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.

Sounds gorgeous and you can eat any leftovers for days.

What time are you serving dinner?

If you’re having a starter I wouldn’t have all the appetisers as well.

And what are American style pigs in blankets?

That's normal lunchtime, you don't need any nibbles between breakfast and then! It's way too much food.

I think it entirely depends on if you will enjoy cooking that much, if you’re all adults eating it and if you’re happy to do it. If you’re only having that much food due to demands of other people then yes it’s too much. But others would happily cook a feast for Christmas because they enjoy it. Not clear from your post which camp you fall into!

Don’t eat at 1:30. Eat dinner at 3 and miss out one whole meal.

It all sounds delicious but if you wanted to simply to make it easier and more enjoyable for yourself then I’d:

• Cut a couple of the canapés or choose a simpler alternative (both the prawns and scallops will need to be done at the last minute and are easy to overcook, especially if you’re busy with other things- I’d probably save them for another day or choose something easier/pre-prepared).
• Stick to one type of potato (so either roast, mashed or dauphinois).
• Have either sprouts or broccoli and bacon.
• Have either plain gravy or onion gravy.
• Cut one of the desserts and have the mince pies another time.

It’s also fine if not everything is homemade. Make the stuff you enjoy cooking or that genuinely tastes significantly better if it’s homemade but something like stuffing balls will be pretty good from a butcher and a lot less hassle.

It’s a lot of food (basically one dessert per person!) but as long as your family is happy with eating leftovers then I wouldn’t worry. If it’s making you stressed or you won’t enjoy the day because of the amount of work then you can definitely make it easier on yourself though!

How will you ensure that everything is perfect? I think that your palates will be cluttered and that some things will not be as good as they should be. Three types of potato, two of which need oven space and one in particular will need to be brought to table as soon as it is ready sounds unnecessarily complicated for a start.

it depends on your family, but in mine we all love the main dinner so much that anything before - canapés or starters - are an unwelcome distraction and use of stomach space! To be honest, we might not even eat many of the fairly pricy canapés as we would have eyes on the prize.

Sorry I missed that you’re eating at lunchtime. No appetisers in that case. Or eat at 3pm instead.

We have 2 different types of gravy and there's only 3 of us for dinner! Myself and DC like Bisto, DP makes his own gravy which we don't like.

Way over the top. Pare it back. You don't need three types of potato or two types of gravy. You don't need sprouts and broccoli and cabbage.

You also don't need five separate hors d'oeuvres. You don't need three desserts, especially three as rich and heavy as those. Ditch one of the hot puddings.

You don't need HDs and starters. Especially not if eating at 1.30. So moce the HDs to evening nibbles, or push the meal back to 3/3.30

I would

• reduce the hors d’oeuvres by one or two items. I would leave out the American style pigs in blankets & maybe the blinis
• choose either dauphinois OR mash potatoes to go with the roasties as three potato dishes seems too much
• move the last three desserts & maybe the breakfast Cinnamon rolls until the evening dinner/leftovers.

It all sounds lovely and what is left over will be used over the Christmas season.

I agree with others that you should buy some of the food pre-prepared so that the cooks can also enjoy the day without stress.

And we'll have 3 types of potatoes too....I like roast and mash with a dinner but DP likes boiled and roast.

Far too much, and I'm 37 weeks pregnant! 😂

Sausages wrapped in pastry/croissant dough.

We eat at around 1:30 so wanted something yummy for people to nibble on between breakfast and dinner

That's not something for people to nibble on, though, is it? It's a full buffet of canapes. You're having an indulgent breakfast and a huge, huge lunch and you're also proposing to serve them an extra meal in between.

This is a special Xmas as it will be our last one just as a 5. My brother and I are both engaged (brother’s fiancé is working and my fiancé is with his side on Xmas day as his grandfather is not well - I go up on boxing day)

So wanting to make it special.

Will edit menu down. It’s not unheard of me to become overwhelmed.

Which canapés would you scrap? I’m keeping chorizo and bacon as that’s my fav

I think it sounds quite a lot but also sounds lovely.

Even though it does sound a lot, is a chicken joint going to be enough meat for 5 people? That’s the only bit I’d query.

Don’t have 3 sorts of potatoes.
Don’t replicate pigs in blankets (or any sausages) in hors d’oeuvres and dinner.
Keep the hors d’oeuvres light and fish / veg based maybe.
You don’t need all those deserts. Cut STP if you are having Christmas Pud.

It all sounds fab but too much becomes off putting.

Add clementines to breakfast.

Looks spectacular. I'm in.

I would go 1 meat, 1 fish, 1 veg.

So chorizo, salmon, and skewer

I think it's ridiculous, but where's the turkey??

Definitely cut the American sausage rolls.