Am I doing christmas dinner wrong?

[PizzaPasta]

I'm hosting for the first time this year. (For 12 )

Mil asked what the menu was and was shocked that I wasn't having mash potatoe or Yorkshire puddings.

I dont do mash but we do have croquettes so sort of mash

We also do Roasties and Dauphinoise potatoes

pizza you probably think Yorkshire pud (ings) don't taste of anything because you have not had proper Yorkshire pud.
Frozen ones bear no resemblance to the real thing, which should be done in a big pan, with beef fat, really hot, and should expand all crispy in the middle and soft on the inside to fill most of the oven . It should then be divided into portions and eaten with gravy.
Auntil Bessie can kiss my giant Yorkshire arse so nyerr.

Yorkshire puddings are a must-have for our Christmas dinner! We eat Yorkshire puddings with every roast dinner, whatever the meat/poultry is.

We don't have mash with our Christmas dinner but I was considering it for this year because DS prefers mash to roast potatoes.

Our menu is always:

Turkey
Pigs in blankets
Pork stuffing
Roast potatoes
Maple-glazed parsnips
Peas
Carrots
Green beans
Brussel sprouts
Yorkshire puddings
Gravy

have a large family, so its a 28lb turkey.
I put loads of butter under its skin, with fresh sage, then rub more butter on its skin and cover with loads of bacon. and shove a lemon and orange inside it. then wrap in foil and cook for hours, with a bit of basting.
I make stock from the giblets for the gravy.
homemade chestnut stuffing and sage and onion stuffing.
homemade bread sauce

total meal menu

Starters
a mix/choice of prawn cocktail/smoked salmon and brown bread and butter/ melon/ pate and crackers

Dinner
turkey
roast potato, parnips
peas, carrots, sprouts
sausages wrapped in bacon
sage and onion stuffing
chestnut stuffing
bread sauce
cranberry sauce
gravy

Sweet course

christmas pudding
brandy butter
mince pies
trifle
pavlova
(all but the christmas pudding is home made)
various creams and custard

cheese board

mints, coffees /baileys/tia maria etc

We don't have a starter with Christmas dinner.

Champagne and minor nibbles, then dinner, pud, cheese port - more than enough.

We will be having three different kinds of potato! Roast, mash and boiled new potatoes. Don't ask! Everyone will have their favourite and that's fine with me. Besides, potatoes aren't exactly expensive!!! I have already done the mashed potato and the mashed turnip and put in freezer. Delia style ready to roast bags of potatoes, parsnips and carrots are in there too, as are 20 homemade Yorkshire puddings. Feeling quite organised - although some friends at work think I am weird. More fool them - when they're peeling spuds, I'll be on the wine!

Turkey this year
Roast potatoes are the only potato
Bread sauce
Cranberry sauce
Broccoli gratin
Carrot and turnip mash
Roast parsnips with maple syrup
Stuffing
Gravy
Brussel sprouts with chestnuts
Braised red cabbage
Peas

Mince pies
Trifle
Sticky toffee pudding with cream / ice cream.

I don't even make yorkshires when we have roast beef

If you want any nice veggie recipes that are not fake meaty, just shout. We do nut and mushroom pies, which are lovely and go well with roast veg and gravy. Have done a chestnut and aduki loaf before.

But, whatever suits. You are the host, you decide!

I'd certainly be a bit surprised to find Yorkshire puddings.

Intrigued by someone asking how you'd make bubble and squeak without mash - I don't think I've ever used mash for this, it would all clump together too much.

Quick question - I want to have duck for the bird, as I much prefer it to turkey and there are only six of us, two of whom are kids, so a full duck should do us. My sister, however, will not eat duck - I think because they are 'too cute'. She isn't a veggie, just has disneyfied ideas about some animals. I am thinking of getting a microwaveable nut roast for her (no space in the oven at Xmas) and the rest of us can have duck. R or UR?

Your hosting, do it your way.

I keep it simple

Turkey crown

Pancetta rolled up

Chipolatas

Roasties done in dripping

Carrots

Homemade stuffing

Gravy

No starters

We have pud later on in eve

Another one for keeping it simple. You don't regularly cook Christmas Dinner and have 12 people to cater for. Don't kill yourself.

I never bother with Starters or Yorkshire puds.
Turkey, Veg of your choice (i bung everything but sprouts in my steamer) Roast spuds in goose fat, pigs in blankets (you can get them already wrapped up) stuffing, Cranberry sauce, gravy.
Christmas pud with Birds rum sauce or something and a nice alternative for those that don't like it.
Mince pies and cream.
Don't forget the crackers.

It's your day too. People want to see the host enjoying Christmas not working themselves into a sweaty frazzle cooking different types of potatoes and elaborate sauces.

I see a lot of people dont have red cabbage, now to me that is wrong!!
I never do yorkshires I'm from yorkshire and none of my family ever do then at Christmas or mash.
This is my dinner:
Turkey
Roasties with rosemary and garlic
Roast parsnips with thyme
Carrots cut into batons
Sprouts
Red cabbage cooked in orange juice with red current jelly
Stuffing balls, pigs in blankets and bay leaf threaded onto skewers
Homemade cranberry sauce
Homemade gravy

Always start with smoked salmon and horseradish creme fraiche with rocket on bruschetta but I'm gluten free now so will need to rethink that!

No starters here, we want to be ravenous for the main course. Pudding is available in the evening if anyone wants it but mostly no one bothers, maybe a mince pie instead.

I don't think I've ever been served red cabbage at Christmas dinner and have eaten it in quite a few different homes over the years. We tend to just have parsnips, sprouts and carrots, but not dressed up with butter or spices or anything sweet, just plain steamed veg.

I would say that you will struggle to feed six with one duck, two to three portions is usual on a duck, two people can eat a duck easily.
Perhaps go to your local game merchant and ask advice?

Or have you thought of one of the bird in bird prepared roasts? I've not tried them, but they seem popular, I think M&S do them. Or a goose would feed six and is something a bit different, would need to be pre-ordered I would think.

Mash and roasties here, but no yorkies. But you do what you want. Whoever is doing all the work gets to choose the menu!

We're hosting this year as we've all got young kids so easiest to be in one place so the kids can play and go in the pool.

I'm doing:
Turkey
Roasties (Delia's recipe!)
Brocolli/cauli cheese
parsnips
pigs in blankets
stuffing
Corn
Sprouts (hard to get here though)
Carrots
and as far as I'm concerned, no roast is complete without mountains of yorkshires!

Can't wait - I prefer doing Christmas myself as I know it'll taste like my mum's. She's 4000 miles away so we can't join them!

One set of friends are doing dessert, the others are doing cheeseboard etc.

And reading this thread has made me ridiculously hungry and massively festive!

I've never had to host a huge Christmas dinner but I tend to do the same thing each time I cook.

Turkey
Pigs in blankets
Gravy
Roast potatoes
Red cabbage
Brussels
Parsnips
Carrots

Then Christmas pudding or trifle or Christmas cake depending on mood of table.

If I tried any more I'd get stressed and that isn't nice for anyone around me

Oops, forgot the stuffing!

I only do yorkshires coz DD loves them. If we go to other family we don't have them. I love mash, but I've never had it Christmas Day.

We always have prawn cocktails for starters :-)
Dad would not be happy if there's not a mountain of mash :-)
We usually have yorkies if mum can fit them in oven :-)
My sister always makes me titter slightly as every year she declares " I LOVE cold turkey" and she's a drugs worker. Should I be tittering? ...

Ooh let down by smilies