To ask you - what actually are "all the trimmings"?!

[chocolatebox1]

I see this written down everywhere at this time of year or people describe their Christmas dinners and say "we're having [meat type] and all the trimmings," but what are these mysterious trimmings? If I asked what you're having to eat, I'd actually like to know!
When I was growing up, my grandma made Christmas lunch which was usually turkey, gravy, carrots, peas and mashed potatoes (although I prefer roasted ones now). Other people often had pigs in blankets which I was very envious of!
Whilst I know a lot of people probably don't care, for those of you who are making a Christmas dinner can you tell us what "the trimmings" you will be serving are?

"all the trimmings" is a phrase that tickles me

Likewise "and what vedge are you having?" And yes, the word is always pronounced with a d.

OK, simple things please simple minds, so here I am, announcing to the MN world that I'm simple. And I don't give a flying....

Turkey
cocktail sausages & slices of bacon
gravy
roast potatoes
stir fried brussels sprouts
carrots
roast parsnips
chestnut roast
pork stuffing
lemon stuffing
bread sauce
chestnut roast
homemade cranberry & jars
sometimes red cabbage

I want to try to rationalise things a bit, especially for the years that we have 20 people

Main components:
Turkey
potatoes
vegetables
gravy
Trimmings:
2 types of stuffing, cranberry sauce, bread sauce, pigs in blankets, devils on horseback, roast and mashed potatoes. 5 or 6 different veg so everyone gets at least a couple they like. A mix of roasted, steamed, fried, plain and dressed. Gammon; basically a second meat. The rest of the year we only have one meat with a roast dinner. Basically our Christmas dinner is a feast of pork products masquerading as turkey trimmings!!

I think non negotiable trimmings are roast potatoes, sprouts, stuffing and pigs in blankets, but if the stuffing is a luxury variety with meat and chestnuts in then pigs in blankets are a nice to have, rather than an essential.

Along with the meat and the above, you would also expect another two veg and sauces and gravy. Most people also have two meats, so turkey and beef or gammon usually, although lamb, duck, goose etc also feature.

Talcott2007
What on Earth are Devils on Horseback?!?
Never heard that before in my life!

trimmings for us are:

pigs in blankets
stuffing balls
roast parsnips
carrot and swede mash
roast spuds
bread sauce
yorkies
sprouts
gravy

Turkey
Roast Potatoes
Sausage Meat Stuffing with Cranberries
Plain Sausage Meat Stuffing
Sausages wrapped in bacon

Brussel Sprouts
Carrots
Swede and Sweet Potato Mash with a dash of Chilli

Bread Sauce
Gravy
Cranberry Sauce

That's my Christmas lunch this year

Last year out Christmas dinner included:

Turkey crown
Pork joint with sage, lemon and garlic
Gammon joint
Roasted parsnips
Goose fat Roasted potatoes
Roasted carrots
Roasted shallots
Sweet potato mash
Steamed broccoli
Steamed cauliflower
Steamed carrots
Runner beans
Sprouts with bacon
Braised red cabbage
Sage, onion and sausage meat stuffin
Orange and cranberry stuffing
Pigs in blankets
Bread sauce
Gravy
Cheese sauce, it’s my husbands families tradition and I kind of like the addition as you can make your own cauliflower cheese.

There was meant to be peas but I completely forgot, of course the first thing MIL said when she walked through the door was ‘have you done peas?’

For the starters I just did a table of canapés that people could help themselves to and desert was a selection of bits from m&s and a Christmas pud.

Turkey - tick
Mashed potatoes - no
Roast potatoes - tick
Carrots - tick
Parsnips - tick
Sprouts - tick
Peas - no
Pigs in blankets - tick
Yorkshire puddings - no
Cranberry sauce - tick
Stuffing - tick
Gravy – tick

EwItsAHooman has just about covered it except that we don’t need two types of potato and Yorkshire pudding. As DD doesn’t like peas I see no point in dirtying another pan. I usually do broccoli and mashed swede as well. I’m also partial to a bit of bread sauce.

I will be replacing the turkey with some kind of veggie wellington this year.

