Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

Am i brave enough to change the christmas menu?

84 replies

mareseatoatsanddoeseatoats · 16/09/2015 21:10

For the last 10 years my parents have come to us for xmas, and I seem to have got stuck in a rut of serving the same menu (we host from christmas eve to 27th). Last year i suggested doing something different and everyone pulled faces. Would love to just do something totally different.

OP posts:

janethegirl2 · 16/09/2015 21:12

Just do it but don't let anyone know in advance. Most people do not like change.

Loki17 · 16/09/2015 21:29

Just do it. We are hosting the ils this year and I am not serving mushy peas with Christmas dinner like mil does.

DoctorTwo · 16/09/2015 21:32

Mushy peas? Another vote for doing things your way. Don't tell them till the day.

Deux · 16/09/2015 21:46

Oh I tried that one year. I don't really like turkey in fact no one seems to like it.

I decided that as I was cooking I would choose what to cook. Big mistake. I bought a lovely goose which was expensive and trashed my oven. And a prune stuffing. And everyone was all OMG no turkey.

So never again.

Oldraver · 16/09/2015 21:46

Ha my MIL used to serve dollop on the plate mushy peas.

What do you usually have OP and what changes were you thinking of ?

Secondtimeround75 · 16/09/2015 21:48

I wouldn't spring it on them Christmas day.

Tell them you are going to do a new menu & give them the chance to (a) get used to it or (b) find a new host .

nilbyname · 16/09/2015 21:50

What are your old/new menus?

backinthebox · 16/09/2015 21:56

I have proposed we have goose instead of turkey this year. The goose in question is currently living in my yard, chasing anything that moves. My family (all except DH) have recoiled in horror, which is weird since they were happy to eat home-raised turkey the other year. The goose has to go though....

Flingmoo · 16/09/2015 21:59

One option is to stick to the traditional festive roast but with a twist - keep the trimmings really simple, think Michelin star restaurant rather than pub carvery, instead of cramming the plate with 20 different things just do one meat amazingly well with potatoes and 2-3 perfectly cooked veggies such as carrots, parsnips and sprouts. Keep portion size fairly small so there's room for a lovely starter and dessert.

In my experience this is much nicer and more fun than a massively piled up plate of every type of potato and vegetable under the sun which usually leaves you too full for even the tiniest piece of Christmas pudding or yule log afterwards.

cece · 16/09/2015 22:04

When I was a teenager in the 80s my mum decided to change the Christmas menu one year.

We still talk about it now.

Do not do it. It was awful. I still remember the disappointment.

Original poster

mareseatoatsanddoeseatoats · 16/09/2015 22:05

The majority of it is all homemade, it's a lot of effort though i make things like the cauli cheese, quiches, sausage rolls and stuffing in advance and freeze. ham goes in slow cooker but i finish off in the oven.

christmas eve dinner - Roasted ham, dauphinoise potatoes, green beans, red cabbage... mince pies & mulled wine

christmas day
breakfast - bacon sandwiches,
lunch - turkey/ham, roast pots & parsnips, stuffing, yorkshires, pigs in blankets, chipolatas, cauliflower cheese, sprouts, carrots, peas, gravy, cranberry sauce. pudding - xmas pud, trifle, yule log, and usually an m & s chocolate thing for the kids.
dinner - buffet type foods, cheeses, sausage rolls, xmas cake etc

boxing day - breakfast - croissants,
lunch - cold turkey/ham, mashed potato, pickles.

dinner - buffet type foods, quiches, salads...puddings are leftovers from yest.

27th - breakfast - smoked salmon/bagels/scrambled eggs,
lunch - turkey & ham pie, pots and veggies

then they all depart and I can breathe!

I was thinking of cooking a big turkey & ham meal xmas eve and then doing a buffet on xmas day...

OP posts:

Original poster

mareseatoatsanddoeseatoats · 16/09/2015 22:09

just writing it down made me sigh - i also forgot the starters on xmas day..smoked salmon & prawns with black pepper and lemon.

OP posts:

ImperialBlether · 16/09/2015 22:10

Look, it's once a bloody year and we want turkey, chipolata sausages, stuffing, roast potatoes, and vegetables. What's so difficult about that???!!!!

nilbyname · 16/09/2015 22:11

Same here my mum did a goose with this weird black bread. It was 30 years ago. It was rank.

nilbyname · 16/09/2015 22:12

I'm coming over! Droooooooool!!!!

Original poster

mareseatoatsanddoeseatoats · 16/09/2015 22:14

oh god...see this is the problem, if i don't get it right it will be remembered as THAT year.

OP posts:

Artandco · 16/09/2015 22:18

You can't swap a meal for a buffet imo

You can swap what you have for a meal though

We never had Turkey, no one is that keen. Usually goose and beef, red cabbage, roast veg.

Chottie · 16/09/2015 22:23

OP - why do you want to change it? if everyone likes and eats your menu and you can cook it standing on your head, I don't understand?

My mother once cooked a turkey which had been hung too long and it was rank and even the cat wouldn't eat it. It's still remembered 40 years later......

TheExMotherInLaw · 16/09/2015 22:24

I am also plotting to change the Christmas meal this year. I have always found it stressful. I now do not have the stamina. A few years dd cooked, with her now exh helping - that was stressful, then a year when I tried to do it again, then last year ds took charge, with dd helping - the meal was wonderful, but they left me to clear up - five hours it took me. Oh and some oil spilt in my oven went on fire - took me a weekend a while later to get that clean-ish.
I told dh that this year we're having a one pot curry or casserole - they can come or not! I can't quite see me being allowed to get away with it, but I can't do that again!
I did try to cut down one year. I said just lamb (we always have lamb), roasties, peas (not mushy) gravy. Dh said, aww, have to have kilted sausages. ok. and yorkshires. ok. and sprouts. ok. and new potatoes. ok. and stuffing. ok. and... only thing he was willing to drop were carrots. I like carrots.

CJCreggsmyhero · 16/09/2015 22:24

You cannot have a buffet on Christmas Day. It's wrong.

Why would you be so mean & nasty? I'm not been witty... Seriously you CANNOT do a buffet

IvyWall · 16/09/2015 22:25

I would do something completely different for Xmas eve. Maybe something like a beef in beer casserole

Morganly · 16/09/2015 22:26

You can't have a buffet on Christmas Day. Swap turkey for any other meat or casserole, no problem. Cut out all the extras (bacon sandwiches, cauliflower cheese, scrambled eggs, for goodness sake, way too much extra work for yourself) but if you gave me a buffet for Christmas Day dinner, I would hate you.

Aqualady · 16/09/2015 22:28

I'm soooooo glad we are going on holiday this year. The amount of money spent on food for those three days is hideous!

We did rib of beef last year and it was nice

Original poster

mareseatoatsanddoeseatoats · 16/09/2015 22:30

In all honesty i would rather go out on christmas day, but that will never happen - i seem to spend all christmas day in the kitchen, whilst everyone else is in the lounge having fun. i don't mind the cooking as such i would just rather do it all xmas eve and then enjoy xmas day.

OP posts:

TurnOffTheTv · 16/09/2015 22:38

I love cooking at Christmas, but that list makes me a bit stressed just looking at it. Will nobody take over at least one day of cooking? It's not fair you have to bugger about doing everything. I'm not even doing Christmas dinner this year, I feel liberated

Flip

1 2 3 4