Is this too many people for Christmas?

[thebradybunch]

We are hosting Christmas for the first time this year. Just us (family of 5, small child, toddler and newborn), our parents, siblings and their kids. However both our families are big and everyone has said they're coming.

This means we've got 18 adults, 10 children and 4 babies

For context we are all really close, and our families are all friends so that's not an issue. Also everyone will bring a dish so I won't be the only one cooking. I'm worried about how we will accommodate everyone and it not feel like chaos though.

I was planning on having them all come over at 2.30pm. Any tips on how to organise the day? I'm being massively thrown in the deep end here so need some advice from seasoned professionals!

• Our house isn't huge but it isn't small either. Our kitchen table can sit 10 people at a squeeze.
• We have a decent sized playroom for the kids with a big TV in it.
• Living room sofas and chairs can probably sit 10 people.

Can you do it as a buffet? And not do a traditional roast?

So have enough seats so everyone can sit somewhere but it doesn’t have to be all at a time - it can be more like a party that a traditional Christmas.

If 2.30 is just after the usual nap time, it sounds idea.

Maybe consider not worrying about the environment for one day and have disposable cups, plates, cutlery?

It is an awful lot and I am the queen of mass catering.

How old are the kids? I might suggest you feed them all first, maybe with a standard roast Christmas dinner early-ish and then do a more buffet style second wave for the adults after the kids have got down, say an hour or so later. If you did a big turkey (top tip - do it on a gas barbecue with a lid, if you have one) and a full ham then you can put in a second load of sausages and roast potatoes and roast Brussels sprouts for the adults when the kids start to eat. If you do lots of Jamie Oliver’s get ahead gravy in advance, and a big casserole of red cabbage again in advance mostly for the adults, and make sure those plus sausages are all piping hot for the adults, it won’t matter if the turkey and some trimmings are a bit colder and the ham will be cold anyway.
but it is a lot to manage with tiny kids too.

I LOVE a catering challenge (I know, I am weird) but I don't think this sounds doable unless, as people say, you have a buffet. Which could be fun! Not the traditional dinner but maybe you could just do away with that and do some massive chillies and hot dogs or something? Or if people are expecting the traditional sit down roast, you could stick a marquee in the garden and do it in there with a couple of trestle tables, but that would be expensive/hassle/cold and might not be enough room for it anyway.

Or rent the local parish hall and have it there?

I think this is totally doable - we've been having Christmas lunch at my parents' with over 30 people for the past 10 years or so (admittedly not in the UK, and houses are much bigger), and it's great fun as long as everyone is relaxed, and OP sounds super organised. Fully agree with advice to serve the food buffet style (we have proper Christmas dinner food, but set up so everyone stands up and fills their plate and then we eat together) and make parking arrangements.

Just a few tips:

• Our main issue was always food going cold. As we heated up one thing, something else went cold, so we never had a full plate of warm food. We rent food warmers now (the kind you see at buffets in hotels), and it makes all the difference.
• If you have several courses and not enough plates, it could mean having to wash in between, which is not fun. So we keep that in mind when thinking about the menu (eg: something other than soup to begin if we need those same bowls for the dessert later).
• For us, it works best if each person bringing something thinks about all things related to that dish (eg: if someone is bringing the turkey, then they should also think of the gravy and cranberry sauce), otherwise bits are forgotten.
• Depending on the age of the kids, some of them might want to feel like party of the dinner at least for the beginning. Assuming they're old enough to eat alone, you could try setting up a separate table for them (garden table, kids tableware kind of thing) in the same room.

I haven't read the whole thread (only OPs posts) so apologies if others have already suggested the same!

3 shifts

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Most food cooked the day before pr that morning or bought from M n S and re-heated in oven. Everybody as to muck in and assigned jobs when mot eating shift.

Omg 😮 that's an insane amount of people to feed for a sit down meal. The first time you've ever done it too. I hosted for first time last yr and there were only 4 adults and 2 kids, that was plenty stressful enough!

Forgetting the babies you need 28 seats. Do you even have enough plates, cutlery crockery etc. A buffet would work better.

Even with a table in your living room and one in the playroom you will likely be short (unless they also can sit 8 and 10 people). Would possibly need to do it in sitting and have a lot of help.

