Is this too much food for 5 people on Xmas day?

[Hoiz]

Breakfast
Pret frozen croissants
Cinnamon rolls
Coffee
Bucks Fizz

Houer D'oeuvres
Pigs in blanket (American style)
Chorizo and Scallops
Salmon and Cod Roe Blinis
Garlic Prawns
Caeser Salad skewer

Main Meal
Stuffed Chicken Joint
Roast Potatoes
Mash
Dauphinoise Potatoes
Honey Carrots
Bacon and Broccoli
Parsnips
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Pigs in blanket
Stuffing balls
Yorkshire pudding
Onion Gravy
Plain Gravy

Dessert
Sticky Toffee Pudding and Ice cream
Xmas Pudding
Yule Log
Cheese Platter
Mince Pies

Dinner
Leftovers

Drinks
Champagne
Wine
Bucks Fizz
Spicy Margharitas

Someone in the group is insisting on a starter but they have agreed to taking responsibility. TBC.

This will all be homemade (apart from pastries in morning and ice cream) so it’s a lot of work - 2 main people doing it. A third person will likely pitch in a fair amount.

Is it a normal amount of food? First year hosting but any less would not be what my family is used to. But I’m doing a lot more homemade stuff whereas in previous years some of the snack stuff and desserts would be M and S.

I forgot pigs in blankets!!

I'd get rid of the garlic dish also dolphinois potatoes, roast and mash is fine. I'd cut out one of the heavy desserts like Xmas pudding/sticky toffee pudding and add something lighter like a fresh lemon cheesecake.

I'd get rid of the hors d'oeuvres, and buy puddings - or make one in advance. It looks like a huge amount of work!

of you want to spend all day cooking, fine. I’d just get nuts, olives, crisps and dips to allow yourself some time to actually talk to your guests. Also nobody needs all those desserts after all that food.

Way too much veg. Just have sprouts and possibly one other such as parsnips. It's the thing that always seems to not get eaten.

I wouldn’t bother with mince pies after a massive meal. I don’t think they fit.

Also I find too many different veg offerings get lost. Im personally now just do sprouts and parsnips. I’d only do another if people didn’t like them.

Im also not a fan of starters or whatever at Christmas. Personally a big meal and a pudding suits me fine. A few bits to pick when you are waiting is fine. Anything more just spoils it. It is such a big meal it’s just unnecessary.

I’d cut to one starter, 2 potatoes, cut a veg, cut one of the desserts at least. Looks amazing, I’m just thinking of the cooks! I really wish I was coming to your house.

Nooo garlic prawns will spoil taste buds 😱

And definitely much too much for 5 🤪send some to me 😃

I honestly don’t see it being too much work.

I’ve already measured out the ingredients for my sticky toffee pudding. They just need to be bung together at some point in the afternoon on Xmas day. The Yule log will be made on the 23rd. Measured ingredients are in sandwich bags waiting for me.

Veg prep will be done on Xmas eve with music and fizz (sis and I will no doubt rock out to ABBA with the dog). Sis can easily bash out her chicken in Xmas morning.

The Hors Doeuvres are more assembling than cooking.

I’ll do the dauphinoise at some point on Xmas Eve along with fresh mince pies (filling is done)

Im actually bored and have already been tempted to make some of the dishes but holding off as don’t want the food to spoil.

I’m off work with no kids and have a dog that passes out after a 40 minute walk. Not much going on during the day tbh!

Also think it’s a bit mean spirited of posters pointing out that people are struggling and it’s inappropriate to “show off”.

Trust me, we have struggled.

After my dad had his 2nd stroke we lost our family business. My siblings and I used to hide from bailiffs. My grandmother blamed my dad’s stroke on paying for my brother’s school fees - imagine the guilt we all felt. For many years we went without. A solid 8 years of hell. My mother had a breakdown. At 15 we became the parents.

Now we are all doing well we enjoy these times immensely. I’ll still say out aloud how grateful I am for central heating. When things were bad my parents couldn’t afford a plumber. Radiators were ornamental for many years.

Sounds lovely but a lot of work and too excessive/too much choice.

I’m cooking for 5. Breakfast is bacon sandwiches; croissants; fresh fruit and yoghurt; coffee; bucks fizz

Lunch served approx 2pm. No starter.
Roast chicken, pork, yorkshires, roast potatoes, carrots, sprouts, honeyed parsnips, onion stuffing, pigs in blankets, gravy.

Dessert - pavlova and STP options :)

Let us know how it goes!

Good for you op, sounds like you've got a great attitude, enjoy 🎄

You lost me at dinner and I got confused, it is 3am and I need to go bed lol
Dinner is at lunch time, I was like fuck ME all that's a lot of food for midday lol
It's your tea, not dinner if it's your evening meal 😁

I am a very big eater but the main seems to much to be able to enjoy each bit really

too much variety and it would feel like eating it for the sake of it

HOWEVER overall the whole thing sounds amazing and wondering if you deliver

I am enjoying the posters fretting that the chicken joint won't be enough for five. Can't help feeling that there's probably enough other food items on offer to make up for the horrifying lack of chicken.

