AIBU to cook a 1KG chicken for 5 people at Christmas?

[ChickenChristmasDinner]

Our family have voted to have chicken at Christmas this year. We normally have a 1KG chicken for 4 people. Two people have a breast and the other two have a leg each.

However, at Christmas, there will be 5 of us at the table. I was thinking that as there will be starters, sides and a pudding at the feast , then our usual 1KG chicken might stretch to 5 people?

Am I being over optimistic?

YANBU. We prefer chicken over turkey for Xmas lunch…choose the thing that you/your family like! I guess the size depends on how much chicken you guys would eat, and whether you like to have enough for leftovers.

At Xmas, we go for roast chicken, roast potatoes, veg, pigs in blankets, stuffing, yorkshires, gravy. Pudding to follow. There’s always plenty for the four of us, and enough for leftovers the next day.

Are they meant to share a leg? How can that possibly be enough. It’s almost two months away anyway I wouldn’t be worrying about it now. Just buy another chicken?

Are they meant to share a leg? How can that possibly be enough. It’s almost two months away anyway I wouldn’t be worrying about it now. Just buy another chicken?

You are literally the first person i have ever heard of who would rather have a dry chicken breast than a nice juicy leg.

If your chicken breast is dry you aren't cooking it right. I use thighs in casseroles etc, but from a roast, done right, the breast is best.

We buy a 7lb cockerel from our local butchers each year. This covers 6 of us for the Christmas Day meal then left overs and risotto.

I think it depends on what you usually eat with it & what you will eat with it on CD.

Also if you usually buy the biggest or could get a slightly bigger one.

all these people saying “buy a bigger chicken”…
chickens are chickens, they only grow so big..Unless they are pumped full of drugs. And do you think that’s ok? From an animal welfare point of view and also you consuming that??

Mumsnet Chicken: Christmas Edition.

If you dont want any left overs (and some people dont) then it is sufficient.

Remember, you have (if you're me), the main meat, chicken in your case, stuffing in the chicken, stuffing outside the chicken (we like various different flavours from M+S), pigs in blankets, roast potatoes, carrot and swede mash, roast parsnips, brussels, peas, cauliflower cheese, red cabbage, yorkshires, bread sauce. Gravy

Plenty of meat options, plenty of veg, plenty of potatoes.

No one will go hungry. Most of this thread will no doubt be horrified and say your guests will stop at mcdonalds on the way home. I havent read it.

I have been to an in laws Sunday dinner and have witnessed a chicken being divided up between 6 of us.
I got a wing...I kid you not 🙄
Do not be that person please 🤣🤣

The average size of a chicken in the UK is over 2kg. 1kg is an MN teeny-tiny.

OP’s chicken is 1kg. That is minuscule.

A chicken twice that weight is totally normal.

I've just checked the chicken I'm defrosting for a roast tomorrow for 3 people (and a chihuahua), and it's 1.6KG. In fairness, I expect plenty of leftovers, which will be made into a hearty chicken and vegetable soup. But we'll eat most of the breasts and one leg (our preferences) between the 3 of us in one meal.

Its one of those odd ones.

For my family it would be fine for 6 but we dont eat much meat so I slice the breasts and we have a "carvery" serving of slices each and those who want them can have a thigh or drumstick each as well. We go totally over board on the other stuff though so to be honest, I think I could just say "Oh the chicken is under the gravy" and no one would miss it!

If money is tight you will make it stretch, extra stuffing, roasties and yorkies are your friends there. If it isnt and you are big meat eaters, which it sounds like you are, I would go for a large one.

ETA Check the weights. They are usually "small, medium, large and XL" within weight ranges. I am the woman you see going through the whole damn fridge making sure I get the heaviest chicken within the weight range. Like fuck am I paying for a "large" and only getting 50g heavier than a "medium"!

This has to be a wind up...

What do you mean. In true MN style a 1kg chicken should feed 5 for at least 3 days! Seriously though it’s Christmas FFS live a little and splash out for a larger bird or as you say 2 of them. It’s ok to have some leftovers if you don’t want it within the next few days just freeze and use in a meal in the future, always better to have too much than too little imo

Buy two 1kg chickens because there will be an argument if more than two people prefer a leg or breast. You can use the remainder to make sandwiches for tea (or something else on Boxing Day).

Riverford organic do a 2kg chicken...
Some 'heritage' breeds will get to that sort of dressed weight or more, they just take longer than the commercial breeds.

I ate half a 1.7kg chicken last night. Glad I'm not going to OP's for dinner!

Good god. Who wants to be carving transparently thin slices of meat on Xmas day while your guests look on unhappily.
It sounds utterly joyless.
I get things might be very tight for lots of people at the moment but in that case why do a roast? A casserole of chicken thighs will go much further. If you must have a roast, couldn't you stretch to a 1.5 kg bird? (And even that is certainly not going look exactly generous.)

I think reheating previously roasted chickens is not a thing to do, particularly on Christmas Day. Sounds like you don't really like food. If it's cost, you'll get a much nicer bigger chicken for the £6.99 that costs.

Here's me: Wha?🤯🤯🤯

😱

This x 100!

I mean, so does every single supermarket, lol. All the large/extra large chickens are about 2kg or more.