Let's have a general 'Christmas Food' thread.

[Titsalinabumsquash]

I'd like to have a thread (safely tucked away in the Christmas topic

Ehem, (darn ipad!)

Anyway,

I'd like to have a Christmas food thread tucked away here, for everyone to post all sorts of foodie questions, tips, suggestions, recipes and anything else.

Wether you're a traditional Turkey and all the trimmings type family or you do something more unusual or whatever you fancy.

I love hearing about food and I love Christmas!

Anyone want to join me?

My first question is, what are you having on Christmas Eve, day and Boxing Day?

Christmas Eve, no idea. Possibly just soup and rolls but waiting for inspiration from others. Or possibly salmon and couscous. Christmas Day, turkey and the usual with trifle for pud; Boxing Day, buffet style food including a gammon, baked potatoes, salad and lots of cheat foods from M&S, Sainsbury's etc

I've just done loads of present shopping today so am feeling very festive

I wrapped a pile today, I love wrapping in front of the Christmas good food channel

We're doing Turkey and all the trimmings on the day, MIL says they traditionally have stuffed pasta for Christmas Eve but I'm not keen so I'll let her do that I think and excuse myself (I'm pregnant, I can get away with it )
Boxing Day is always a huge buffet with a spiced ham, breads, cheeses and salads and the left over turkey.
I'm not decided on puddings yet, BIL is making his signature Lemon Meringue Pie and there's always a load of mince pies knocking around.

Are you doing anything in advance?

I'm doing several bits as soon as I can to prevent mass chair in my tiny kitchen.

Christmas Eve is going to be a takeaway this year! Last year I did a buffet and felt like I lived in the kitchen for 3 days. I want to stuff my face with Chinese takeaway and wine before all the cooking on Christmas Day!

I held a party for my side of the family last Christmas Eve, within about an hour of all the kids going nuts and several adults being in a small space, I wanted to hide in the car so that is a good call.

We have 7 Christmas Eve over night then we will be joined by 2 more in the morning before my 2 older children return from their dad's in the afternoon to make 11! Eek!

I will be laying a festive table cloth out over the side board and serving everything up to trays/dishes and letting everyone dig in, I only have a tiny table for 4!
I think I must be mad.

Christmas Eve - dunno, never made too much fuss over it

Boxing Day - duck rillettes made from leftover roast duck from Christmas dinner or bubble and squeak or trimmings tart - basically stuffing, pigs in blankets, cranberries etc on pastry. We'll have all 3 at some point over the Christmas period. Trimmings tart is possibly nicer than the actual Christmas dinner.

Pudding will be either leftover Christmas pud or ris a l'amande + cherry sauce which is Danish Christmas pudding.

I've recently discovered a recipe for crock pot cinnamon French Toast, it turns out really light and like a soufflé. I have a giant slow cooker so I think I'll put it on for everyone for Christmas morning.

Christmas Eve: Massive rib of beef and all trimmings; parsnips, Yorkshires etc, horseradish, trifle. We always have trifle on the ancestral trifle bowl.

Christmas day:
Breakfast: pannetonne, croissants, fruit
Lunch: Smoked salmon, smoked trout, potted shrimps, brown bread, salad.
Christmas dinner: whole turkey works, Christmas pud, cheese, chocs.

Boxing day: pork pie, game pie, cold turkey, fried up leftovers.

That sounds divine Blu! I found out today no one from DP's family have had potted shrimp or potted anything, I promised to make some for one of the days, it's my favourite.

I'm also very jealous that you have an ancestral trifle dish.

Buy your own trifle dish, and it will become ancestral!

Ooh, I love these threads!!

Christmas Eve...always used to be a curry when ExH was here, and last year the two DS's and I had Nigella's ham in coke, potatoes dauphinoise and veg. However, I've left the decision to the boys this year.....and it looks like it's going to be pizza Suits me! Nice and easy, and cosy for the three of us along with our hamper. We'll eat it on a rug next to the tree with a Christmas film on the tv!

Christmas Day.....waffles, croissants, crumpets, orange juice and Buck's Fizz for breakfast. Lunch will be a full roast with all the trimmings....(honey roasted carrots, winter root mash, red cabbage, sprouts and chestnuts with bacon, pigs in blankets, parsnips, broccoli, and two types of stuffing) except this year we're having roast beef and a big chicken instead of turkey (as I've been a bit disappointed in last two years with the turkey). Pudding of Christmas pudding, brandy butter, clotted cream, plus a cheesecake or something for the pudding haters! Tea will be cold meats, rolls, sausage rolls, mince pies, trifle etc. oh and a big bowl of salad which no-one will touch!

Boxing Day, I'm hoping that ExH will actually want to spend some time with our boys.....in which case I'm hoping to have a bottle of prosecco in bed with my fella

I think we are going to have tacos and fajitas on Xmas Eve, it's just us 4 and the boys love it. Can set all the dishes out and we can build our own and get all messy and covered in guacamole.

Bucks Fizz, smoked salmon and scrambled egg with brown toast for Xmas morning breakfast.

Not in charge for lunch Xmas day apart from making a trifle and going to ils for Boxing Day so apart from making nigella's jewelled cupcakes instead of a Xmas cake, and making Xmas cookies with the boys, and obviously having quality street and mince pies in (might make them too), I think that's all I need to think about! Bliss!!

Christmas Eve is spiced gammon, potato and celeriac gratin with Delias spiced red cabbage. Mince pie made by dd1 and dd2 for pudding.

