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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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

393 replies

Hoiz · 20/12/2023 15:55

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.

OP posts:
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banjocat · 20/12/2023 17:24

If you enjoy cooking then it sounds brilliant. Obviously it's a lot of work but you know that and don't need everyone on this thread to tell you 😅 Presumably you've decided to do it anyway because you like cooking and enjoy the homemade food.

It's a big part of Christmas for some people so good for you. It all sounds delicious. It will be a lot of food but you have covered things that everyone likes which is really considerate.

As long as you enjoy it, go for it. It might become an expectation but it doesn't seem like you'd mind all that much anyway. Wish you were in my family! 😂

IFindYouAnnoyingNigel · 20/12/2023 17:24

Good grief, that's enough food for about 25 people.

Doggymummar · 20/12/2023 17:24

We only eat one meal, there would be no way we could eat breakfast and then lunch. We eat about 6pm and then leftovers help yourself for the next few days. Would have more meat, beef, turkey gammon duckfat roasties, carrots PARSNIPS sprouts stuffing pib then Christmas pudding and custard. Mince pies and fabulous cheeseboard for supper.

Nicole1111 · 20/12/2023 17:24

This is an unbelievably excessive menu but I personally would love an invite 😂

Heronwatcher · 20/12/2023 17:24

I think if it were me I would be a bit worried that with all the hors d’oevres you might end up with people too full to eat the main meal, but if you serve them a couple of hours beforehand you might be ok. But would that mean serving them straight after breakfast?

Definitely no starter though unless you want all the food from the main being wasted. Could you keep the starter for the evening?

And I’d 100% be buying most of the puddings and just making the brandy butter etc.

If I’m absolutely honest, trying to do all of that and do so much home made sounds like a bit of a recipe for a breakdown (like Bryn in gavin and Stacey), and no one really seeing you which would be a shame. I’d be paring it down and focussing on the main course and buying a bit more stuff.

User1789 · 20/12/2023 17:26

Doggymummar · 20/12/2023 17:24

We only eat one meal, there would be no way we could eat breakfast and then lunch. We eat about 6pm and then leftovers help yourself for the next few days. Would have more meat, beef, turkey gammon duckfat roasties, carrots PARSNIPS sprouts stuffing pib then Christmas pudding and custard. Mince pies and fabulous cheeseboard for supper.

You don't eat ALL DAY on Christmas day until 6pm!

Yeah, that is too far the other way. I would rather be at OP's.

theduchessofspork · 20/12/2023 17:26

Hoiz · 20/12/2023 16:27

STP is for my dad as it is his fav. Siblings prefer something chocolate-y hence the buche de noel.

My mum has already made the Xmas pudding

But it’s Christmas OP - not a final meal on death row

STP and dauphinois and mash are all delightful but they can eat them some other time.

SkankingWombat · 20/12/2023 17:28

Too much food and too much from scratch IMO.

Assuming the cinnamon rolls are homemade, ditch them in favour of the pastries (effort saving).

Swap at least some of the canapés to shop bought. Life is too short and if you have an air fryer, this is its moment to shine.

I'd also ditch the broccoli from the lunch, because 3 different brassicas would be excessive and broccoli is the most delicate in terms of overcooking.

3 types of potatoes is also too much. If your DSis must have mash, buy a pack of the ready made chilled stuff. Dauphinois potatoes are a food of the gods, but could you find another meal during the festive period to add this to? We always have 3 different carbs (roasties, yorkies, rice & peas), but there is no way I'd make them all potato or homemade (yorkies are the carb I buy in for Xmas, even though I happily make from scratch at other times of the year).

Too many puds. You've already made the Xmas pud, so that can stay. Save the mince pies for the days surrounding the 25th or, even better, serve them in place of both the cinnamon rolls and croissants for breakfast. Shop buy one dessert that everyone likes.
Save the cheese for a different day, but it could still be brought out much later if people are peckish and fancy something other than a turkey sandwich.

You need to lighten the hosting load. Not everyone needs their favourites in all parts of the meal.

FWIW, we are doing canapés throughout the morning in place of breakfast. We always used to have scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toasted muffins, but it was too filling. I have bought all canapés except the salmon blinis (which I am tasking DCs with making) readymade, and all can be popped in the airfryer as and when, independent of what the turkey etc is doing. We are having a starter, but it's Coquilles St Jacques so very light. I will hugely overcater lunch as we love the leftovers, but I won't have as many separate dishes as you are doing. Pudding will be Xmas pud with a choice of custard or ice cream, and again all shop bought. I only really cook the meat, carbs, veg and gravy for the lunch from scratch. Everything else is bought in but good quality. I have made the cranberry sauce ahead though (now sitting in the freezer). I plan on spending as much time as possible chilling out with my family and/or sat on my bum in front of the TV drinking something chilled. Apart from the last 30 mins before serving lunch, my aim is to only need to potter back and forth to the kitchen now and then to do the bare minimum of poking, stirring and basting.

madeinmanc · 20/12/2023 17:28

[Sorry, CBA to read the thread] I like the variety of veg tbh, but I am vegetarian 😃

I'd ditch the hors d'oeuvres as surely no-one could eat those after already having croissants for breakfast and then follow it up shortly after with the spectacular mains you've outlined? Unless you've a family of very exceptionally big eaters, which you would know yourself.

