First timer hosting Xmas day and Boxing Day! Pls help

[MamaTT]

I've stupidly volunteered to host PIL for Xmas day (as well as DP and I and our 3 kids). And on Boxing Day I have PIL, my parents, my teenage brother, my sister, her DP, their 2 children and DPs auntie and 2 cousins.

For Xmas day I've ordered a turkey crown and the gravy from m&s to collect on 22nd and a fantastic overpriced chocolate log.
I'm confident doing the veg and I have a range cooker so have ample oven space.
I'm planning:
Pigs in blankets
Stuffing
Roast carrots and parsnips,
Peas
Cauliflower cheese,
Sprouts cos it's the law
Cabbage
Yorkshire puddings

Is there anything I need to add? We aren't a starter kind of family so no need to bother with that.

I'm mainly getting my knickers in a twist about Boxing Day. Im going to do a buffet but where do I bloody start?

11 adults and 6 kids 

Any advice would be hugely appreciated

I would warm up any left overs and put those out. Lots of salads, cheeseboard, a few different breads and just let them get on with it.

Keep it simple!

Go retro - mini sausage rolls, cocktail sausages, pineapple/cheddar hedgehog, fancy crisps and nuts twiglets lots of twiglets mini quiche, vol au vents, a good cheese board with some fruit (don't go overboard on this though as so perishable) and a good variety of crackers, bread sticks, dips, potato salad, coleslaw.

I can understand trying to impress or do something different but it's a risk. Most people will like at least some of the above. Especially where kids are involved people like what they're familiar with and the above also covers most dietary differences, intolerances and are easily check able foods for any dieters.

You could MAYBE add one or two fancier things from the various party ranges about but I'd keep it mainly to the familiar.

Maybe some nice chocs to pass round later, some after dinner mints.

We had similar last year and did the following for Boxing Day, buffet style:

Cooked a ham a la Nigella (on Xmas eve)
Leftover turkey, slices
Those part baked rolls
Cheeses
Crackers
Pate
Pickles/chutneys
M&S had a garland sausage roll last year, was delicious
DH roasted a massive tray of roast potatoes as the 'hot' element, this went down a storm as his roasties are legendary (beef dripping)

If you want a bit of greenery, get a bag or two of salad leaves. We'll be repeating the above menu this year. Enjoy!

I'd do this ham recipe www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3032/maple-and-mustard-glazed-ham It serves 8-10, but when it's part of a buffet if should be enough.
I'd also do a pulled beef brisket.
Warm crusty bread rolls
Jacket potatoes
Green salad
Christmas slaw recipe, recipe serves 6 so I'd double it and add in a bit of red cabbage as well. The dressing really complements ham. www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/890635/christmas-slaw Served cold so no need to worry about timings.
Extras for the rolls/potatoes including grated cheese, apple sauce, tomato chutney and piccalilli.

For your Christmas dinner are you not havjng potatoes?
Cranberry sauce.

Boxing Day:
A huge one pot dish, like a beef in ale or Jamie’s Pollo Cacciatore, made the week before and frozen. Served with crusty / garlic bread, big bowl of salad, cheese, grapes.

Or

A large ham in coke or pulled pork served hot, sauces, salads, hot rolls.

Or

Two big salmon en croute, small potatoes, salad.

Massive vat of chilli )made the week before) with sour cream, guacamole, nachos.

Or buy a huge game pie (or two).

Don't forget roast potatoes for Christmas Day!

For that many people on Boxing Day, I'd be inclined to have something like 2/3 large quiches and sliced leftover turkey (and maybe some ham) with part baked bread to bake nice and crusty and fresh on the day.

Bowl of tomatoes, either regular ones chopped up or whole cherry ones
Bowl of green salad
Cheese - maybe 2/3 cheeses, 1 being a hard 1 that people can put into sandwich (see crusty bread and turkey above), and some crackers
Bowl of coleslaw
Bowl of potato salad or couscous
Couple of dressings on the side, maybe some other fixings like croutons, parmesan shavings, olives....if your family eats those

Another good option instead of quiche would be lasagna - which you can make ahead of time and freeze (before cooking), take out Christmas evening to defrost, and cook on 26th.

As well as salads and crusty bread, some garlic bread might be nice with that.

The 3rd choice I would have is to put out a large bowl of rice and 2 different sauces.

