Plate up or self serve?

[Spondoolie]

Christmas dinner/roast dinner - which do you do?

YABU = plate up
YANBU = self serve

Dishes in the centre of the table. DH carves and puts meat on plates, help ourselves to everything else from the dishes on the table, passingroundcas required.

Pretty much all meals are served like this in our house.

everything on the island. People help themselves. I do so many variations of sides that some people willl want some of something and not so much others

NOBODY puts food on my plate. I hate it
MIL did it once while I was sorting DD out and DH jumped in and took the full plate and moved an empty one out of her reach, he's a keeper.

I do a mixture of both just so there’s not too many serving dishes on the table. I serve up all the potatoes dishes so mash, roast and croquettes then the meat and stuffing is on platters and the veg is in serving dishes for everyone to help themselves.

Serving dishes on the table and everyone takes something and passes it on.

I always do self serve as everyone eats a different amount and different items and i serve it out of the dishes and pans it was cooked in enough washing up without extra serving dishes

Self serve as people can be fussy.

Self serve, everyone wants different amounts of different things.

Self serve 100% I hate being over faced with a plate of food.
I think it helps avoid overeating too.
Easier to save leftovers.

This ^

People can then choose what sides they want, how many etc etc. Why make more work for yourself?

Self serve on the table. DH suggested self serve from the kitchen counter but I don't want to feel like it's a canteen!

Serving dishes on the kitchen counter, plate up for the kids and everyone else serves themself. I'm not plating up for everyone, checking who wants or doesn't want what.

Only the gravy and condiments are on the table

If table and everything gets passed around. DH carves turkey and puts it on each plate in turn. Walking around being picky off a buffet doesn’t feel like Christmas dinner!

Self serve

Self serve - less waste that way. Leftovers can go straight from the table to the fridge.

I dish up the potatoes and veg but it's only immediate family so I know what they all eat although I do ask as I'm serving it. The meat is put in the middle of the table. We only have a small table,

Wow. Imagine putting some food out for a busy mum who's looking after a baby. How dare she.

We put everything on the table and everyone helps themselves. Easier than trying to make sure everyone has decent slices of turkey, ham and stuffing!

Hybrid- I’ll do meat and potatoes (asking how much people want) and the rest they can do. I don’t have enough space on table or enough nice serving plates.

My exMIL and her sister used to plate up for about 12 of us! It was a nightmare! It took for ever so it was all cold. Couldn't even drink as they served Scher apple juice as it tasted 'just like wine ' NOT,

Self serve so people can choose their own portion size. DPs family are big eaters and if it's dished up for me, I'll be constantly saying 'yes please, oh not that much', as huge piles of everything are heaped onto my plate.

I remember the time they came to us and BIL must have eaten about 20 roast potatoes, 10 pigs in blankets and half the turkey all to himself. I was expecting leftovers but that's never going to happen if he's there.

This is why we don't go for roasts at MILs. She plates up mush/meat mountain "everyone's getting same I cba to do it any other way" it's off-putting.

All side dishes on table. I serve the meat from the kitchen. They come to me their with plate, tell me what they what/how much, I serve up, they sit at table and help themselves to sides - this works for family occasions in my household!

Turkey, ham & stuffing plated.
The rest in serving dishes on the table.

Self serve

Well it's great your DH knows you so well and has your back. But I do think yours is a very extreme position. How do you cope with restaurants?