to think starters with Christmas dinner are superfluous?

[thatsgotit]

Just what the thread title says, really. How does anyone manage to do full justice to a turkey dinner if they've had their appetite blunted by a starter beforehand? (I do realise not everyone has turkey or even a roast, obviously, but I'm mainly talking here about those who do.)

This might be partly a generational thing, but personally I'd much rather leave myself more room to enjoy the main (and some Christmas pudding afterwards, which again I realise not everyone has) and it wouldn't even occur to me to plan a starter for Christmas Day. It just feels entirely superfluous. Surely I'm not the only one?

There’s always an undercurrent on MN of ‘how can people possibly eat ALL THAT FOOD’, implying that anyone who eats more than they do is gluttonous and greedy. The OP may not have meant that, but it happens so often on MN that sadly many people jump to that conclusion.

I was about to reply in pretty much the same vein.

Well enormous apologies for ruining your lovely, lighthearted thread ❤️

Dh likes a starter but the rest of us feel it’s too much so we do pancakes for breakfast around 9ish Christmas dinner at 2 pudding after. Then cheese/nibbles around 7pm

when I was a kid we had yorkie pudding as a starter, the grown ups had gravy and the kids a spoonful of sugar!

Why nuts? Choice of starters at lunch - prawn cocktail, smoked salmon blini, calamari, salad etc. then big roast at supper. We normally eat our biggest meal in the evening with a lighter lunch so continue this on Christmas Day.

You're right, I don't mean that, and I think it's a pity my thread's been conflated with those threads by a few on here when all I was trying to do was get a feel for how other people do Christmas dinner. There's a difference between people saying they can't always manage three courses in one sitting, and the sort of performative 'Ooh, really, three grapes and a lettuce leaf?' threads that pop up on MN with depressing frequency. And tbh I enjoy my food rather too much sometimes, and am the last person who'd have standing to call anyone gluttonous or greedy.

Oh good grief. No one's forcing you to reply or even read. What exactly is your beef with this thread?

That's how we do it too. Starter for lunch, main course around 5pm and pudding at approx 8pm.

We have ditched starters in the past few years in favour of canapés. Everyone arrives about 2. We have a few rounds of delicious snacky things e.g. smoked salmon blinis, prawn cocktail lettuce cups, melon & Parma ham skewers, caprese skewers, pate on mini oatcakes then Xmas dinner about 5.

Apart from anything else it’s easier to time dinner if you’re not faffing around with a starter.

Yes there is often threads like that but I genuinely didn’t read this one like it. Have a slice of pork pie and happy Christmas 🎄

My brother always had a plate of Yorkshire puddings before every Sunday roast - I thought it was just him. Is it a regional thing?

I don't think so. I had an early Christmas lunch with friends a few weeks ago, restaurant in the south-east, and the plates were dominated by the most gigantic Yorkshire puddings you ever saw. Unmanageably gigantic, in fact. And we often get roast dinners served with Yorkshires where I live now (Midlands).

I know serving Yorkshire puddings before or with a meal originally used to be a ruse to eke out the meat, but happily the restaurant didn't stint on the meat either or I wouldn't have been happy. 😄

Ooh, what are you making?? It’s just me, DH and 2 young children this year so I have to live vicariously through. DH isn’t English so not that interested in English Christmas food and the children don’t eat much, so it can feel a bit Spartan….

We do starters. Normally just some smoked fish and salad. We do beef as a main and tend to just do one kind of potatoes and a few different types of veg. None of us are big dessert people though, some do have cheese though.

We do canapés after church with a glass or three of fizz, then the main dinner at about 4-5pm without starters.

That said, surely if you're too full up after a starter to eat your main course then the starter and/or main is too big. Planning a meal needs to take account of the total amount of food in the meal.

No starters! Next you'll be saying you don't have a cheese and crackers course or a coffee, mints and mince pies course. The horror!

I like a light smoked salmon starter then a pause for more wine before the mains

I don't see any evidence of it being 'generational'

In 4 generations of my family no one has done actual at-table starters for Christmas Dinner.

Amongst friends and family over several decades with dinner prepared by so-called Boomers to 20 year olds I have known many have a formal starter.

Not everything you do or don't do is 'generational'.

Bit ranty. But all too often on MN 'generational' is a precursor to glaring ageism.

Over the years we’ve realised that no one has the appetite for either a starter or a pudding. The meat eaters get turkey/ ham roast while the rest of us have a nut roast, that’s more than enough for us.

We usually do canapés but this year due to little ones and allergies we’ve changed it to a kind of mini buffet.

So around 1 there will be a board of bruschetta with various dishes around it of avocado, tomatoes with basil and olive oil, pate, smoked salmon and cream cheese. People can then make their own and have as much/little as they like.
The turkey feast will be around 4.30ish.

I like starters and canapes more than the roast.

So we have breakfast - might be pancakes or croissants this year depending on the kids, then home made mince pies and sausage rolls with coffee around 10 am. Some canapes at 12. Starter at 1 followed directly by a modest roast, then Christmas pudding. Chocolates and nuts all afternoon. Then toast on the fire around 8pm. We literally eat all day. But not massive portions so that we can fit it all in.

Or maybe it’s not ageism and some of us just like continuing traditions from those who are no longer with us?

Does anyone else actually prefer the leftovers on Boxing Day? I love my Christmas dinner - but Boxing Day leftovers beats it everytime

Cold turkey and chips, with leftover stuffing, bread sauce and pickles. Cold ham in the fridge all week long, yep, the best bits are the leftovers, also, a few days after Christmas the chaos and expectation is over so you can just relax and enjoy.

my sister’s in laws used to do a fish course as well as starter - now that really is a bit overboard!