It could be a turkey (or chicken) and mushrooms in a white wine and cream sauce (or tin of Campbells condensed soup)
Chilli con carne
Vegetarian chilli
Lamb curry or vegetarian curry
Beef stroganoff
Basically 2 quite different sauces - so 1 might have spice and the other not, 1 might be cream based and the other tomato based, 1 might involve meat and the other be vegetarian......basically thinking about YOUR guests and what they would likely eat.

Again salads on the side but you mightn't need the more substantial ones like coleslaw and potato salad if you have the rice
You could plan the first sauce to use up any leftover turkey, but have some chicken in the freezer in case there is none.

You could have most of those sauces made up in advance and frozen - and all could be gently reheated in the oven.

And if you wanted a few things like mini pork pies or some sausage rolls, or even some cocktail sausages, as more "traditional buffet fare" (as seems classic on MN at least), you could still put out some but you have a substantial meal for those who need it.

I find Boxing Day tricky because a) I don’t want to do too much prep on the day and b) I don’t want to prep the day before and c) I have very little space in the freezer or the fridge in the lead up and d) I can’t pop out to the shop at the last minute.

This year it will be leftover turkey and ham, a cheeseboard, part-baked baguettes. I’ll heat up some frozen sausage rolls to bulk it out (in case there’s not as much leftover as I think there will be). On Christmas Eve, I’ll grate some cabbage and carrots in the food processor, then keep them in a bag in the fridge and toss them with some dressing just before I put on the table. I’ll make a cake the weekend before and stash in the cupboard so I don’t have to rely on there being leftover mince pies. Then I’ll get lots of crisps, tomatoes, grapes, tangerines etc - stuff that can be shoved on the table without any further thought.

Should do it.

Beef Wellington with red cabbage for boxing day? Can be prepped well ahead of time, and just needs chucking in the oven.

Roast potatoes. If I didn't get any on Christmas day I'd storm out in disgust. Joking maybe

I wouldn’t bother with salad on Boxing Day. Certainly here no one eats it! No one likes weeds on a plate and I seem to Chuck mine.

Can you make a pot of soup and freeze it?

Then part baked rolls, cold meat, may be pate and a selection of cheese? If more carbs are needed baked potatoes. Crisps and dips.

How are you doing for freezer space? If you have room you could do a big chilli or lasagne as pp suggest, or I've done basically a massive beef and veg stew and frozen it then defrosted it and topped it with puff pastry on the day alongside a chicken and leek pie made fresh.

For a more traditional buffet I would do:
Ham- I love the hairy bikers marmalade glazed one
Pate and bread- one chicken liver, one mushroom, one smoked mackerel- all made on Christmas Eve
Roasted veg cousin cousin
Pasta salad, maybe a pesto with tomatoes
Rice salad
Mince pies, rocky road for afters?

Cousin cousin??? Cous cous obviously!

Omg I forgot the bloody roasties! Yes DP wouldn't talk to me ever again if I didn't do roasties.

Right, Boxing Day.
I'll order another turkey crown and some part baked bread rolls. What sauces/condiments should I get to go with it? I'm notorious for eating my food dry and can't handle my food being wet so I don't do sauce of any kind but appreciate others aren't weird like me.

I've got some buffet bits in my online shop basket, Indian selection, Chinese selection bloody love spring rolls, can't actually wait, sausage rolls, some bits for desserts, will do a couple of pizzas, maybe some new potatoes? I'll def get salad. Again, what constitutes as an all rounder dressing? I'd rather shit in my hands than put dressing on my salad but I know others don't feel as strongly about it as me lol. I've got a breadstick variety and a selection of dips and will do carrot cucumber and pepper and celery sticks too.

Am I missing anything obvious?
Just going to get capri suns for the kids to drink and I know the men all drink lager but I don't know what to get in the way of wine? I don't drink fuck I sound boring - no ketchup, no booze so I'm clueless in this department too.

If I was invited to a boxing day buffet I would probably bring some wine to drink and a gift for the host with me so I would no worry too much about booze.

Any puddings?

Sounds plenty and delicious OP. Maybe bowls of 'posh' crisps to bulk it out and please the kids

Also maybe a choc yule log of small cakes for people to just grab?

French dressing is simple. Or a balsamic vinaigrette. Your buffet sounds lovely OP - maybe get some crisps to bulk it out also. For wine I would get a prosecco as it is light and festive!

Just buy a bottle of ready made vinaigrette / French dressing..