What is actually in a Christmas dinner?

[Judelawissohandsome]

I can’t remember and need to make this year, what are the basics please?

Bread sauce is (as far as I know) countrywide. Personally, for me in Wales, Christmas dinner main course is:
Turkey
Roast Ham
Pigs in blankets
Roast potatoes
Roast parsnips
Braised carrots
The obligatory sprout 🤢
Red cabbage
Steamed cauliflower
Stuffing
Bread sauce
Cranberry jelly (for DH only)
Proper gravy (none of your Bisto or flavourless jus here, thank you!)

Cauliflower Cheese is an abomination, and peas also have no place on a roast dinner…

Bread sauce is an absolute must and I'm Scottish.
Chicken
Pigs in blankets
Stuffing
Roast potatoes
Yorkshire pudding
Parsnips with garlic cream and bacon - an absolute must
Sprouts
Carrots
Peas
Broccoli
Red cabbage
Gravy
Cranberry sauce
Bread sauce

And all the left overs are made into a frittata on boxing day.
I bloody love Christmas dinner!

I agree, say no to peas.

We mixed it up last year with fillet of beef, yorkshires and dauphinoise, was absolutely delicious but somehow didn't quite feel like Christmas to me.

Oooh, your parsnips sound nice! Have you a recipe please?

I forgot to mention Yorkshire Puddings.

Mine is:

No starter

Main:
Ham
Chicken
Roasties
Gravy
Parsnips
Carrots
Sprouts
Sage & Onion stuffing
Delia's grape & garlic stuffing
Never enough (for DH) pigs in blankets

Pudding:
Choice of homemade:
Pavlova
Sherry Trifle
Banoffee Pie

Lots of chocs/mince pies/cakes throughout the day

Will try and squeeze in some cheese and crackers later with homemade chilli jam 😋

Turkey with stuffing
Pigs in blankets
Brussels sprouts and chestnuts
Roast potatoes
Red cabbage
Bread sauce
Cranberry sauce
Honey glazed carrots and parsnips
Gravy (we usually make it ahead with chicken wings then add turkey juices at the end).
Those are the main ones. I've probably forgotten something - I almost always do!

Yorkshire Puddings should be served with EVERY roast dinner, whatever the meat and I will fight anyone that says otherwise.

We don't have a starter either. After a late breakfast then a big mid afternoon lunch there's no room!

Bread sauce isn't a southern thing. It's a very old traditional accompaniment to turkey or chicken. In recent decades some people have taken to serving cranberry sauce instead. I have both.

Our Christmas dinner is:
Roast turkey (slathered in butter and streaky bacon)
Pork, sage and onion stuffing cooked inside the bird
Gravy made with giblet stock and the turkey juices
Bread sauce
Cranberry, port and orange relish
Roast cocktail sausages (not p-i-b)
Roast potatoes
Parmesan roast parsnips
Brussels sprouts
Chantenay carrots roasted in the oven with orange and tarragon
Petits pois

Christmas pudding with thick cream for me and vanilla ice cream for my husband (our daughter has both, our son, poor soul doesn't like Christmas pudding so he has something else)

We have:
Turkey
Glazed ham
Sage & onion stuffing
Cranberry sauce
Gravy
Herbed roast potatoes
Maple roast parsnips
Roast carrots
Spiced red cabbage
Sometimes cauliflower cheese
Sprouts with bacon
Marrowfat peas - traditional

No sausages or pigs in blankets or bread sauce or Yorkshire puddings

all the above! 😋

On our plate will be:
Turkey
Roast potatoes
Yorkshire puddings
Pigs in blankets
2 types of stuffing
Carrots
Broccoli
Parsnips
Red cabbage
Cauliflower cheese
Sprouts
Gravy
Cranberry sauce

Well, it will all be put out on the side for everyone to serve themselves because everyone likes different things (7 adults, a 3 year old and 8 month old!)

Bread sauce in Ireland too! I love it, DC don't, so probably won't bother.

I love reading threads like this for the me mention of 'pigs in blankets' & 'Yorkshire puddings'. These are quintessentially English to me, not known in Ireland at all (I mean, they are known but not usually eaten!). Pigs in blankets may be had but with different nomenclature.

Neverknowinglysensible they really are the best things ever. They used to serve them in a posh hotel I worked in 20+ years ago and I've done them every year since.
Par boil your parsnips.
Rub a baking tray with lots of garlic
Place the parsnips on and cover in double cream.
Sprinkle with bacon bits.
Not the stuff you buy it has to be the best bacon you can afford, cooked until crispy, and chopped. I use a pizza cutter.
In the oven for 20 mins or so.
So simple but so perfect.

Turkey
Stuffing
Pigs in blankets
Honey carrots
Parsnips
Sprouts with bacon and chestnuts
Roast potatoes
Gravy
Cranberry sauce
Bread sauce
Yorkshire pudding

Turkey
pigs in blankets
we have several different sausage meat stuffings
veg
roast potatoes
gravy

Vegetarian here. We have:
Anna hill's mushroom and cheddar roast (a bit like cheesy stuffing but nicer)
Roast potatoes
Brussel sprouts
roast parsnips
roast carrots and shallots
Onion gravy
Bread sauce
and then whatever meat any meat eater coming would like. Sometimes it's roast beef. Last year it was chicken breast for the one meat eater

Stuffing is the best part

And Yorkshire pudding. Can't believe I missed that off my list.

My traditional one is
Turkey
Gammon
Roast spuds
Creamed spuds
Dauphinoise (ok that's not traditional)
Carrots
Parsnips
Sprouts
Sausagemeat chestnut stuffing
Cocktail sausages
Gravy
Cranberry sauce

Mashed potatoes.

Why on Earth does no one else have mash???

@blibblibs Thank you! I will be making them this weekend to audition for a place on the Chrismas table.

So many of you forgetting all about mash. The best bit.

I no longer eat meat, but when I did I would have considered the following as essential: Turkey, pigs in blankets, roast potatoes, stuffing, gravy, carrots, brussels sprouts, red cabbage, cranberry sauce, bread sauce.

Turkey
Ham
Stuffing
Yorkies
Pigs
Roasties
Roasted carrots
Parsnips
Cauliflower & broccoli cheese
Cranberry sauce
Apple sauce
Gravy