What do you have for Christmas dinner - all the side dishes etc?

[HuevosRancheros]

I'm hosting Christmas this year - it will be me, DH, DD (7), DS (5), MiL and FiL.

DH and I are veggie, DS is a fussy sod, so it'll only be DD and the in-laws who will be eating meat.

For that reason, I'm going for chicken rather than turkey
I don't want tons of leftovers and can't justify the extra cost of a turkey crown just to say we've had turkey - is it really that much better than chicken?

We don't do roasts during the year ( again), but the in-laws do, so I want to make this seem special, not just another roast chicken lunch.

So far, I have planned:

Chicken/quorn roast/nut roast
Roast potatoes
Roast parsnips
Mash (I wouldn't, but DH loves it)
Yorkshires (I know they should be with beef, but I love them, and kind of think the joy of Christmas lunch is that you can have what you like, within reason)
Stuffing
Red cabbage
Sprouts (possibly with shallots and chestnuts)
Carrots
Cauliflower cheese
Pigs in blankets (this will be DS's protein )
Bread sauce
Gravy
Cranberry sauce

Have I forgotten anything obvious? Any additions?

TIA

I'd only prepare that much if you can do quite a bit in advance (or have a lot of help) - and have a lot of space in your kitchen/oven; do you really need cauliflower cheese with all the other veg? Couldn't your DH forgo mash for one day? There will be a lot of 'last minute' prep unless you are really well organised. I would get completely flustered with that number of side dishes, plus entertaining guests and young children - not to mention wanting to enjoy yourself with a few glasses of something. .

That sounds pretty much what we have (the sides, not the main dish, we have no vegetarians). I roast the carrots too as that cuts out another pot and we now use frozen mash as its lovely and saves a bit of faff. I do make homemade roast potatoes though.

What about roasting the carrots? That way you can shove them in with the potatoes and parsnips.

Good thinking, thank you, but I aim to be well prepared :)

Red cabbage, bread sauce and gravy will be made well ahead and frozen.
Possibly Yorkshires too.

Potatoes and parsnips will have been parboiled, and possibly frozen, the day before.

Cauli cheese can be made the day before and then just finished off in the oven on the day, once the meat is out and the potatoes/parsnips are doing.

I may try to talk DH down from the mash

Sorry, my reply was to ragwort, x post.

Roasted carrots is an idea, may trial that out in the next month.
Do you parboil them as for potatoes and parsnips?

Last year I made mash the day before and then microwaved it on the day . DH is such a food heathen that he didn't care/couldn't taste the difference, but I'm not sure I'd want to serve that to in-laws (who I love dearly and want to serve up a nice meal to!). I didn't eat any as I'm not that fussed with mash, especially when there are roasties to be had

Turkey
Stuffing
Roast potatos
Yorkies
Pigs in blankets
Sprouts
Roast parsnips
Red cabbage in wine
Cheesy leeks
Carrot and swede mash

Frozen mash is fine. I par boil my potatoes but I tend to just shove the carrots and parsnips in. The carrots take a lot longer. Should probably par boil them tbh.

Looks very similar to ours, feeding me + 5 this year.
I do honey roast the parsnips,
And i put the roasties in the same dish as the chicken/turkey when it has about 30 minutes to go. Saves a dish and shelf in the oven.
Last year I talked dp through making the Yorkshire puds while I was on with the veg - they rose fantastically and he was so proud of himself haha.
I used a 3 tier steamer for carrots, sprouts and brocolli - saved hob space and meant kitchen didn't get as hot. Definitely recommend doing that.

Ah jut realised as a veggie you probably wont want the roasties done in the chicken fats. my mistake.

We have exactly the same as whothefuckissimon but without the cheesy leeks. May have another green vegetable as well.

Love carrot and swede mashj.

Can you do the meateaters some sausage stuffing? I think chicken is fine.

Oh yeah, roast shallots as well.

I just bung all the roasting veg in together though so it doesn't create much extra work.

Turkey with:-

Roast potatoes
Roast Butternut squash, parsnips and sweet potatoes
Steamed carrots and broccoli
Roast sprouts ( they are yummy - olive oil and sea salt )
Red cabbage
Chipolatas
Yorkshire puddings
Gravy
Bread sauce
Cranberry relish
Stuffing

All home made. (Most of it we have every sunday with a roast chicken!)

I make a red wine pear pavlova for pud. Christmas pudding is for Boxing Day in this house!

Gloria, that's interesting - is turkey really that different to chicken?

Fortunately, my in-laws are wonderful people, the focus of Christmas Day is the company, and seeing the children enjoy themselves :)

I am sure that if it was in any way a deal breaker for them, that they would offer to buy and bring a turkey - they could then legitimately take the leftovers home with them too

Maybe I'll broach that with them, just in case.

I posted two years ago, when we last had them here, asking if a casserole would be a total no-no, instead of a turkey/chicken.
I was told in no uncertain terms

What about a duck? Not much more expensive and feeds 4 so not much leftovers. Never buy a duck crown, they are shit.

We're 6 and having

Roast Goose (carrots and parsnips roasted alongside)
Gravy
Red cabbage
Roast potatoes
Bussels and broccoli, both 'plain'

My ILs love it when they come and they would do the Turkey with all trimmings etc if we went to them.

And there will be at least a second meal's worth of leftovers.

We're doing chicken as well. I'm not going out of my way to mention it to the il's who are here for Christmas this year. I really don't think it'll ruin their day.

Our dinner will basically be the sand as your but without cauliflower cheese.

This year we'll have a newborn baby in the house so I'm not sure what will end up on the table but its usually
Turkey for dh and dd/others and veggie grills for me
Mash
Roast potatoes
Cauliflower cheese or potato croquettes
Red cabbage
Savoy cabbage
Carrot batons
Peas
Brussels
Pigs in blankets
Gravy for meat eaters,
I have pepper sauce

We never have starters and always have dessert a few hours later after all that!

I would be a bit at being served chicken rather than turkey. I eat roast chicken practically every week, so it wouldn't feel like a special meal. They do taste different. A turkey crown isn't much dearer if at all and just as easy to cook.

Your list of accompaniments looks pretty complete to me.

howtorebuild - I could ask mil to bring some sausage stuffing, if she'd rather have that instead of sage/onion/breadcrumb.
I'm already going to ask her to do pigs in blankets :)

Turkey
With roast potatoes
Neeps (mashed swede)
Carrots in white sauce
Roast parsnips
Skirlie
Pigs in blankets
Brussels sprouts with bacon
Cauliflower cheese
Gravy
We have 8 adults and 3 under 5s this year. Much later in the day we will have a choice of trifle, chocolate gateau or strawberry pavlova. Or all three if you are Dh

My DC are 12 & 9 and after 12 years of hosting, I've decided that less is more. Too many side dishes - too much stress and too much waste.

We have my parents and possibly the ILs this year as well as us, so 6 or 8. I've learned over the years :

• get a turkey crown
• only do a very small amount of each veg eg 3 sprouts each, 4 carrot batons, two bits of parsnip, two potatoes
• do masses of pigs in blankets
• buy in bread sauce and warm it up with a swirl of cream and a bag leaf
• make cranberry compote a few weeks ahead and store in fridge
• eat at about 3, have smoked fish nibbles and booze from midday, crisps etc for kids

Then it's just me getting trolleyed on Prosecco whilst making a fairly normal roast lunch. like any normal weekend

I want to enjoy Christmas too.