to not be particularly happy about cooking Christmas dinner for 18 people on Christmas day?

[luckymummy74]

That would be 8 adults and 10 kids aged between 1 and 16 yrs of age. It will involve 3 highchairs ( I have one).

Also, 4 veggies (not that I'm anti-veggie, on the contrary, I eat a lot of veggie food) but 2 eat fish and 2 don't, so I will have to cook 3 separate meals in total.

A lot of the kids are quite fussy too.....

I don't really have room in my house for this many people.

DH thinks I'm being unreasonable that I'm not very enthusiastic about this.....

Any thoughts, or tips to how to get thru the day?!!!

ha ha must go through this whole thread

on Christmas Eve i have dh's family - 10 adults and 7 children for presents, dinner, whole shebang

then on Christmas Day i have MY family - 9 adults, 2 stroppy teenagers, 3 kids for it all again.

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

amidaiwish blimey, I think you are worse off than me!!

Defintitley read the whole thread, it's very helpful!!!

God, I can never definitely right the first time .

Oh blimey, I meant I can never write it....

funnily enough waswondering a friend suggested that to me. Good idea in theory, however, I can't help thinking it would be more grief, and there's the added thing of all the kids trapsing mud into the house everytime they need the loo or something!!

does it have to be trad roast + accompaniments ? what about a large deboned leg of lamb (or 2) cooked slowly in a gently spicy yogurty marinade, served with a large tray of roast potatoes, and a green veg. The veggies and those who want another side dish can tuck into aubergine parmigiana (baked aubergine/tomato/cheese dish). Get someone else to bring pudding.

ok have read the first few pages of thread and will go back and read it all.
this is my plan

1. inlaws on christmas eve: i am getting a full poached salmon cooked from very good deli. i will roast a big roast beef that morning. plus crusty bread, potato salad, green salad, tomato salad, cheese. Think that'll do the main meal. SILs can sort desserts. Starters will be melon, crisps, smoked salmon blinis. I have done a big roast beef for the last 4 or 5 Christmas Eves and it is just too hard for that many people. Also i am totally whacked by the evening and won't be able to do it all again Christmas day. Plus although dh is marvellous, the rest don't help that much. They probably would but i would need to delegate and be specific and i am a bit of a control freak so just do it myself.

My mum and dad host xmas dinner ever year for 15-20 people (including three small children).

It is a xmas tradition for my Grandad to peel the sprouts xmas eve!!( I remember this from a very young age)

They set up a table at the end with all the food on, so every one can help themselves- esp good with fussy eaters- as you don't have to plate dinners up IYSWIM. (Do you have a garden table or sometihng similar- put a end of room with banqueting roll or xmas table cloth and then more room round the table)

Aunties & Uncles bring puddings, something for tea etc. Delegation is key.

Don't get everyone bring ing own cutlery, plates etc- these can be picked up very cheaply (& get passed onto the next host if you decide you can't do it for more than 1 year)

My mum and dad host xmas dinner ever year for 15-20 people (including three small children).

It is a xmas tradition for my Grandad to peel the sprouts xmas eve!!( I remember this from a very young age)

They set up a table at the end with all the food on, so every one can help themselves- esp good with fussy eaters- as you don't have to plate dinners up IYSWIM. (Do you have a garden table or sometihng similar- put a end of room with banqueting roll or xmas table cloth and then more room round the table)

Aunties & Uncles bring puddings, something for tea etc. Delegation is key.

Don't get everyone bring ing own cutlery, plates etc- these can be picked up very cheaply (& get passed onto the next host if you decide you can't do it for more than 1 year)

then on christmas day i will go for it with my family but my mum will do/help a lot. I will get her to do the turkey at her house and bring it over.

veg - carrots, parsnips, potatoes all peeled and prepped in the morning (by dh, he is a champion peeler).
red cabbage - done in advance and reheated
NIgella peas - takes 2 mins
gravy - made fresh but with some help from those fresh gravy tubs (Waitrose).

Dessert - mum/sisters can sort.

starters - same as christmas eve. plus stuffing wrapped in bacon by my mum.

Dad'll be in charge of drinks.

sorted. done. (Gordon Ramsay style)

i am going to come back and read my posts in December when i am FREAKING OUT!!!

definitely put someone in charge of "setting the table" - that is quite a big job at a time when you are busy...

oh and on Christmas Eve we are not going to all sit down round the table - it'll be a bowl/fork affair.

apologies for doouble post

double post !!!!

amidaiwish are you me? .

Control freak??? in laws not really helping??

I think we are each other!!

Good luck to you..

BTW, this is one of the nicest AIBU I have ever read and been part of!!

ha ha...
i had the inlaws for dinner yesterday, only 5 adults, that was when i realised i really couldn't do christmas dinner again for that many people.

buffet style it is going to be...

I haven't read all the posts but I unerstand it is stressful however IMHO roasts are really quite easy (and I am veggie and don'[t even eat then)

Christmas dinner is great as there are SOOO many menu planners and timing schedules around - far more than normal dinners!!

I do Nigellas turkey as the day before she chucks it in a large bucket and 'brines' it. This means it doesn't take up space in teh fridge. Pick it up Christmas even and you don't need to store it - look at Nigellas Christmas or FEAST for the recipe (also she cooks it for far less time than anyone else and it doesn';t block up the oven)

I also do veg in advance and all the trimmings. So on the day I cook potatoes and turkey and reheat carrots/broccoli etc.

Ask oen of the veggies to do something for them too

GOOD LUCK

I haven't read all the posts but I unerstand it is stressful however IMHO roasts are really quite easy (and I am veggie and don'[t even eat then)

Christmas dinner is great as there are SOOO many menu planners and timing schedules around - far more than normal dinners!!

I do Nigellas turkey as the day before she chucks it in a large bucket and 'brines' it. This means it doesn't take up space in teh fridge. Pick it up Christmas even and you don't need to store it - look at Nigellas Christmas or FEAST for the recipe (also she cooks it for far less time than anyone else and it doesn';t block up the oven)

I also do veg in advance and all the trimmings. So on the day I cook potatoes and turkey and reheat carrots/broccoli etc.

Ask oen of the veggies to do something for them too

GOOD LUCK

You are very brave to take this on.

I do Christmas dinner for 8 people (together with my mum) every year, and me and my sister clean up after.

I cant advice on dishes, as our Norwegian Christmas dinner is a much more modest and uncomplicated affair than the British.

i do think the answer is to limit the number of vegetables, reheat and as long as the gravy is good, plentiful and HOT you'll be ok!

potatoes
parsnips
peas
carrots
is enough.

substitute red cabbage for carrots and it is even easier as done in advance.

as Nigella (my mentor ) says, "when cooking for big numbers do lots of a few things"

I couldn't do this in my house.

But, if faced with this problem, I would def make it a buffet.

A hostess trolley is a godsend if you can borrow one. I have used one for christmas, the most people I have had is 12 people and I couldn't have coped without one. I borrowed my mums.