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Christmas

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

Christmas dinner for 30

24 replies

pingoose · 23/09/2018 21:52

Due to a family reunion, we've decided to hold a Christmas dinner for 25-30 people in the last weekend of November. I'm looking for tips and tricks to make it as easy as possible! Most will be travelling, so can't ask them to bring food with them. Am I right in thinking places like M&S won't have their Christmas food range out by then?
Thanks!

OP posts:
Alanamackree · 24/09/2018 06:33

Do you have to keep it within a tight budget or not?
Do you want to serve a Christmas dinner (eg turkey and ham) or would you consider other meal options?
Is eating out an option? It would be straightforward enough to book a Christmas party at a pub/restaurant or hotel for that number.
What kitchen facilities do you have? How many ovens? Hob rings? Microwave? Slow cooker?

aurorie11 · 24/09/2018 06:43

Can you physically sit 30 at tables? Can it be a buffet?

Jeippinghmip · 24/09/2018 06:47

You’ll be able to get frozen turkey. We often have an early Christmas for a lot of people. We always cook our turkey the day before, so it’s properly rested and you then have room in your oven for roasties. We also do beef silverside, which we slow roast in stock, again the day before. The meat will carve much more easily the next day. We carve it then add back some meat juices and wrap in foil. You can warm it through just before you serve it.

We always do loads of extras like sausages, pigs in blankets and stuffing balls. We do veg that doesn’t need hours of peeling, like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and frozen peas.

I personally wouldn’t go near M & S. For that many it will cost a fortune and Lidl and Aldi are just as good.

I make a large Christmas pudding. Christmas pud goes a long way as people don’t have that much. I buy ready made custard and ice cream.

CaMePlaitPas · 24/09/2018 07:01

Beefeater!

starryeyedsnowgirl · 24/09/2018 08:48

Put your sausages on bamboo BBQ skewers to make turning them easy.

Loads of sides- things like those 4 minute Yorkshire puddings will really bulk out a meal and are super fast to throw in at the end.

Christmas food will mostly be availiable then- m and s already has some stuff in (we got pigs in blankets complete with Christmas packaging this week). Costco will
Have huge packs of things in by then I would think as caterers use then throughout December.

Red cabbage and cauliflower cheese can be made and frozen in advance and reheated.

Ricekrispie22 · 24/09/2018 18:41

You can make gravy long before. Simply freeze it in a container, and defrost on the day. You can add the juices from your turkey to it before serving.
Stuffing freezes well – you can even freeze it in an oven dish, so once it's defrosted, you can pop the dish straight into the oven. Some people go so far as to cook the stuffing before freezing, so on the day it only requires warming up: a good idea when oven space is at a premium.
If oven space is tight, cook the turkey first, once it’s out and well wrapped, stick everything else in, just make sure the turkey is wrapped up well so it stays warm. Cook as many of your side dishes on the hob as possible. Vegetables can be boiled andpotatoes can be pan-fried.
Braised red cabbage is one of those foods that actually improves its flavour over time, so it’s well worth making in advance. It will keep a few days in the fridge, and reheats brilliantly.
Bread sauce freezes well, but it also keeps for a surprisingly long time in the fridge - just make it a few days before, and you'll only need to add a splash of milk and microwave it.
You can boil your parsnips and keep them in the fridge for up to a day before, to cut down on the cooking time. Alternatively, you could freeze them. Delia's Parmesan parsnips have freezing instructions.
Cold desserts that can be made ahead and served straight away, like a chocolate mousse or a frozen dessert, are ideal.

Methe · 24/09/2018 18:43

Toby carvery would be my choice 😮

motherofluvlies · 24/09/2018 18:54

We did for 27 one year ...it was an undertaking but so much fun ....ask visors to bring veg prepped & ready to cook or heat ...we cleared a complete ro9m of sofas etc the nigh5 before into tv room so adults etc cud sit and chat in separate ro9m after dinner....a lot frozen in advance ....cocktails & nigella xmas nuts for arrival .lots of dishes of same veg at end&middle of table for selected people to serve up to the masses serve the meat in the kitchen & have a carrie4 thru ....the main thing ...it isn’t going to be perfect ...by the time we dished it all out some of it was cold but my goodness we ha£ fun ..so special that w3 are all together !

motherofluvlies · 24/09/2018 18:57

P.s don’t forget some additional bits for later ...I always have fries to have with left over t&h,cheeses ,chutneys &some salads and one year did a lovely baked Camembert with a fig& honey dressing ...part baked rolls ar3 good her3 too .& /or Christmas cake ..you would be amazed that people can nibble again ...a Short stroll in between helps 😊

pingoose · 25/09/2018 21:28

Thank you SO much for these ideas ladies. I really didn't know where to start. Also didn't really think where everyone will sit...so I'm thinking buffet style and everyone will be eating perched/leaning/standing. Not ideal, but enough wine and they'll be fine I'm sure Grin
I'm hoping lots of nibbles to fill everyone up, then small amounts of actual Christmas dinner might work. It'd work for me!

