To ask for help with my Xmas menu - 24 people, coeliac and vegan guest

[loonyloo]

I know, I know AIBVU to ask so early, but this week DH and I agreed to host his extended family on Christmas day, and I'm starting to panic about the logistics. There will be 24 people, 1 guest is vegan and another is coeliac. We have a normal kitchen (so no big ovens or anything like that) and none of the family live close enough to cook things and bring them with them. I want the vegan and coeliac guests to have a proper dinner, so ideally I don't want to do a dodgy ready-meal for the vegan or anything like that. I think the coeliac will be easier to cater for. I want to minimise time spent in the kitchen on the day.

So AIBU to ask if the following menu is workable, if the vegans and coeliacs amongst you would be happy with this, and if you have any tips for cooking for large crowds?

Soup course: Pear and parsnip soup - Vegan & gluten-free - make a few weeks before and freeze, reheat on the day?

Starter: Thinking some kind of mixture of cold meat, cheese, crackers, chutneys, antipasti-type veg - not very Christmassy but easy to prepare and the vegan and coeliac can just eat what they can - maybe give them first dibs on everything so they don't get short-changed?

Main: For meat eaters - Turkey (boned and rolled to fit in oven), roast potatoes, stuffing, steamed veg with flavoured butters (see below), gluten-free and vegan gravy.
For coeliac - as above but no stuffing, extra veg
For vegan - replace turkey with a chestnut, quinoa, butternut squash and cranberry parcel (will use Jus-roll as that's vegan and I can't make pastry to save my life), everything else the same as meat-eaters.
I can parboil the potatoes, do the stuffing, make the flavoured butters (using vegan alternative for to make single portions), and the filling for the vegan parcel the day before. Hopefully this means with the exception of the steamed veg, I can just put stuff in the oven on the day. I can make the gravy a week before and freeze.
Steamed veg - not very exciting, but I don't think I'll have enough room in the oven to roast veg too. So I'm kind of limited in the range of veg I can do and and am stuck for ideas. Perhaps kale, peas, carrots, sautéed leeks? I was thinking of roasting some beetroot the day before and throwing it in the steamer but apparently that's dangerous (??). I can peel and chop carrots the day before, and chop and wash the leeks. Would appreciate other suggestions for veg that steams well (can't stand sprouts).

Dessert: 1. Blueberry and apple crumble - vegan-friendly using coconut butter, make crumble mix the day before and use frozen fruit, stick in oven after main. Serve with sorbet.

1. Gluten-free chocolate sponge and chocolate butter icing. Uses quinoa for the sponge - have made this before and can make it the day before.

So, what do you all think? Does that sound workable? Are the vegan and coeliacs well-catered for?

Good luck op you sound amazing!

My MIL is coeliac and I usually make a buche de noel for her at Christmas, and then she has to fight off the kids as they love it too. I usually use Delia Smith’s receipe and she also tells you how to make it ahead and freeze it.

Regarding the platters of food, I always allow my MIL to serve herself in the kitchen before the platters go out to the table, that way we both know that no one took a serving spoon from a glutenous dish and used it in a gluten free one. If she think she might want seconds, we just make a small plate and put it on the side.

Sorry I cant help with vegan advice.

Ooh I just found this - vegan Mumsnetters what do you think? It's gluten free so avoids the contamination problems. I could cook the stuffing the day before and add it to the squash towards the end of cooking. www.carolinescooking.com/cranberry-chestnut-and-quinoa-stuffed-squash/

loonylou, I just want to say what a nice considerate person you are! Going to all that effort for your guests. I am sure they will really appreciate it.

It beats being given a potato, a carrot and a few peas, whilst all the meat-eaters cross-exam you about where you get your protein from.

That sounds really good.

Scrap soup course and starters and have nibbles to keep hunger at bay. Main course, pudding, cheese/crackers and u r done. I hate going to super formal Christmas dinner as it ruins the day. I want to chill, relax, eat till I am stuffed then play stupid board games. Too much effort for guests and yourself if too many courses. It all sound lovely but u can buy in vegan tart etc too.

OP, you are heroic and a very considerate host!

Vegans who dine here get veg and a vegetarian gravy that also happens to be GF. I can't be arsed to make a separate main. I do roast everything in veg oil though, and lay off the goose fat. We have a vegan niece who eats yorkies made with ordinary milk and trifle made with ordinary jelly though, so that's kind of put me off making a special effort.

For the GF people, I just make sure they know what's GF and what isn't. None of them are so GI that they react to a little bit of cross contamination, thankfully.

I'd drop either the soup or the starter, too, or even both. We've dispensed with starters at Xmas, save for a G&T, dry martini or sherry. We've decided that they take up valuable stomach space that's better filled with roast dinner, pud and chocolates.

Anyway, it all sounds fantastic.

History granules in a jar are gf. My coeliac daughter eats them just fine. I too would suggest going gf the whole way and then you don't have to worry about cross contamination. We will be 100% gf on Xmas day. Marks stuffing and sausages are great.

Bisto not history!

Oh yes those daddy coeliacs , they should just stay at home

Faddy even 😂😂

Agree with only having one starter. Make sure there's plenty of anti pansti as everyone could eat that. I wouldn't bother with soup. Its too filling when you have other courses and needs space on the cooker to warm up.

The reason that vegetarians and vegans 'miss out' at buffets is not due to greedy omnivores stealing all their food but due to bad caterers failing to see food without meat as normal food that everyone eats rather than special weirdy veggie food.