I'd be more inclined to suggest a meal out instead. I do remember once having Xmas at my nans with her 3 kids, partners and then grandkids. We had 3 different eating areas and it was a bit chaotic but fun. My uncle is a chef so he took over the kitchen. That was only about 12 people in total. It wasn't repeated again 😂

Not read all the replies so apologies if I am repeating what others have said

I think if it were me I would hire a table and chairs (or borrow, we often borrow stuff from neighbours and someone is always away at xmas). Set up another table in the playroom or living room which seats 10, or two smaller ones of 5, whatever works. We sometimes use our garden table for eg which is round and seats 6 and put a table cloth over it.

Carefully think about what you will eat and delegate appropriately. Also about oven space and what you can cook when, what you can keep warm.

Also cook the turkey for a shorter time and wrap in a bath sheet, it will stay warm and keep cooking for a good couple of hours, this frees up all the oven space for the rest of the food.

I don't know if any of your family have one of these you could borrow
Progress EK3665P Electric Buffet Server - 3 Pan Hot Plate, Food Warmer Tray, 3 x 2.5L Removable Sections, Adjustable Temperature, 300W Portable Chafing Dish, Bain Marie, Catering Buffet Serving Tray : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen
My Dad has one and brings it up at xmas sometimes if there are loads of us

Certain things can be done in advance and reheated quickly in the microwave eg cheesy leeks, gravy, stuffing balls.

If you have a starter make sure it's cold and can be done in advance, preferably by someone else. Ask people to bring puddings in cool bags with ice packs so they don't take up fridge space (in fact anything they bring that has to stay cold!)

Get a bucket and some ice to keep wine and beer cold to avoid taking up space in the fridge

If all else fails I would be tempted to just do enough proper xmas dinner for the adults and then do some stuff to do with the turkey/ pigs in blankets that kids would like more, eg some bread rolls and raw veg/salad, v often kids leave most of the veg anyway!

Finally write down your time lines of what you do when!

There are large families who do this regularly & not just at Christmas. It keeps extended families together. People who promote this & if they also have space do the hosting, are very special people indeed. You will have a wonderful time 😁

We have a large family. I hire out a room at the village hall when we all get together. It's great fun and no one has the stress of hosting.

No turkey as you won’t have the oven space so instead do some fancy flans, and a one dish option. Put everything out as a buffet on the kitchen counter or get a table for this. Make it a cold buffet - so you can have cheese, dips, fruits, dishes you made and what people bring. Organise a washing up rota even if you have a dishwasher it will be quicker to wash up by hand.

Could you host a Xmas Eve or Boxing Day party instead? That way you can have a buffet and it’ll generally be a bit more relaxed. Or just lean into the fact that Xmas day is going to be chaotic and probably not involve the typical roast (one year, we did a ‘flavours of Christmas’ spread instead of a roast and it was delightful - think turkey and cranberry meatballs, winter salads alla Ottolenghi, a good cheese board etc). Just let everyone graze and organise party games for the evening - it could be lots of fun!

@thebradybunch from your update sounds like you’re planning really well.
I’d give this a go!! Apologies if I’m repeating haven’t read all replies.
a few thoughts from my experience of similar Events

1. If reheating dishes being brought consider borrowing air fryers, steamers, remouskas, slow cookers to increase your kitchens capacity.
2. plan everything & try to plan for things that might go wrong, a burnt or forgotten dish not the end of the world honestly but can feel like it in the heat of the moment. You will have more than enough even if a few things don’t make the table.
3. if wanting a starter consider canapés/ bites than can be served b7ffet style before sitting for the main event.
4. Slowcookers are great at keeping gravy & soups hot.
5. Meats can be cooked day before, then gently warm & piping hot gravy (I think I used Mary Berry’s recommendations for planning ahead)
6. ensure you have enough fridge space, they can be hired. Drinks can be chilled in buckets with ice packs or ice & water.
7. Consider a prep party the day before with a few of your more cooking minded relatives to get ahead of stuff & get house set up
8. You can hire extra tables, chairs, fridges, coffeemakers, glasses, cutlery, crockery etc. from event hire companies (some even allow dirty return for a fee)
9. Alternatively ask each family group to bring enough crockery etc for themselves.
10. after the Kids have eaten and are in the playroom as well as the movie provide paper/cards/pre printed sheets & crayons etc & suggest if they’re bored with the film they can make a Christmas card for Grandma/pa or if crafty white paper plates & stick on shapes & they can make reindeers & santas (see Pinterest for inspiration they are great & occupy craft minded kids for ages🤗)
11. ensure you have easy meals planned for Boxing Day you’ll be exhausted!!
12. I also don’t start on the alcohol until I’ve sat down I really need to be 100% while in charge of the Kitchen
13. Consider detail a few people in charge of clean up both while you’re preparing & serving & post meal so you don’t have to. I bless my kitchen fairies who just constantly clear behind me so I can turn round & make the next mess!!

sorry bit longer than I planned!!! I’ve done several meals of this style in various ways🤗🤗 mostly great fun, stressful at times but you’ll certainly deserve the post meal glass of wine/cocktail
Good luck & enjoy

For me, if they can’t sit all down at a table - even if that means bringing in the garden table, sticking it next to the dining table and and prettying it up with a 🎄tablecloth, it’s too many.
So 12 or 13 absolute max here.

