Non Turkey or Ham Christmas Dinner Ideas

[glenthebattleostrich]

For the first time ever I am cooking Christmas lunch for DH, DD and me. I am very excited about having Christmas at home after spending 9 years running from one side of the Tyne to the other!

Because we are heading off to visit family on Boxing Day we need some nice food for Christmas day that will either freeze well or can be done in smallish portions.

I was thinking of duck breasts perhaps or a roast duck then using the rest for tea. But other than that I am a bit stuck. Anyone have any ideas? or can you recommend a good cook book? I'm not bad in the kitchen so can cope with most recipes but would like something that can either be prepared in advance (mostly) or won't take too long.

Thank you :)

How about a nice piece of beef?

Can you take any left over meat with you in a cold bag or use it for butties for the trip?

We are having chateaubriand which is ordered. Ds wants a carpet picnic!

Goose is gorgeous.

We had duck last year as I was supposed to buy the turkey and left it too late . If you cooked a medium one you could use the leftovers for sandwiches for the jounrey.

How did you do your duck? I'm thinking if I roast it i can do the breasts for lunch and then shred the rest for tea with some hoi sin sauce and noodles

My mum always does a rack of beef ribs or topside with pork and a turkey.

I love beef rib, it is my favorite sunday lunch and we are having pulled pork on Christmas Eve when we get back from Christingle.

You don't have to have a traditional christmas roast. You could just have your favourite meal ie a curry or a buffet type of all your favourite cheeses and dips...

I did consider a buffet, but DD is a 2 year old food machine. She will literally not stop eating.

In the evening we are planning a nice cheese board with a good bottle of wine and some other yummy nibbles :)

We had venison last year. It was lovely.

Mam always does chicken- she can't abide turkey- and since it's just her and my step dad this year she's buying chicken breasts ready done up with stuffing, chip

Rib of beef here too, we usually get a 3 rib size one and it feeds about 10 of us with PILES of delicious left overs

Mam always does chicken- she can't abide turkey- and since it's just her and my step dad this year she's buying chicken breasts ready done up with stuffing, chipolata ad bacon from her local farm shop. Blimmin lovely they are too

Bloody iPhone keeps posting too early grrr not at all due to my fat thumbs hitting wrong button

Beef Wellington can be done in a small enough size that you won't have to worry about leftovers and is fancy enough for Christmas dinner.

Enjoy your Christmas at home. :)

Lasagne.
Or shoulder of lamb, bung in the oven for 5 hours with garlic and rosemary...allows me to go and drink copious amounts of champagne at friends, then stagger back to stick a few veg on.

We've done a duck a few times, Delia's recipe. Fed two of us without leftovers though we are gluttons there's not tons of meat on them so make sure you get a relatively big one if you want some to stir fry next day. Lovely though, rests well do you can use the piles of delish duck fat to make the most amazing roasties for the next few weeks.

Goose is heavenly, it's dt2's favourite food. We got a cheap one from aldi the first year - they do frozen ones for around £20. Last year we splashed out on a fresh one from M&S and it was the best. I stuff an orange in the cavity, dust it over with 5 spice and bung it in the oven.

I've done haunch of venison too, with fresh juniper berries and red wine gravy. That was also very tasty, but nothing beats goose.

Oh and the leftover goose, I usually take all the leftovers, the stuffing, pigs in blankets etc and chop it all up. Then sweat some leeks until really sweet and caramelised, mix it all up, with a tbsp of flour and some chicken stock and put it in a pie. We call it christmas pie!

You can get some nice 3 bird roasts which can be small enough but something special. Or game. Something like pheasant or guinea fowl.