I also think they would spoil rather than whet the appetite for the main Christmas meal.

I love the proposed main meal, I'd personally have it slightly later than midday, maybe 14:30-15:00 ish? Then allow a few hours for people to digest before serving the desserts. That way you wouldn't need an evening meal. Maybe have the cheeses in the evening if people are feeling peckish.

SkankingWombat · 20/12/2023 17:30

Oh, and just the one type of gravy. If no veggies are attending, just do the turkey gravy.

Whiskeypowers · 20/12/2023 17:30

That’s a ridiculous amount of food for five people. Unless it’s a man v food themed Christmas and you have an industrial sized kitchen!
I’d ditch the hors d’oeuvres and just do the main course with less choice in general with one dessert and then a cheeseboard later perhaps?

HowNice23 · 20/12/2023 17:30

Definitely faaaar to much so I'm inviting myself too to help out 👀😂

It looks delicious x as long as you're ok doing the cooking go with it and enjoy hosting. Just make sure someone else is washing up!

LuckyOrMaybe · 20/12/2023 17:30

Some of the things I do I expect to be still using several days after Christmas. So yes I'll have a large mince pie (several probably, make them two at a time in flan tins as required over Christmas, easier than trying to roll out gluten free pastry successfully!!), chocolate yule log, Christmas cake, two types of bought Christmas pudding (gluten free for me and normal for everyone else - except that my mother's here this year so may share some of mine), probably some sort of ice cream or sorbet. It's mainly in the spirit of choices and indulgence and having the enjoyment last as long as possible. I actually make 3 fruit cakes, one to ice for Christmas, one will be "New Years" even if it doesn't get started till after, and one is put aside and stored for either Easter or my birthday.

I agree with those who suggest you have too many different vegetable options for a group of 5. But I can understand not wanting to leave out anyone's favourite! We have everything roasted (potato/onion/carrot/parsnip/butternut squash), and sprouts steamed in quantity (would probably add broccoli if anyone disliked sprouts). Stuffing often baked in a dish on its own. Sausages and bacon I insist on and grumble the years I get overwhelmed and forget to cook them in time! The other twist is that my eldest doesn't eat meat so we will have something tucked in to be her protein portion. Mind you the stuffing is a mix of chestnuts and potato and goes a long way on its own.

To me, having a starter is an optional extra that sometimes happens. And would probably be one offering or at most two. Home made gravlax on crackers has featured in recent years.

LikeItOrLumpIts · 20/12/2023 17:31

I think it’s a crazy amount of food. I wouldn’t want Christmas dinner after that breakfast and the other bits. And no I’m not one of these that’s full after a few lettuce leaves.

Caspianberg · 20/12/2023 17:31

The last supper 🤣

PeloMom · 20/12/2023 17:32

Can I come? This sounds delicious (and like a tonne of food)!

Snowpaw · 20/12/2023 17:32

Seafood is such a treat - something to be savoured and enjoyed, and cooked with precision. Not something to be shoe horned quickly in between breakfast and a massive roast. Eat it Christmas Eve or save it for Christmas Day evening.

pinkspeakers · 20/12/2023 17:32

Well it depends how much of each thing there is. But it is certainly far more different things than I will be doing, and we have 12 people here.
We only have 2 types of canapes.
Definitely no starter in addition to this!!
Roast potatoes only. Only green veg is sprouts, but we do have red cabbage. No yorkshire pudding. I do have two gravies but only because we have veggie guests.
We only do Xmas pud and one other pudding.
Mince pies come out for tea time, along with cheeses etc

TheFormidableMrsC · 20/12/2023 17:33

I mean it looks amazing but it's far too much. I love my food but I'd struggle to eat that much in one day.

jhy · 20/12/2023 17:34

It is a lot. But some people do go 'all out' over Xmas.
For us, I won't have a real breakfast and we eat around 2pm. Main and dessert for us. Then will snack on leftovers if peckish in the evening.
Every year we make the same mistake resulting in tons of extra food which goes in the bin, a waste of time making it and no one eats it and lastly a waste of money! We vowed to not be greedy this year and only make what we can really eat.

CatMummyOf3 · 20/12/2023 17:34

Jesus, I feel full just reading all that!

That is way too much food for 5 people, and far too much work if you are intending on making most of that from scratch. You are going to spend so much time preparing and cooking you will be too busy to enjoy the day.

PP's have suggested how you could cut back; take the advice and enjoy some time with your family/friends instead of being stuck in the kitchen.

itsgettingweird · 20/12/2023 17:34

Yep there's loads.

What time would you like ds and I to arrive?! I'll help cook and he's a swimmer so will definitely manage to clear any leftovers 😂

pinkspeakers · 20/12/2023 17:34

Dauphinois is a fave here too. So we have it on Boxing Day with ham. Appreciate it more then. You dont have to put all your favourites in the one meal!!

madeinmanc · 20/12/2023 17:35

So what I would do is ditch the hors d'oeuvres and serve the Christmas main meal later so people have an appetite. Then desserts a few hours later. Finally cheeseboard in the evening. Plus you could pre-prepare a soup the day before, wheel that out in the evening if necessary with the cheeses. There's always leftovers for the (very) big eaters.

Hoiz · 20/12/2023 17:35

Yes we have worked out timings. We have a range plus microwave with air fryer and a steamer.

OP posts: