Aibu to ask what your Christmas dinner consists of

[Jinglebellissimo]

Inspired by another thread where I was looking at all the different dishes people have.

I tend to do
Turkey and a ham
Roast potatoes and mashed potatoes
Red cabbage
Carrots (roasted)
Parsnips
Yorkshire puddings (yes I know!!)
Sprouts (bacon is usually involved).
Stuffing
Pigs in blankets

Aibu to ask what’s on your menu

It'll probably be ham, a vegetable, maybe some kind of potato, and rolls.

We go simple in these part!

Slices of melon wrapped in Parma Ham to start.

Carrot and coriander soup garnished with chopped chives.

Turkey, ham and spiced beef,
Served with mashed potatoes and roast potatoes,
Brussels sprouts stir fried with pancetta and toasted pine nuts,
Carrots with a honey and butter glaze
Peas or Petit Pois
Stuffing (sage, onion, apples, diced apricots)
Gravy
Cranberry Sauce, Ballymaloe Relish

Christmas Pudding (if my BIL presents me with one!) with brandy butter
or Fruit salad

Turkey or gammon
Roast potatoes
Boiled potatoes
Roast parsnips
Carrots
Brussels sprouts
Pigs in blankets
Stuffing
Gravy
Bread sauce
Yorkshire puddings!!

Yum.....

I live in Australia so it's quite hot at Christmas. For Christmas Day lunch with my Mum's side we always do a proper roast turkey, a leg of ham, stuffed potatoes and then a buffet style selection of fancy salads. My Grandma always makes a traditional plum pudding which we serve with ice cream or cream and then there is usually also a fruit salad, trifle or pavlova. On Christmas Eve with other family we tend to have a seafood & salad buffet and on Boxing Day with my Dad's family it's usually a bbq and salads. It's great fun, but I really would love to experience a cold Christmas one day.

Jinglebellissimo If you've made profiteroles before make as usual then pierce and dry out for a few mins in oven.

Add Amaretto to whipped cream to taste - put a raspberry or two in the cavity and then use piping bag with nozzle to fill with cream. Then I make caramel and when it just turns, remove from heat and place saucepan im a bowl of iced water, then dip the tops of the profiteroles into the caramel. I usually end up with burnt fingers lol..

If you make them, hope you enjoy.

@BenevolentEzza Veggie onion gravy. It's so easy, and tastes best when made the day before:
Heat butter/oil in a small pan on a medium/low heat until sizzling.
Add one medium sliced onion
Cook until softened and translucent (about 10-15 minutes), stirring occasionally.
Add a spoonful of plain flour to absorb the grease, stir in, leave it for a minute or two.
Add 3/4 pint of vegetable stock (I use Knorr cubes), stir.
Swirl in a hefty teaspoon of Marmite.
Lower heat, leave to simmer for an hour. Stir every now and then to avoid getting a skin on it.

It sounds so basic, but it is amazing - and honestly tastes better the day after you've made it, so it's just a case of heating it up on the day.

Beef with yorkshires
Chicken with stuffing
few turkey steaks for those who want turkey (not many)
roast potatoes (masses)
garlic & white wine mushrooms
runner beans & shallots
honied carrots
brussels sprouts with chestnuts/bacon
gravy
cranberry sauce

christmas pudding or cake
mince pies or fruit pies
brandy butter/cream

cheeseboard with olives/nuts/crackers/grapes

I've been low-carbing for several months, it's going to be my first cheat day and I can hardly wait!

Barbecue garlic prawns
Turkish bread with a variety of dips – guacamole, ev olive oil etc
Cold cheese and meat plate
Fruit platter
Variety of salads
Bruschetta
Arancini balls
Couple of quiches
Posh ice cream

.. all served on and off throughout the day.
No actual sitdown dinner. Grazing whilst we jump in an out of the pool and play games inside to cool off.

I'm in Australia and it's expected to be 35° plus on Christmas Day!

A family member is hosting this year, but their menu is turkey, glazed carrots, stuffing, mashed potatoes, plus dinner rolls, gravy & cranberry sauce.

dh & I are cooking on the 23rd for just us two, it will be a traditional roast beef dinner. I am not eating potatoes, cranberries or gravy due to food intolerances, and really dislike glazed carrots, but we are going for the company/family time.

Starter is smoked salmon terrine, smoked salmon slices, prawns, salad and brown bread and butter. We have this at about noon.
Main is roast pork with crackling, apple and sage stuffing, chorizo pigs in pancetta, roast potatoes, carrots, roast parsnips, sprouts with chestnuts, apple sauce and cider gravy.
Pudding is ice cream Christmas pudding.

No starter here as we'll definitely be eating enough as it is!

Turkey - I do the Nigella brined one which has been an absolute revelation and tastes delicious.
Roast potatoes
Sausage meat stuffing
Pigs in blankets
Parsnips usually, although they are impossible to find here so I'll probably be going without this year
Carrots
Peas
Broccoli
Yorkshire pudding
Gravy - going to try the Jamie Oliver get ahead one this year.

Pudding - DH loves Christmas pudding but DS and I don't, so we've got a small one for DH and we'll probably have a sticky toffee pudding or chocolate pudding of some kind with tons of custard.

Slightly different (hot!) Christmas this year.