I’d never do a buffet on the day, either - that’s for Boxing Day. 🎄day means a proper roast, with pigs in blankets, etc.

people brought over extra chairs on the day.

'Th'emurguncy churs' is the only thing I ever ever found funny in Peter Kaye's act, they're always referred to that way if there's a big family gathering.

Sounds great to me, my favourite Christmas memory is sitting on the stairs with all my cousins eating our dinner. There were 14 children and 18 adults it was crazy chaos but so much fun a n laughter was has that Christmas

Great idea too 😁

L

Someone I know host a large group of family every year. She hires our local community centre (it’s a new modern one) on our estate for Xmas and Boxing Day. She decorates it - it’s got a kitchen, chairs tables, heating, toilets, parking, plenty of space for people to gather, kids to play. She then goes back on Boxing Day and cleans. It costs about £40 each day. I think she’s a genius.

So you can actually sit them all down….that’s good.

But you won’t have enough oven space to cook and also keep food warm for serving. So it would be doable for me only if …
if I could get super organised with impeccable planning so that everything was ready to go well in advance.
if I could manage guest expectations and contributions.
if people didn’t mind if it was kept very simple.
if people would be happy with a cold buffet on cold plates.
if the drinks were served from somewhere other than the kitchen
if the children ate first

I would cook the ham, turkey, stuffing and pigs in blankets the day before and get it all carved, nicely presented, wrapped up and in the fridge ready to serve.
All I would cook on the day would be a ton of mini roasties to be served hot.
I would ask others to bring the freshly prepared prawn cocktails, vegetable salads, coleslaw, deserts etc ready to serve, with no last minute messing about needed.
If possible ask somebody to prepare a Christmassy soup and that could be served in mugs as a starter.
I would do the biggest Xmas pud possible in the microwave (for the theatrical effect) but only after the kitchen and table was completely cleared and cleaned down.

It would be hard work especially on a day that the children just want to open their gifts and play with their toys -with you! But yes it’s just about doable if you are organised.

I love having a house full of people but this is a house party, not a dinner, and that's just maths.

We usually have 16. Its doable everyone brings an item from a list thats prepared. We all share workload and expenses

Oh wow that’s a lot! I regularly host 18-24 for Christmas which is fine but nowhere near as many as you’ll have!

For 24 I do two turkeys and two large gammon joints, a ton of pigs in blankets, roast potatoes, roast parsnips, swede, carrots, sprouts, peas, red cabbage. The swede is cooked, mashed and frozen in advance, the potatoes and parsnips are parboiled and coated in fat and frozen, the stuffing is made and frozen as is red cabbage

On the day I cook the meat ( double oven for the turkeys and pigs in blankets, instant pot and slow cooker for the gammon). Take meat out and put trays of potatoes, parsnips and stuffing in. Microwave the swede and steam the other veg. I have a buffet server to keep the pigs in blankets and veg warm. Make gravy and bread sauce. Put more potatoes in while people are eating the first lot. People serve themselves from kitchen worktop before sitting down then the rest goes on the table for seconds.

The main things for me are to enlist someone to carve while I do the gravy etc and to give someone the task of making sure everyone has a drink.

The kids sit on a sofa and camping bench either side of a long camping table, the adults around our dining table and another table on whatever chairs/ stools we can find!

It’s crowded and hectic but fun!

Other than your space issue, this sounds like a normal gathering in my family! In fact we have more adults.

for Xmas we tend to set up some more tables and chairs to accommodate everyone.

how we do the day:
around 1/2pm we all gather at whoever’s house is hosting. We all bring a dish and plates etc (if needed).
we have Xmas dinner

we then move on to playing games. We either split and rotate into different groups to play different games.

drinks are out and everyone helps themselves. As well as some snacks and chocs.

evening, we do leftover sandwiches - a group of us will go and make these and people come and grab what they want.

we all sit and perch wherever we can find. Sofas, floor, cushions, chairs.

it sounds crazy but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

I love it. You are very lucky.

Nice Bibles or nibbles? Both work for this particular occasion! Lovely typo! 😀