Christmas Dinner Must Haves!

[littleone7]

I'm going to be hosting my first Christmas this year for 8 people. I was just wondering what are everyone's Christmas dinner must haves!? I want to make sure I don't forget anything! Thanks!

We don't have a starter for the meal, but we eat at around three, and have canapés at noon - Devils on horseback, croutons with pâté and cornichons, blinis with sour cream and fake caviar and squares of wheaten bread with butter and smoked salmon.

Carrots - not really a recipe. I can't even remember where I got the idea, but I have a vague recollection it might be from a Jamie Oliver recipe. I think I just washed, topped and tailed the carrots (didn't peel them as the skins were OK), possibly sliced them lengthwise. Put a bit of foil on a baking tray, put carrots on that, seasoned with salt, pepper and a little dried tarragon, dotted with butter (or drizzled with oil? either would work) and then sprinkled on a little orange juice from a carton (but squeezing a fresh orange would obviously have been great too, and in that case I might have added a bit of orange zest). Then I lifted up the edges of the foil and crimped together to make a parcel round the carrots, if you see what I mean - that way they steam inside the foil. Put the baking tray in the bottom of the oven. Can't remember how long they took but maybe 45 minutes? Could have been an hour. Better to err on the side of caution and assume an hour, as they can be reheated gently to no ill effect and keep warm anyway inside their foil in the inferno that is our kitchen just before Christmas dinner is served!

If there's no oven space, you could do carrots with similar flavourings in a pot on the hob or even in the microwave, I would think.

Ooh leeks, forgot we always have leek as well - homegrown ones. So ...

Roasties
Roast parsnips
Yorkshire puds
Mashed swedes
Carrots, brocolli, leeks, peas, sprouts
Pigs in blankets
Bread sauce, cranbers
Stuffing
And....drum roll....whole turkey stuffed, baconed with a lemon up his arse.

For 3 of us

Parsnips!! I even grew my own this year so I could cook loads just for myself to gorge on.
Sprouts are actually my daughters fave Christmas vegetable noone in the house under 12 likes carrots so I might do green beans instead although not tradition

We will be doing that late lunch after a heavy canapé session too

Cauliflower cheese
Red cabbage
Parsnips with honeyglaze
Sprouts
Broccoli
Leeks and pancetta
Carrots
Roasties
Yorkshire puds
Pigs in blankets
Sage and onion stuffing
Cranberry sauce with port

Chicken
Bread sauce
Pigs in blankets
Yorkshire pudding
Roast parsnips
Red cabbage in red wine and balsamic vinegar
Creamy Brie leeks
Peas
Sprouts
Roast potatoes

Oops forgot...mine is with turkey and roast pork

I make my bread sauce like my old Nanny Ethel used toit's not really like the ''traditional' recipe,,much nicerno cloves to be seen!
I make huge amount as have to make sisters family some too,,, finely dice a white onion and put in microwave bowl with a pint of milk, cook in microwave on med power until onion is softening,,,
I check every few mins.
I use white bread crusts as well broken into small chunks,,, put into the milk/onion mix. plenty of black pepper and touch of salt,,, large knob of butter.
Back into microwave for 3 mins at a time ,stirring until the chunks of bread are softened.. taste and adjust seasoning.
It freezes well too.. I make in advance,,,
You can also cook it in a saucepan on stove, but needs to be watched and stirred in case it boils over,,
We all love it!