What's your favourite bit of Christmas dinner?

[mogs0]

I prefer all the trimmings rather than the turkey and my favourite bit of Christmas dinner is carrot and swede and sausages wrapped in bacon.

I've never cooked a Christmas dinner before, we nearly always go to my mum's but this year I am hosting and wondering which bits everyone likes and which bits people aren't that bothered about.

There was one year that the carrot and swede was accidentally left off the menu and, despite it being 7 years ago, I still shudder at the memory of Christmas dinner without it.

I know there are lots of people who think it's just the same as a Sunday roast but we rarely have a roast on a Sunday so I'm a bit of a novice!

So, what are your must-haves on your Christmas dinner plate and which things would happily do without?

Definately bread saucewe always have it with roast chicken too and when my kids were little our best tea was fish fingers ,peas and bread sauceit makes peas a lot easier to get on the fork!
And leftovers sandwiches- yum

all of it! but honey roast parsnips possibly the best bit.

Crispy roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, sage and onion stuffing, special gravy a la Jamie Oliver, christmas pudding with double cream, nice glass of chablis (wipes drool off keyboard)

Pigs in blankets and devils on horseback (prunes wrapped in bacon)

Oh parsnips. Forgot about parsnips (more drool)

Roast potatoes, sausagemeat stuffing and peas.

One year at sil's, we waited all day for christmas dinner and they had NO ROASTIES. gutted.

TBH though If I was in charge; I would have a ham sandwich and a packet of walkers salt and vinegar. Then I could crack on with eating chocs, mince pies and necking cheap sherry.

Whilst watching White christmas, Muppet christmas carol and The santa clause.

Every year we go to my parent's house for Christmas Day, then go back on Boxing Day for fried leftovers, and every year my Dad tucks in, has two bites, pauses, and says "I always think this tastes nicer the next day" It just wouldn't be Christmas if he didn't.

Definitely the trimmings - I would probably be very happy with a plate full of chipolatas, bacon rolls, stuffing and bread sauce!

Roast parsnips (I could just have them)

Stuffing, parsnips, kilted sausages and roast potatoes.......mmm

the spuds and gravy

This thread is making me hungry

All of it! I'm cooking this year and so making everything I like. Ha!

How do you cook swede for Christmas? I've never had it for Christmas and it sounds lovely.

Essentially: peel it, chop it, boil it to buggery then mash it.

Christmas pudding with brandy sauce, coffee and after eights, followed by someone else doing the clearing washing up.

Can you do that in advance? Does it need butter? I am very tempted.

Yes I think you can do it in advance. I put butter on it when it is on my plate (I put butter on anything I can in general ) but I don't when I am serving it as one of my DCs is allergic to dairy. So I am not sure how you are meant to serve it.

Warning - I frequently end up boiling it dry, even with a lid on the pan and loads of water. It takes ages.

Stuffing stuffing and more stuffing.
Then pigs in blankets.
Then the sprouts.
Then the gravy.
Then the turkey skin.
Anything else I'd be fine if it was missing

Gravy with homemade cranberry sauce in. Everything else is just for show. I would drink it if I could, although why I like something that is just meaty fruity port is anyone's guess.

I love all of it but especially bread sauce, pigs in blankets and stuffing. Love parnsips too and ooh can't wait!

Has to be the roast parsnips and the pigs in blankets...oh and the roasties!

Roasties! Pots, sweet pots and snips. Mmmmm!

I love everything about Christmas dinner, but my favourite has to be the bread sauce. The first Christmas I spent with my PILs there was no bread sauce. I failed to hide my disappointment. Now my MIL knows to make bread sauce!

Just reading through this thread and wondering does anyone actually like turkey with their Vhristmas dinner?! Everyone just seems to want it in sandwiches on Boxing Day!

For me its pigs in blankets,sprouts and gravy