Mini grazing platter - crudités and dips, sweet chilli Philly and crackers, bruschetta, olives

Turkey and ham
Roast potatoes
Potato bake (like a dauphinois)
Layered salad with a creamy dressing
Red cabbage coleslaw with a tangy dressing
Pigs in blankets
Roasted carrot, baby spinach, pecans, figs and feta salad

Trifle, Eton mess and a chocolate dessert.

Last year we had

Turkey
Gammon
Roast potatoes
Pigs in blankets
Parsnips
Yorkshire puddings
Swede and carrot mash
Cauliflower cheese
Sprouts
Red cabbage
Stuffing
Bread sauce
Cranberry sauce
Gravy

Starter (probably a salad)
Turkey
Stuffing
Gravy
Roast potatoes
Veg (sprouts, red cabbage, roast parsnips, peas, mashed carrot and swede)
Pigs in blankets
Cranberry sauce and bread sauce
Christmas pudding
Another dessert (relative is bringing)
Brandy cream, custard, ice cream

Wow, everyone is so fancy! We do basic stuff:-
Turkey and ham
Pigs in blankets
Brussels with pancetta
Peas
Sweetcorn
Sausagemeat sage and onion stuffing
Roast potatoes
Cranberry sauce
And the most important thing - homemade bread sauce. I literally could just eat that on its own.

Dessert is generally hours later and mince pies with brandy butter and maybe a xmas pud. Living in America it is all way more effort than when we were back home, but tastes better than the good old days of aunt bessies everything. I'd give a lot to never have to make mince pies again though.

Every year follows a similar pattern:

Turkey, Ham + another meat
Pigs in blankets
Sausagemeat stuffing
Normal stuffing
Cranberry sauce (homemade)
Apple sauce (homemade)
Yorkshires (for husband I don't think they should be on Christmas dinner!)
Roast potatoes and parsnips
Mashed potato (again husband...)
Sprouts (2 ways) carrots (3 ways)
Peas, corn (you guessed it, husband...)
Green bean casserole (US Thanksgiving dish)
Red cabbage
Gravy (homemade)

I think that's it, we eat it Christmas Eve and then have the leftovers on the day itself with pickles, cheeses, bread etc. It means I get to spend the day with the kids and not be stressing in the kitchen. :)

I don’t make the same thing every year.
Last year the starter was spicy butternut squash soup with blue cheese croutons, followed by secret recipe gammon and a porcine, cranberry and chestnut risotto thing for the veggies and vegans, followed by an Eton mess with a sloe gin and berry coulis. This year the starter is these fabulous onion bhaji things with raita, then fillet of beef with horseradish, wrapped in pancetta, or a butternut squash wellington for the vegans. Pudding is Christmas Yule log.

Every year, we have:
Roast potatoes - I use new potatoes and roast them skin on with loooooads of garlic and rosemary.
Yorkshire puddings - I know, I know, but DH & DS are obsessed!
Spiced red cabbage
Green beans fried with shallots
Carrots and parsnips with orange, honey and thyme
Broccoli Cheese
Gravy
Pigs in blankets

Rib of beef
Parsnips
Roasties
Brussels
Stuffing
Gravy

Cannot wait!

Chicken (not that keen on turkey)
Roasties
Pigs in blankets
Sage, onion and sausagemeat stuffing
Sprouts with chestnuts
Carrots
Peas
Gravy
Bread sauce
Cranberry sauce

No need for a starter as we’ll have nibbles beforehand, and no Christmas pud as it’s just the 2 of us this year and neither of us really likes it (nor will we have room for it after all the above!).

Cold roast chicken
Cold roast pork
Cold ham off the bone
Apple sauce
Coleslaw
Garden Salad
Potato bake
Boiled potatoes
Various other cold salad bits eg. Pineapple, corn, beetroot
Buttered breadstick

Plum pudding with cold custard and whipped cream
Pavlova

All eaten poolside as the kids use their new pool toys 🇦🇺☀️

No starter

Rib of beef
Roast potatoes
Yorkshire pudding
2 veg - probably broccoli and carrots
Gravy

Trifle

Probably our version of an Italian buffet

Lasagna
Bruschetta
An amazing mozzarella, feta, tomato & rocket pizza that we had in Puglia that tastes so good
Stuffed garlic mushrooms
A big salad
A herby bread
Some antipasti

Can’t wait 😊

No Starter

Roast fore rib of beef
Roast potatoes, honey roast parsnips
Yorkshire Pudding
Veg - spouts, broc, carrots.
And pigs in blankets - apparently we have to have them according to DC.

We have a selection of mini pudding and fruit salad if anyone wants anything else.

Prawn cocktail (Simon Hopkinson)

Turkey
Lemon and parsley stuffing
Little sausages
Bacon rolls
Sprouts with chestnuts
red cabbage
Roast potatoes
Bread sauce
Gravy

Christmas pudding (Sainsbury's)
Custard (Sainsbury's)
Yule log (Nigella)
Lemon souffle

Cheese
Fruit

When I have done Christmas dinner, we have:
Turkey
Either ham or beef
Roast potatoes
Mashed potatoes
Swede & carrot mash
Pigs in blankets
Chestnut stuffing
Sausage meat stuffing
Parsnip rostis
Red cabbage
Sprouts with pancetta
Peas
Yorkshire puddings
Gravy
Cranberry sauce
Apple sauce
Horseradish sauce

(Not all of this goes on the plate, and everyone likes something different, so we put it all out on the side for everyone to serve themselves!)