OP posts:
hollyjollychristmas · 26/09/2018 09:03

I was in M&S yesterday and they had frozen turkeys, stuffing, pigs in blankets etc. so I think you will be able to buy stuff ok

Cottonsheets · 26/09/2018 09:07

Mind blown by the skewer tip. Using that.

Cottonsheets · 26/09/2018 09:24

Sounds lovely OP. Lots of freezing on foil trays (much cheaper that M&S). Maybe ask friends if they have any spare room in their freezers. Join Costco and buy in the huge desserts. Lots and lots of booze. Have a great time.

BiddyPop · 26/09/2018 10:58

A couple of bags of petits pois (not proper full sized frozen peas) in a pot or large bowl (ahead of time if possible to allow them to thaw) - boil a kettle of water and pour over a few minutes before serving time. That is enough to cook them, especially if they have already thawed, and doesn't need a ring for cooking them.

How many ovens do you have? Can you have one for the turkey and another for veg and bits? Or juggling all in 1?

Cut veggies small, to cook faster. So for oven roasted (root veg, or Mediterranean mixed veg), dice them into 1cm chunks rather than 5cm chunks you might normally do as more rustic versions. Yes, takes more prep time, but less time in the oven when it's under pressure (so maybe 20 minutes once the turkey is out and resting, rather than 40-50 minutes - and may even allow you to juggle roast potatoes in and out, and throw veg in to cook while you eat starters).

This might sound daft, and I haven't tried it out, but perhaps doing stuffing into well buttered muffin tins in advance and cooking until mostly done, and just heating through on the day (just on a baking tray), may make it easier to prep, freeze, and also to serve as already portioned up.

I would do at least 1 roast potato for everyone. Maybe 2. But I would also do a large pot of mashed potato, or else a big dish of potato stuffing (basically, herby mashed potato then baked in the oven) for anyone who wants more potato than just 1.

Make cauliflower cheese ahead of time - cutting the cauliflower into florets so easier to cook/reheat, and to serve (and less space needed to freeze if you wanted to really prep ahead of time).

Also, make the gravy ahead of time, or at least the stock, and freeze that.

Starters, either a large pot of soup (if you can get hold of a catering or stock pot from somewhere) or something cold (and plated up ahead of time if possible - or at least all the bits prepped to let someone plate it at the table while others work on mains in kitchen) - smoked salmon with capers and cherry tomatoes and shredded lettuce and lemon wedges and brown bread, or prawn cocktail (similar accompaniments without the capers/bread) etc. Or a terrine that you have already sliced.

A large pot will be invaluable if you can get one - ask friends, local scout group, church hall etc could you borrow 1/2. For boiling potatoes, making stock, making/heating soup etc.

Try to maximize dishes in the oven - trays that fit alongside each other, or rectangular casserole dishes to roast veg/potatoes/stuffing etc. Or the biggest trays you have to fill the whole shelf.

If you were to steam/boil cauliflower (on the day or ahead of time), and heat the cheese sauce in a pot, it could just be browned under the grill to reduce pressure on the oven.

For 30, unless you already have the crockery/cutlery/glasses yourself, I really would think about hiring for the day. It really is not that expensive and makes it look so much better all matching even if plain. And you can make the table look more luxurious with placemats/napkins/crackers/flowers/candles etc. You can probably also get serving dishes and platters to make life easier as well, and maybe even extra salt and pepper sets, jugs for water, cups and saucers, milk jugs and sugar bowls etc.

And you will probably need things like salt and pepper, butter, water, gravy, milk and sugar, etc for about every 6 people along the table so no one is stretching too far. And things like plates of bread, extra veg on the table, plates of mince pies or chocolates at the end of the meal etc.

I'd definitely try and have cold desserts as well unless you can do something like trays of a pudding to bake while you eat main course (if you can set the oven to turn off automatically, so much the better). Sticky toffee pudding, bread and butter pudding, some kind of crumble - that's the kind I am thinking of, that can be easily portioned from a rectangular dish, but can be made ahead of time so you just slide it into the oven. Or, if you want Christmas pudding, slice it up and heat it in the oven (under foil so it doesn't dry out) with maybe 1 small one to "fire".

We've made a chocolate biscuit cake type "Christmas Pudding" (BBC website has the recipe) before which has gone down very well with children (and lots of adults) but really looks like a proper pudding.

If you think you want to serve ice cream, I would be inclined to do the prep ahead on that too. Take it out to soften a little and scoop it into balls, lay those on a baking tray and re-freeze. Once hard again, they can go into a freezer bag to take up less room. But they are much easier to serve for large groups and can be served straight from the freezer rather than having to remember to take out a tub to soften but not so early it melts.

Sorry this jumps all over the place, it's just a few things as they fall into my brain.

