooking, if they don't like it, don't come!