I can't help picturing you as Monica from friends OP. I wasn't a regular viewer but I'm sure I've seen an episode where she drives herself insane trying to make every dish everyone attending the Christmas dinner wants. (Possibly it's Thanksgiving dinner.)

That comparison is evidently colouring my opinion and making me think your quote anxious about how appreciated everything will be. So question is will you be OK if the four other people attending don't eat most of whats on offer? If someone has filled up on breakfast and hors d"oeuvres and mince pies, so just isn't hungry when the lunch is served so eats nothing - will you be fine about that?

What if the dish you've made especially for one person goes completely untouched because that person is full?

What's the plan for the huge amount of left overs? (Realistically that is - can't imagine anyone wanting a dinner as you have planned for them!)

It does all sound delicious but it's a lot of food for one day!

”Mean-spirited “ is some Mumsnetters’ default mode so it’s best to ignore them. Don’t rise to the bait. But there are plenty of MNs who are nice and offer sensible and sympathetic advice. You are NOT showing off. 3 different potatoes sounds a lot 😄 - but go for it! I like the traditional British 2 kinds of potato at the meal which some find OTT.
An Aussie acquaintance once said “why do you Brits serve TWO kinds of potatoes? I don’t get it!” I told her she didn’t have to “get it”, she just had to eat it 😂. Merry Christmas. I wish I were coming to your house . 🦃

Maddness , one gravy
one potato ( roast)
no yorkshires
dump the cabbage
better to have less made well
its bonkers to do all that !
you need to have fun to
don’t try to please everyone

Agree with all of this. No meat needed for the canapés (bar a little bit of chorizo), you already have pigs in blankets on the main.

Yorkshire Puddings take up far too much space. The bacon lardons can go in with the sprouts, far better suited than the broccoli. Scrap the cabbage (too much like sprouts) UNLESS it’s red cabbage as totally different flavour.

Desserts we always for one chocolate based, one trifle (good for kids), one Christmas pud. The cheeseboard can sit ready on the side if needed or can whip out in the evening. We tend to have it with a picky buffet crisps, possibly a turkey sandwich etc.

I know it’s great to indulge but the pressure isn’t worth it. Enjoy your day, make less, sit down more!

Not at all, my husband and I are doing lunch for six.
Breakfast :
Coffee
Croissants

Nibbles:
Homemade mini sausage rolls
Smoked Salmon Blinis
Non alcoholic Sparkling wine
Sparkling water
Tonic on ice (everyone is a non drinkers!)

Lunch:
Whole Leg of Lamb with rosemary and garlic
Whole side of Salmon with orange glaze
Nigellas Coke soaked Gammon (must recommend)
Steamed fresh greens with toasted pistachio
Roast potatoes
Roast honey balsamic carrots and parsnips
Homemade gravy
all the condiments, chutney, mint sauce, homemade salsa verde, dijon mustard

Then dessert:
Cheese board with grapes and quince
Christmas pudding with custard or cream

Ah it was good to type all that up to get perspective! We will have lots of left overs but I love not having to cook over the following days and just eating cold or heated leftovers and cheese and crackers.

I would stick to one starter and one dessert because that would overwhelm me cooking it, but if your happy to do it and pay for it the lovely!! Please can I come to urs for Xmas dinner lol I’m sure your guests will be over the moon with that spread!

Oh wow that’s a lot !
Probably too much . When I’ve had 6 of us at Christmas we had stuffed turkey 🦃 crown , pigs in blankets , roast potatoes, various vegetables, gravy and cranberry sauce .
One dessert plus cheese and fruit 🍇 for those who wanted it .
Because my husband family tradition is to have a Boxing day special meal too I had that to do the next day .
We had roast gammon , mash + roast potatoes, apple sauce , cranberry sauce as well from the day before plus veg
Then a trifle type dessert

Tbh in our house it wouldn't be but we're go big or go home people.

It's all a bit childish. You're going over the top just because it's your last one unmarried? Why?

Your dad has to have his sticky toffee and you all have to eat a massive pastry breakfast because he does?

Your mum knows nobody likes Christmas pudding but she's doing it anyway?

You're feeding them excessive amounts of food at 1.30pm but are also insisting on a family dog walk somewhere before that? You won't forget about the Yule log because you've bought some plastic decorations and have to have chorizo because it's your favourite? Have it another day, same as the potatoes.

Your sister loves mash so even though it's Christmas Day she just has to have it? It's fucking mash mate, have it any other day. Christmas is for roasties.

Your brother sounds the only normal one. Unless he's the twat that's insisting on eating a starter he's personally made for himself whilst the other people at the table sit and wait.

Fucking bizarre. Are you all teenagers?