would this be a shit Christmas dinner?

[Lullabyebye]

DP and I are hosting this year - first time ever. It’s my parents, his parents and his brother. My mum is a retired chef (a very good one) but with age and arthritis, she gets super stressed with Xmas and so we are completely taking over.

As a family we hate Turkey so usually have beef. We have preordered fore rib and a gammon joint. We will have all the normal trimmings. We like Yorkshire puddings and MIL has demanded them (I know there’s some strong opinions on this!) so I bought nice ones that I’ve put in the freezer.

My plan is to just not stress. It should be a nice meal but it’s just a fancy roast eh?
So for starters, my mum was going to make coquille st Jacque. But I tried some frozen ones from Aldi and they were delicious. No one else (in laws) needs know... that would be starters.

Dessert - we asked MIL to contribute and she said she’d make Sticky Toffee Pud, we have also got some Christmas puddings.

We are cooking everyone a big fry up first. We have some smoked salmon which I will probably do vol au vent style with cream cheese as a snack.

Is this lazy? I just don’t see the point in not enjoying the day because we are stressed. I’m usually quite efficient in the kitchen and I’ve smashed out a few roasts, but I’m not a regular cook.

Opinions?

YABU - just bloody cook it properly
YANBU - it’s not just about the food and it sounds fine

YANBU
Enjoy the day

That sounds great, just make sure your fry up is far enough from Christmas lunch/dinner or no one will be able to eat anything!

Sounds lovely.

coquille st Jacques?

Are they coming for breakfast too - hence the fry-up? Seems a bit much.

Go hard! This way you enjoy the day, and so do they! Win/Win. . .

Why would it be shit? What do you think is missing?

Sounds delicious. Any comments from your guests would be rude.
My cousin is cooking for us on Christmas, we always compliment her gravy as it’s delicious, it’s out of a sachet, who cares?!?
Good food and good company.

Do you need to cook the gammon too? why not do that on boxing day. if you like beef, have beef.

Sounds lovely.

The only thing I’d say is the one Christmas we had a starter we were all too full to properly enjoy the beef (we have beef every year).

Sounds lovely! Even easier if you can prepare veg and potatoes the night before.

Sound fine to me.

What is the timescale from the fry up until dinner?

Sounds great. I think starters are pointless for Christmas dinner anyway, it’s a once a year meal and I want to have room to enjoy it!

Ours is entirely bought in just needs putting in the oven. I'm pregnant with a 5year old and a 2 year old and can't face the hassle of cooking. FIL is not impressed as he likes things 'properly cooked from scratch', but was unwilling to take over when it was suggested he was welcome to cook from scratch himself.

Yours sounds lovely, enjoy your day.

I had to Google 'coquille st Jacque' for I am unrefined.

Your meal sounds delicious. Not sure I would manage a fry up and snack beforehand though... sounds like A LOT of food. Or perhaps you are a generous hostess!

I’d skip the fry up and do coffee, croissants (frozen, just pop them in the oven and voila!), scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on German grain bread. Plus bubbly &/or Buck’s Fizz. Maybe a Pandoro as well. But that’s just me - I like a light brunch on Christmas Day so as to leave more of an appetite for the festive feast...

The rest of it sound great!

I wouldn't do a fry up. Get a few bags of 'bake them yourself' pastries from M&S and have those and Bucks Fizz for breakfast so you don't have lots of washing up and people aren't stuffed.

Take every shortcut you like. No one will know, and its better imo to enjoy the time with family, esp this year, rather than being tied to the kitchen all day

@HollyandIvyandallthingsYule hmmm - where do you get frozen croissants?

Oh yes I’d do the Christmas ham the day before (or even the 23rd), or if you have a slow cooker you can do it overnight on Christmas Eve and leave it to keep warm on the day.

Skip the coquille St Jacques , I've had the ones from Aldi and they were not pleasant, I don't think your chef mum will enjoy them. Just do a simple soup that can be prepared in advance (MIL makes a lovely chestnut and stilton soup), or good old prawn cocktail takes a few minutes to put together, or a smoked mackerel pate (mix together spring onions, cream cheese, creme fraiche, horseradish and some roughly chopped cooked smoked mackerel, can be made a few days in advance) serve with toast or crusty bread and butter.
Rest of it sounds fine

I'd save the gammon until next day - and maybe sticky toffee as well as Christmas pudding is a bit heavy; you could offer something lighter.
But it sounds great. If that's what you call lazy, I hate to think what you do when you're making an effort!

[quote isitsnowingyet]@HollyandIvyandallthingsYule hmmm - where do you get frozen croissants?[/quote]
We used to buy ours in Sainsbury’s or Aldi. I know Asda does them and we had them from M&S once as well. I expect all supermarkets do them. Just make sure they’re all butter pastry!

It sounds lovely! Can I come?

I'd also skip the fry up in favour of pastries or scrambled egg, smoked salmon and champagne/bucks fizz but that's just preference and laziness....

Ah yes I agree, I think a sticky toffee pudding would be way too much for me after a Christmas dinner. I think I’d do something like a peach and passion fruit pavlova, or maybe a trifle.