Check that the coeliac, vegan and everyone likes at least some of what you are proposing, especially the special vegan main. They may prefer to supply their own.

OP you must have the patience of a saint! Menu sounds good, as others have said just double check any pre-purchased is suitable. I'm going to go against the tide slightly, I don't think it's reasonable to ask the vegan and GF to bring a dish, and actually I'm not sure how helpful it's going to be or whether it will just confuse your menu.
You're absolutely right to get as much done in advance as possible - cook and freeze, cook a day or two before and make sure all peeling and prep is done the night before. If at all possible have a separate workspace for vegan, regular and GF (depends on size and layout of kitchen, we have four separate counter tops so easy to allocate one for each). Stick a note on the wall to say which is which (it'll remind other people!) and write yourself a list of timings of when things need doing. Work backwards from whatever time you plan to eat. I also wouldn't be asking DH or anyone else to help in the kitchen unless you absolutely 100% know that they're on board with your plan, too much time can be lost to frustrations and miscommunication. Instead, set him on welcoming and keeping guests occupied. Good luck :)

I think you should give the meat eaters proper gravy- it'll be a lot cheaper too.

And Vegan crumble is crap if you recently had a proper one so I'd make a big portion with butter and a smaller for the vegan.

I would try and add some fish to the antipasti- we always have some fish at xmas. Soup is good. Maybe you could borrow someones toaster oven/ actuary machine or similar to make some more exciting veg?

Advocado can be used to make amazing vegan chocolate ganache- much richer than a basic chocolate icing can can be done the day before.

Also pigs in blankets are a necessity at xmas and can go in when turkey is resting? Overall its a nice menu but I'd try and remember that 22 people are meat eaters- at the moment it seems like 90% of effort is for 2 guests.

I have the same (vegan is actually an egg allergy) but add in a nut allergy and a lactose intolerance to the mix. I have experimented over the years and make everything in the allergy version.

There are such good recipes out there. The only things I make which not everyone can eat have been a chocolate roulade log and Yorkshire pudding (I know not everyone has this but we always have) and I make a nut roast for the vegetarian DD. Bread sauce I make gluten free, but I make a separate one for the lactose free using Oatley but it isn’t as good hence the separate versions. Just about everything can be frozen so don’t panic! PM me if you’d like some recipes.

Buy Phil Vickery’s gluten free cookbooks and search online for vegan recipes or buy the Vegan magazine.

Just reading the thread, I make the gravy vegetarian but at the end I separate a little pot and add turkey juices and a little cornflour to the rest.

I would loose the starter - you don’t need it.

For main I would use GF stuffing for ease and same for pudding, do a GF crumble. Careful buying oats - you need actual certified GF ones for a coeliac.

Oh yyeah s as PP says - pigs in blankets are a total necessity.

op thank you for starting this thread - I now have a complete menu for my visiting family who also include GF and vegan guests.

I would do either the soup or the mixed platters, not both, probably do the platters, as it's easy, also a nice sociable start to the meal.

If you have a microwave you could use that for some of the veg, e.g. grated carrots also chopped leeks cook well in the microwave, you could add whole grain mustard or caraway seeds after cooking.

One trick if you are short of oven space is a foil parcel of chopped carrot and celery drizzled with stock which can be tucked in any odd space in the oven to give a braised vegetable dish.

As others mention, I think the crumble will be too much, what about offering Swedish Glacé with berries or fruit sauce?

OP quite enjoys making the effort. It's a pleasure for her.

I guess you know that the vegan likes roasties, butternut squash & cranberry flavours?

GF house here at AuntieTowers.
Your Christmas lunch sounds delicious.
Can I come too?
I won't be any trouble & will fold the tea towels for you...

Great idea to offer Coeliac guest first dibs to make minimise cross contamination. Assurance that food is absolutely GF means Coeliacs can enjoy their food better.

Eating out on Christmas Day in a large party would raise the risk of Xcontanimation & makes for an angsty nosh.

Swedish Glace vanilla 'ice cream' (distinctive hexagonal black container) can be found in most supermarket freezers is both GF & vegan, & is lighter than vanilla dairy - which is a crowd pleaser.

A warm flourless vegan chocolate cake with SG would thrill me. Maybe iced summer fruit berries on the side. Warm white chocolate cream to pour as well.

My MiL used to cook turkey & carve the day before. She served loads of hot vegetables & gravy on top of the sliced meats. I was a bit unsure at first but it worked well. If you like the spectacle of the roast turkey, maybe do a couple of turkey crowns the days before to save time carving for some many people & have a smaller ceremonial bird for the day.

Will you really be and to fit enough meat/ potatoes in your oven for 24?
I make coeliac friendly stuffing with coop/ m&s sausage meat, both gluten free, and everyone has it. No extra expense and no special dish to prepare.
I thicken granny with Doves Farm gluten free flour, you can't make a roux, but it works if you do the all in together method.

Ooh, and you could easily make your crumble gluten free with the dives garb floor too, I use it half and half with ground almonds and it's delicious. Then everyone can have the crumble.
Serve with provamel soya custard, in cartons, or soya ice cream. Can't remember the brand, comes in black hexagonal runs in Sainsbury's etc.
I do one dessert, a big fruit salad, and then plenty of regular mince pies( and you could buy a pack of taste the difference mince pies too).
In my previous post I referred to thickening granny with gluten free four. I would like to state I have never knowingly thickened a granny, I make great coeliac friendly gravy though.