It’s not a phrase I’d use. There is a certain familiarity about our Christmas lunch though..
Shallot tart tartin for veggies.
Roast potatoes
Roast parsnips and carrots with maple glaze.
Cauliflower cheese.
Sprouts with chestnuts.
Yorkshire puddings
Mashed swede
Sage and onion stuffing
Chestnut stuffing.
Sticky chipolatas
Devils on horseback
Bread sauce
Cranberry and port sauce
Gravy

Smoked salmon before.
Christmas pudding and mince pies to follow with brandy butter, cream or vanilla ice cream

This year we are having 3 kinds of meat. Turkey, beef, and gammon.

Roast potatoes
Gravy
Cauliflower cheese
Red cabbage
Pigs in blankets
Parsnips
Carrots
Yorkshire puddings
Sausagemeat stuffing balls

Lots of lovely leftovers for the next few days

Oh yum the trimmings are the best.

• Sprouts - my fave part of the meal
• Roast tatties (will go for roast new potatoes this year)
• Roast sweet potatoes
• Carrots and parsnips
• Stuffing
• Leeks with cheesy sauce if I can be bothered
• Lots of gravy
• Cranberry sauce
• Bread sauce

How on earth do you have room for a starter and pudding with that lot CherryPavlova?

We always have Christmas pudding on Boxing Day after cold turkey and bubble and squeak.

I don't eat meat, so my Christmas lunch looks like this:

• Nut roast
• Stuffing balls
• Roast potatoes
• Roast parsnips
• Roast carrots
• Roast sprouts
• Leeks in white sauce
• Swede mash
• Red cabbage
• Lashings of gravy!

Mine are;

Roasties
Mash
Swede mash
Cauliflower cheese
Red cabbage
Sprouts
Peas
Carrots
Honeyed Parsnips
Sprouts
Sausage meat stuffing balls
Pigs in blankets
Chipolatas
Yorkshire’s
Gravy
Cranberry sauce
Bread sauce

Meats this year are turkey, beef and a spiced gammon

Oh and pigs in blankets of course how could I forget those

I've only ever really seen 'turkey and all the trimmings' written down on restaurant menus, and I would assume that it's so they don't have to commit to exactly what they will serve in case they can't get a certain vegetable etc and they will just serve what is available on the day.

This year I think we're having roast pork. The "trimmings" are:

Roast potatoes
Stuffing
Honey glazed carrots and parsnips
Braised cabbage or sprouts with bacon
Pigs in blankets
Gravy
Yorkshire puddings

You know, I'd never heard of yorkshire puddings only being eaten with beef until I joined MN! I've always had them with every roast - they're my favourite part!

I'm doing prime rib this year so trimmings will be:

Pigs in blankets
Broccoli & cauliflower cheese
Mashed Swede
Corn
Brussel sprouts with bacon
Roast Parsnips
Roast potatoes
Yorkshire puddings
Gravy

If I was doing Turkey, I'd add stuffing.

We have Turkey and some years pork as well. Then the veg which is usually:
Roast spuds
Roast parsnips
Red cabbage with Apple
Caulk plain and cauli cheese
Sprouts
Carrots
Swede
Peas
Maybe broccoli.

The trimmings to me on our dinner ate:
Home made cranberry airport sauce
Pigs in blankets
Christmas meat loaf.

I suppose trimmings means different things to different people but thsts ehat i mean when I say it.

Turkey
Roast potatoes
Sweet roast potatoes
Peas
Carrots
Broccoli
Sprouts
Red Cabbage
Gravy
Cranberry Sauce
Stuffing (has to be M&S)
Chipolatas
Chipolatas wrapped in bacon (sorry I hate calling them 'pigs in blankets)

Christmas Pudding
Chocolate pudding
Brandy butter
Brandy cream
Single cream

Cheese and biscuits

Ours will be

Turkey
Ham
Mashed potato
Roast potatoes
Roast parsnips
Peas and carrots
Sprouts
Yorkshire pudding
Pigs in blankets
Stuffing
Bread sauce

And most importantly

KFC gravy

Omg - I have a new phone and it's doing all kinds of predictive text!!😮 I can only apologise 🤣

3 types of meat plus

Pigs in blankets
Stuffing
Mash
Roasties
Carrots
Parsnips
Sweet corn
peas
Sprouts
Cauliflower cheese
2 types of gravy

this thread is making me sooooo hungry

good point op never thought about this!