Christmas day is turkey, roasties in goose fat, sweet potatoes, pigs in blankets, homemade stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce, roasted parsnips and carrots, sprouts with bacon. Homemade Christmas pud to follow.

Boxing day is a buffet of leftover turkey and gammon along with mash potato (ready made chucked in mic ), cheese, pate, nice bread, sausage rolls and pickles.

In advance I make;

Red cabbage (freeze it)
sausage rolls (freeze and cook as needed)
Mince pies (mincemeat already made)
Pickled onions (already made)
Christmas cake (already made)
Christmas pud (already made)

The night before I will prep all veg and leave overnight in cold water. I will also pop the pud in the slow cooker so I just have to add water and flick the switch in the morning and it steams away while we open presents etc.

Have a question for you

What size turkey do I need to get? - 6 adults for dinner on Christmas day, want to make turkey pie for 6 on Boxing day, maybe a turkey risotto another day and also want enough turkey for the traditional sandwich! Not sure my oven will be big enough

Something easy on Christmas Eve, maybe a casserole in the slow cooker.

Christmas Day Duck plus all the trimmings followed by Xmas Pud (already made - smug!) and brandy butter. Yum.

Boxing Day Christmas Pie (all the leftovers covered in mash and cooked in the oven for ages. Yum) and thinking about making Christmas Pudding Trifle (in the ancestral bowl ).

Christmas Eve:pierogi in the evening.

Christmas Day: either cinnamon buns or smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. Not decided yet.

Then later on turkey and what not.

Boxing Day it's dhs turn to cook and he likes turkey, ham and homemade chips and pickles.

Rest of week some variant on theme of ham/turkey etc.

You know what, I'm really looking forward to Christmas this year. It's just us and no stress

Nbee - a big one

Ok I hope it's ok to canvass some Christmas food advice on here...here is my situation:

1. Xmas day will be me, DH, DD (2.3mo) and my DM at our house.

1. May or may not have DC2 by then - due 20 Dec. Lovely DM coming to look after DD when I go into labour etc. Normally we would have Xmas with extended family but they are 4 hours away.

1. DH is a very good cook. I am going to prepare as much as poss in advance since I am on mat leave already. No fussy eaters, not determined to have turkey esp since we are a small group. But would like a roast of some kind.

My question is what joint of what meat do we go for that will be the right size for us, and when should I order it so that if I am giving birth on Christmas Day it can wait til I get home to be cooked?

Do I not order anything and just go to the supermarket on 24th to avoid buying stuff that will not all get eaten if I am in hospital?

Or order it all well in advance so it is sorted, then freeze and only defrost the day before?

Can anyone see a master plan that I am missing here?!

I would go for a nice but smallish beef joint that can sit in the freezer and then can be defrosted over night. Won't take too long to cook either.

I'm doing sweet and sour pork and rice on xmas eve as sister and her family are coming over.

Xmas day is just me and my 2 kids - both hate turkey and son has slight tactile defensive with food textures. Asked them what they wanted and we've agreed on party food! Suits me as I can spend the day playing with them instead of in the kitchen! Will probably have enough for lunch and tea.

Boxing Day I'm going to either make a corned beef and onion pie or sling a bacon joint in the slow cooker for some variant of bacon and lentil stew

funchum I was in a similar situation almost 3 years ago. If ds2 had been as late as ds1, then he'd have arrived on the 24th! Didn't think missing Xmas dinner would be any good for sibling bonding, so I made a Delia recipe of pot roast pheasant while on mat leave and stuck it in the freezer along with the red cabbage, mashed celeriac, par build roasts etc. It was the most stress-free Xmas in a long time, even with a 5yo and a 9 day old!

Funchum. Gammon. Keeps and keep even if not frozen. Can be chucked in slow cooker and brought to hospital in tub so you get a decent christmas dinner.

Christmas Eve will do sausage and mash.
This multitasks as I will use the starchy potato water with my collection of frozen meat juices to make gravy, prepare pigs in blankets and fill a dish with mash to be reheated in the oven the next day.

Christmas Day breakfast will be salmon and cream cheese croissants.
Lunch / dinner at about 4 consisting of
S) prawn cocktail
M) roast goose, cherry abs chestnut stuffing, roast potatoes, parsnips, carrots, onions and cherry tomatoes, braised red cabbage, Yorkshire pubs. Last years homemade cranberry and Rioja sauce.
D) baked Camembert stuffed with cherries and homemade walnut bread finely cut and toasted to dip.

I LOVE christmas

Mmmmm what a wonderful thread!

Christmas eve is usually a big load of party food once DD is in bed, along with baked camembert & hot crust bread, but we've decided on hot turkey, stuffing, cranberry & mayo sandwiches instead this year, as by New year we are sick of party food (I make a fabulous sausagemeat & chestnut stuffing if anyone wants the recipe?)

Christmas day we are eating out, I think it's roasted pumpkin soup to start, followed by turkey & trimmings and finished with vanilla, hazelnut & chocolate cheesecake and coffee.

Boxing day, going to family for a buffet.

Sprouts with bacon sounds nice! What's the recipe if you don't mind me asking?

I'm thinking we will have a takeaway on Christmas Eve this year so I don't feel like I spend christmas in the kitchen.

Christmas day we are going to have reindeer pancakes for breakfast and a roast turkey with all the trimmings for dinner. My mum has ordered a selection of the M&S desserts for pudding

sprouts with bacon