"All the trimmings"

[lionheart]

So what exactly does that mean to you?
(Help me out here please 'cos I've only got "one large turkey" on my list so far and I've never done this before) ...

Sprouts,
Cranberry sauce,
Stuffing,
Carrots,
Mashed potato,
Roast potato,
Pigs in a blanket (hope that not one of your "trigger" words!)
Gravy

Copious amounts of alcohol,

Bread sauce
Yorkshires plus what everyone else said.

Sausages and bacon rolls
leeks, carrots
and sprouts (well I like them)
and lashings of gravy!

FFS Moreggnog how could you be so heartless you KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE WORD CRANBERRY SAUCE. Wheres your phone so I can smash it against the wall.

...and Boleyn dont think I didnt see you talking about lashings. HOW VERY DARE YOU.

Stuffing - usually more than one type, one with sausagemeat and chestnuts, plus a sage and onion type one.
Roast poatoes
Mini jacket potatoes
sausages wrapped in bacon (aka pigs in blankets)
cranberry sauce
sprouts (but only because we've got more traditional older family staying - don't bother if it's just us, but I'll be in trouble anyway as I'll cook them al dente, they like them as mush!)
honeyed parnips
selection of other veg - probably sugar snaps, baby corn, beans
gravy

Blimey, that's a lot of stuff. This is going to be trickier than I thought.

Personally I think it should be:

two types of potato, one of which should be roast
cranberry sauce
stuffing
sausage/bacon and mushrooms
sprouts
parsnips
another veg (carrots? brocolli?)
gravy

But when we go to my Aunt she does:
cranberry sauce
sutffing
sausage, bacon, mushrooms
sprouts
parsnips
carrots
peas
apple sauce
roast potatoes
boiled potatoes
jacket potatoes
gravy

for about 15

and when we go to my MIL (or SIL but is in effect MIL) she does:
roast potatoes
croquettes (slightly bizarre but they have always done this)
gravy
pigs in blankets
sprouts (sometimes)
parsnips (sometimes)
brocolli
peas
cranberry sauce
apple sauce
gravy
And sometimes also a pork joint

Now your'e really scaring me.

But notice the list that I said what it should be is the smallest! Personally I really don't think you need all those types of potatoes, for instance. We always go to my Mum's a few days later and have another Christmas Dinner and she goes really mad! TBH it gets to the point of being a PITA with juggling the food which won't fit on the table, and sorting the kids out.

stuffing and sausagemeat stuffing (basically sausagemeat with chopped, apple, celery and onion), bread sauce (but ONLY home-made otherwise not), cranberry sauce, sprouts, carrots, brocolli, roast parsnips and potatoes.

I think I'd better get over to the recipe thread, then.
Mind you, doesn't Waitrose make all this stuff for you?

well we dont conform to standard xmas veg as we dont like it so on our dinner we have turkey, stuffing balls, roast spuds, mashed sweet potato, pigs in blankets, broccoli and tinned peas. oh and dont forget the gravy

Of course, the M&S solution. Thanks Mellowma.

Ohh! One of those expressions that makes me shudder. I hate the 'all the trimmings' thing. It's hours of labour in the kitchen, to produce, objectively speaking, a rather weird combination of foods for people who lost their appetite several Terry's chocolate oranges ago. We're going to have a beef bourguinon, mashed potato (both made well in advance) and loads of something green (see several other Christmas threads where I've droned on about this). But if you want to do something more traditional but manageable, there's a Delia Smith recipe in the Sainsbury's Magazine (why do I buy that - most peculiar?) for Turkey pot roast with port, chestnuts and shallots which looks yummy. She claims that the hotpot, plus smoked salmon canapes and a spiced cranberry and orange brulee can be prepared in an hour!

We did the M&S thing last year and even that was a faff with lots of things needing to go in and out of the oven at the precise time.

yeah, M&S do a huge garnish pack that covers stuffing, sausages wrapped in bacon and a whole host of other things.

I got that Sainsburys magazine aswell - I don't really read many wimmin's mags but I quite enjoyed that one. Thought the recipes looked really good.

Mince pies, christmas pud, brandy butter/cream, double cream. Are you doing a starter?

A starter as well?

This is easy

Smoked Salmon Terrine

Serving Size: 6

1 pound smoked salmon thinly sliced
1 pound spinach good quality with nice big leaves. RINSE WELL!!
1 pound cream cheese soft

2-pound terrine mould (a bread loaf pan works fine)

line mould with cling film.

Blanch spinach in boiling salted water. Shock in ice water & lay out leaves on towels.

Whip cream cheese until soft.

Put a layer of salmon on the bottom of mould.
Top with cream cheese of same thickness as salmon (this is hard, esp at the bottom. Fingers work well)
Top with a layer of spinach.

Continue...
Cover w/ plastic wrap & lid & put heavy weight on lid. We stacked another loaf pan on top (with a smaller bottom), and put cans etc in it.

Refrigerate for 24 hours & unmould, slice & serve.

It's easier to slice before it comes to room temp, so slice for guests.

Serve with crackers of some sort.

Tasty sprout recipe

Servings: 8

Ingredients
700g Brussels sprouts
450g whole chestnuts, cooked
120g butter
1 pinch salt and fresh ground black pepper

Method

1. Trim off the outside leaves of the brussels sprouts and cut a cross in the stalk.

1. Plunge into boiling salted water and cook on a fairly fast boil for about four to five minutes until they are just done but not soggy.

1. Refresh the sprouts in cold water and drain.

1. Cut the chestnuts and sprouts in half.

1. Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the sprouts and fry gently for five minutes.

1. Add the chestnuts and heat through for a couple of minutes.

1. Season and serve hot with the turkey