Alanamackree · 27/09/2018 22:20

If you start on the veg now, you could do a batch every so often and freeze. Ditto gravy and stuffing.
Cook hams the night before and cook in the cooking fluid so they’ll stay moist.
Get turkeys boned and rolled and cook two or three in the oven on the day. Once done cover in foil and bath towels and leave to rest which will improve flavor and carvability.
Put roast potatoes on (frozen might be easiest) and start reheating veg which has been defrosting since night before.
Microwave frozen mash and add butter and milk and season to taste.
Warm up gravy, and heat through cranberry sauce.
Slice turkey and ham.
If you have a dishwasher you can time it so that you have hot plates without taking up hob/oven space.
Shop bought puddings and jugs of custard for dessert or apple tarts and cream. Or a couple of big trifles. Ready made pavlovas, whipped cream and tinned fruit can be assembled in a minute.

If it’s a buffet, expect to change the table cloth between the dinner and the dessert.

Try and have a seat for every bottom: the older ones will gravitate towards kitchen chairs, younger ones will perch on arms of sofas but almost everyone will try and sit to eat!

If there are little people put them in charge of giving everyone stickers for their glasses which will get them involved and chatting to everyone and also cut down on the number of extra glasses needed.

Pull buffet table away from wall if you have the space so people can come from both sides and put 2-3 spoons in each dish

Even though it’s extra washing up proper plates are much nicer for a buffet as they don’t bend or buckle. If you do use disposable plates get larger, better quality ones,

Soup is a very easy starter to make in large quantities and fills people up which takes pressure off the main course. And bread is a good filler too.

A trug/large pot/or similar can be filled with ice and beers, soft drinks, white wine so you don’t need to store them in the fridge. Tie a bottle opener on with a ribbon

Poundland do small flat cookie sheets which are very handy. I slide one partly under other dishes that don’t fill the oven fully to use the rest of the space.

If you make and freeze ahead you can freeze in the container you are going to cook in. Plan out what goes in which container/dish/pot and what’s in oven/hob/microwave. I know it sounds anal but it makes all the difference.

Maccycheesefries · 29/09/2018 09:34

I'd hire a cheap village or church hall with a proper kitchen locally, they're about £50 for the day near me. Advantages to this are follows:

  • another kitchen and cooker/oven to speed up the cooking process

  • additional toilets for all of your guests

  • plenty of tables and chairs for everyone to sit down to eat together

  • plenty of space to mingle, kids to play and have a dance if you wanted to

KnotsInMay · 29/09/2018 10:02

Unless you have a vast house I would also hire a village hall.

A roast dinner perched everywhere is not fun. Only finger food or one-handed-fork food is ok standing up / perched crammed on sofas. Gravy spills, cutting meat etc.

And you really won’t be able to cook an ‘all trimmings’ roast dinner for 30 in one ordinary domestic oven, however optimistic.

Finger buffet, including a couple hot roasts to carve into rolls, maybe?

HoldMeCloserTonyDanza · 29/09/2018 10:06

I think I've shared this tip before, in previous years - if you are looking for online resources/spreadsheets/planners for organising a turkey dinner for 20+ people, and you're confused as to why Pinterest etc is letting you down - try searching for Thanksgiving dinner instead.

Americans eat turkey at TG not Christmas, and they have their larger gatherings then too. You'll find lots of helpful stuff, it just won't be labelled as for Christmas!

MrsMoastyToasty · 29/09/2018 10:08

We had a large Christmas dinner once when I was a kid. My sisters and I were "dinner ladies" and got everyone to queue up and we served them. It worked really well and got us involved.

Spam88 · 29/09/2018 10:12

Some great tips on here! Definitely going to give the stuffing in a muffin tray a go because I bloody hate making balls. Only being given one roast potato is my greatest Christmas fear though...

I think I'd stick with cold desserts unless you're a particularly Christmas-pudding-keen family - mince pies, Yule log and cream, Christmas cake. All very Christmassy and just needs to be chucked on the table.

OhFlipMama · 29/09/2018 10:16

30! Wow you're brave but it would be an amazing get-together. Having said that, we would most definitely hold this one in a restaurant or pub!

CaledonianSleeper · 29/09/2018 10:23

A roast dinner perched everywhere is not fun. Only finger food or one-handed-fork food is ok standing up / perched crammed on sofas. Gravy spills, cutting meat etc.
^^Oh please do your guests a huge favour and heed this excellent advice.
Why not do lovely turkey roast dinner sandwiches with stuffing, cranberry sauce, even gravy if people fancy it?

Maccycheesefries · 29/09/2018 10:25

Ask local relations to arrive with a cooked dish and spare crockery, cutlery and glasses.

Costco will have catering sixed packs of drinks, desserts, ready prepped frozen & chilled food like starter nibbles, roast potatoes, roast puddings and stuffing balls. Costco also deliver so check online to see if they deliver to your area.

Bellabutterfly2016 · 29/09/2018 10:46

I had 20 people for a Xmas buffet - I did turkey & stuffing baps with cranberry sauce that I made then my dp ordered bags of chips from the chippy. It was an evening but it went down well and everyone bought booze then I got lots of puddings in.

Keep it simple and don't try to do too many different things like 5 different vegetables!!!

Poundland have some nice napkins and stuff - I even did paper plates!!!!!!!!!! Xxx

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