Please criticise my Xmas menu

[Roushi]

Just planning my contributions to the Christmas meal. I have been given appetisers and drinks.

I am just trying to strike that balance of making the day special but obviously not wanting to go overboard as there is so much gluttony on Christmas anyway.

Plan:

Appetisers
antipasti wreath
brie and cranberry parcels
Christmas tree shaped cheese ball and crackers (this was introduced to me by an American ex - not sure if it’s well known here but it is essentially a blend of cream cheese and other cheeses in the shape of a Christmas tree, some people add Boursin)

I reckon the above is good as it will take no time to make plus they can be picked at for a while and should not spoil. I was thinking of doing more canapé style food but I feel like it’s more of a pain in the arse to do.

but is obvious with my choices I’m kind of taking the easy route?

Drinks
Mulled cider
Berry cocktail of some sort
Champagne, wine (I’m not buying)

I am also going to make a white chocolate and raspberry Yule log which has sort of become my specialty. I enjoy baking and the person on pudding is fine with me doing so.

Is there anything you would take out? There will be no kids and 8 adults.

I always find mumsnetters think of things that don’t even enter my mind

I know to many this post is a bit unnecessary but I just get stage fright with food on big occasions.

Thanks in advance.

@SchoolQuery1981 tell me more about those gildas sticks? Sounds amazing!

I'd defo go a bit old school- vol-au-vents, sausage rolls, veggie spring rolls, posh crisps instead of the cheese tree. (As has been suggested, maybe that's better later on?) I love olives but hate cured meat. I guess you can't please everyone!

Far too much if eating at 2pm even with light breakfast. I wouldn't be able to eat a Christmas lunch after that. Id do nibbles and dips from about 12.30 and just prepare for the big meal.

The chutney sounds lovely. We've used a butchers' sausagemeat with black pudding and prunes before which was gorgeous, but they've changed owners this year and aren't making it which is Very Sad!

The melon and parmaham sounds good to. If you make it a serving nicely presented on individual plates its more of a controlled amount than diving head first into a cheese ball with a spoon 😅

Blinis could be made without salmon, there are lots of recipe ideas online. Cream cheese and roasted peppers caught my eye.

You can never have too much cheese.

Cheese lover here, but also secretly pregnant! I would add another non cheese item - crudités (not christmassy I know), or sausage rolls etc.

I thought you were trying to avoid gluttony? That's absolutely masses for 8 people as a snack between breakfast and lunch. Unless you're only serving a teeny tiny Christmas lunch....?

I wouldn't do the dessert, my thoughts are that you were given the appetizers for a reason, i.e that's what the host struggles with the most. I am not at all woke or whatever the term is, but is there anything for veggies or vegans? I would also like something hot so if there is an oven marmite pinwheels or cheese straws generally go down well. Salmon blinis?

I think you need a nonalcoholic drink too. Virgin Mary's maybe or fruit cup?

I'm pleased PPs have mentioned food suitable for those who are pregnant.

No dips (avoid the whole double dipping faux pas).

Pre-made, shop bought vegan pastry shells with tapenade or other filling (smidge).

Gluten-free, vegan option. This can be a couple of seasonal colour vegetables on a cocktail stick.

ETA: a white chocolate Yule Log sounds pretty. But, it might just be that you used too good a dark chocolate for the last recipe to work (70% can taste soapy: Alice Medrich explains the reasons.)

https://www.splendidtable.org/story/2013/12/20/disregard-labels-like-bittersweet-and-shop-for-chocolate-by-cocoa-percentage

I think they look beautiful but agree with PPs (constructive) criticism.

Could you make a much smaller cheese ball tree? Maybe with the rosemary sprigs and dried cranberries (no olive taste contamination 😂).

You could make the wreath with a wider variety of simpler options rather than every stick having the same. It would still look beautiful eg cheddar stars and cherry tomatoes, Parma ham and melon, blue cheese and fig, salami and cornichons, Scotch quail eggs etc

I agree with a PP that a sausage roll wreath always goes down well and looks impressive.

I'm pregnant and eat deli meat. Its a small risk

@Roushi,
All your ideas and tweaks look and sound glorious.
What time do you want me to arrive on the 25th?

I love the sound of it all, but I'd go a lot lighter. I couldn't eat those type of things and enjoy my dinner (but I'd enjoy them a few hours later in the evening!)

Any veggies or vegans?

The wreath looks amazing but you may need to section off a veggie section?

Presumably the OP knows the people who will be there and whether they need veggie options. It’s not a function for strangers.

I love the cheese tree in theory, have you made it for a group before? I only ask as I did a similar cheese ball once for new years last year and nobody touched it, the feedback was everyone loved how it looked but felt it was unhygienic to actually eat. Which I sort of agree with in retrospect!

I’m an absolute glutton and eat like it’s Xmas every day.

But you’re seriously having breakfast, then all the cheese and then an actual dinner at 2?!

Hope you’ve got some elasticated trousers.

I’d honestly cut out one of those meals and do the charcuterie wreath as part of breakfast or leave it all and have the cheese tree after dinner with crackers.

What’s wrong with Quality St and twiglets for the gap between breakfast and lunch?

Just came to say it's brilliant, and I'm stealing your menu 😍

In that case I'd rethink. The way you're thinking of serving stuff makes it really difficult to avoid soft/unpasteurised cheese and deli meats because everything is mixed jn together.

They are all pretty substantial - possibly too filling as starters before the full turkey dinner?

looks great but your pretty screwed if you don't like rosemary

I would just say it's a bit too cheesy - and I love cheese.

I would do the brie & cranberry parcels (I often do fig & Stilton at Christmas), smoked salmon on rye bread or blinis, then a nice bowl of olives.

I'd just stick to fizz with drinks and get some peach puree and creme de cassis so people can have plain fizz/Kir Royale or Bellinis.

It sounds lovely in theory, but for me cheese / pastry sits heavy in my stomach and I just don't like anything spoiling the pre-christmas dinner hunger - I absolutely love christmas dinner and do it with so many trimmings, that its really only about the main event in our house. We have something light for breakfast and then really enjoy our christmas dinner (with no starters), and snack on things in the evening. So I would very much enjoy your cheese fest later on in the day.

Omg I love themed, festive food arrangements! Please can I come?! Here are some more ideas:

Agree, I don't understand the phrase 'too much cheese'

I'm going to give it all a go, and the sausage wreath