Plate up or self serve?

[Spondoolie]

Christmas dinner/roast dinner - which do you do?

YABU = plate up
YANBU = self serve

I don't think anyone has played up my food in a domestic setting since the eighties! I'd be really disappointed if they did. I know my mum and sister would definitely say they knew what I'd like but they really, really don't...

Plate up. There’s limited space for self-serve and it always goes cold.

The only things we ever self serve are buffet type teas. This is at family and any friends we've ever eaten at. Really surprised by this thread

Same, I just don't have a table or side big enough, so it gets plated up.

Plate up. Some relatives are well known for eating 3x their allocation of roast potatoes etc and after a few Christmases of some people left with barely anything (I'm not the host so don't have control over amounts made but there should be ample as long as some people don't eat 25 roast potatoes) this is what my family does and it's less stress for everyone.

How could she possibly know what I wanted, in what quantities and what should go next to what?
Meant well but I hate anyone putting food on my plate

Exact same here. Plated meals with veg on wasn't done at Christmas even in the 80s

We have the opposite problem , if it’s not plated up people take 1 slice of turkey , 2 carrots etc and we have loads left .

So I prefer self serve so the dining table isn't really busy....but.... how do you do this with hot plates????

Most restaurants put food next to not on top of other things so I cope fine, plus I choose the food so I know what is going on the plate.
I COULD eat food pre plated with no other option but I really would rather not

This exactly, stuff touches <shudder>

i plate due to space but my guests eat everything and have big appetites so it works well
Extra pigs in blankets, stuffing, and the caulk cheese on the table

Self serve. I've got some of the heated buffet servers, so everything goes in those on the breakfast bar and people can help themselves. Makes it easier with regards to leftovers too.

We have a small dining table so we plate up meat in the kitchen, and self serve everything else which we put on the table.

As an alternative view point, my mother thinks self serve is rude and inhospitable to guests, so plates up everything.

self serve. We do this for every meal. We have a big island and put the food out - in chafing dishes for a big crowd/big occasion. If having 4 or 6 for a dinner party I might put dishes in the centre of the table but I find serving yourself from the island way better. Even though we have a big enough table the "can you pass the potatoes/veg/meat" a bit of a pain. I usually put gravy and any sauces on the table

I don't get exercised about it (happily eat with friends who plate up - lovely food too) but really prefer for people not to decide what goes on my plate.

We have a big table and Christmas dinner is 20+ people, everything goes in the middle of the table in serving dishes and everyone helps themselves. Dh and I don’t know who wants what or how much and we aren’t wasting time faffing about finding out after spending essentially 3 days prepping and cooking!

Self-serve is the norm for us but I do plate up things like noodles/spaghetti that would be harder to distribute equitably otherwise.

Your poor MIL.

Sounds like she was being thoughtful while a new mum was preoccupied with a baby!

Bit of both , I put the meat , a couple of roast potatoes ( apart from my plate , as I don’t like roast potatoes) and some gravy on the plates. , then the rest of the veg in serving dishes and more gravy in a gravy jug in the middle of the table
( unless it’s just DH and I , and we just dish up from the saucepans and go from there )

Yes this, it is controlling and she even put the gravy on. Prefer self serve

Also my dps had a dishwasher and plenty of dishes/crockery and that makes a difference

Self serve,I don’t understand why anyone would portion out the meat unless it’s in short supply so the portions need to be controlled. My husband will carve the turkey at the table, we all just then help ourselves.

I Really dislike food being portioned for me unless in a restaurant, and I wish my guests ti eat as much or little as they please of each element.

Space?

I wonder if it's a generational/regional thing.
Growing up, as PP, the turkey would be carved and plated and the trimmings were self serve.
My (in her 80s) MIL plates up. There are usually 9 of us for Christmas. Some only eat white meat, some prefer the red; some like bread sauce, others don't; some prefer roast potatoes, others mashed. She remembers it all.
I much prefer self serve.

Warm plates. Serving platters on the table and everyone can plate portion sizes to suit themselves. Works fine here but only a table of 6.

Serving dishes on the table so that everyone can take what they need.