Meals on Christmas week

[chardonm]

I am hosting my whole family for a week at Christmas. Christmas lunch is sorted - I will do turkey and the trimmings, with a Christmas pudding (store bought) and cold starter.

Any ideas for other meals during that week? Family will be expecting festive type meals, cheese and crackers and pudding most meals etc. I want to treat but a little worried about finances of hosting meals for 7 days (10 adults to feed, 4 little ones)

I don't think it's unreasonable to ask them to contribute to the cost. Could you ask them to contribute towards it, or to bring the desserts /alcohol/nibbles?

Curry, do a bloody lovely from scratch curry. I always do and everyone comments how lovely it is not to eat christmassy food when all you've done is eat christmassy food.

Currys, casseroles, maybe a buffet of little nibbles and party food type stuff from supermarkets? Soups... ask if they mind other things. Any kids coming? Pizza and chips is normally a fail safe with them

I'm very firmly on the side of if you host, you pay. However there is no way they can expect you to pay to feed that many people for an entire week. Ask for contributions.

I love the idea of a curry! I could maybe make it veggie too to try and save a bit that one night.

I can't ask for contributions - all coming from afar and not a lot of money. (Brother and 2 cousins are uni students, etc)

tomato and basil soup (using canned tomatoes) and some tear and share bread (very easy)

[[https://www.eatsamazing.co.uk/seasonal-fun-food/christmas/quick-easy-reindeer-pizza-quesadillas-recipe-fun-christmas-food reindeer Quesadillas (again, very easy and uses up any leftover veggies, cheeses etc. you can make them meat free to lower the price further)

sausage and mash with onion gravy (ok, so not overly festive but its warming and easy.)

snowman pizza (get premade pizza dough from the shops, roll into 3 circles, join together so you have 3 parts, then cover in cheese and other toppings)

festive frittata

for puddings,

cinnamon rice pudding

ice cream (you can get some in the shape of xmas trees)

christmas cookies (maybe you can get the kids to help you depending on their age?)

just cheese and crackers one night

x

Christmas week I have adult dc more or less for a week. £50 'donation' from all 3. Their suggestion.
And ds pays for a turkey!
Cooking and stress is mine - no need to be out of pocket also - in their opinion!

oh i messed up one of the links, it was meant to be 2 individual ones but it just missed the sausages and mash so never mind

You can't or you won't? Grown adults cannot expect to eat and drink for free for a full week, that's ridiculous.

If you can't ask for food then plan the meals and tell them what they can bring.

The only way to do that cheaply is to buy in bulk . For example go to Costco if you are eligible for a membership and start filling the freezer and you can stock up on veg nearer the time . I would be expecting people to bring alcohol and I would ask about desserts . Also I hope you get a chance to relax as that sounds a lot of cooking !

A few christmases ago I did curry on Christmas eve.

I didn't do it completely from scratch, I used pataks paste. Jamie's Oliver's butternut squash Rogan Josh went down better than the chicken korma. Can't remember the exact recipe but I do it like:

Slow cook onions, garlic, chillies and a ton of coriander. Add cubed butternut squash, curry paste, chickpeas, peppers and coconut milk and spinach.

Job done.

Christmas is a small affair at my house but I usually plan a buffet/picnic tea on Christmas Eve with plenty of leftovers for picking at in the following days, so quiche, cold meats, pasta salad, sausage rolls, nice bread, proper butter etc. for picking at. If I was hosting I'd do several meals like that, supplemented by some nice thick home made soups and plenty of bread to fill people up. I'd also do plates of sandwiches and trays of chips or roast potatoes with coleslaw and trimmings.

OP you can ask for contributions. They are taking the piss eating you out of house and home,

Could you suggest they provide a meal each? That allows them to make/bring/buy something appropriate for each budget - someone might buy a takeaway, others might do a Bolognese? Shares the cost and effort a bit more. I’d be more than happy to do that as a guest.

10 adults for a week?! Crikey, that will cost a fortune if they are expecting 'festive' all the way. I sincerely hope that you will not be the only one on mass catering duty.

Anyway.

Chicken drumsticks, cherry tomatoes, peppers, onions and chopped chorizo for a traybake. New potatoes and/or french stick. Chocolate log.

Sausage and mash (get some special festive sausages, the come in umpteen flavours around xmas). Mandarin orange trifle.

Giant chilli. ice cream.

Large gammon with parsley sauce, broad beans, sprouts and jacket spuds. Pineapple fruit salad.

Pizza night. Mince pies.

Beef casserole (shin of beef as it's cheaper) with boiled potatoes, carrots and kale.

Fish & chips (pass the chore on to the chip shop) or baked side of salmon with new potatoes again.

Lunches can be soups, quiche, sandwiches, sausage rolls, whatever.

You need loaves, fish, water and the Messiah. 14 times 7 times 3. That's a lot of food! You are a saint.

I would do some big advance made freezer options like pie, lasagna, chilli, spag bol.

Boxing day would be leftovers sandwiches.

Godspeed OP.

If you can't ask for contributions, I think I'd do 1) pizza, wedges, garlic bread, salad 2) sausage, mash and veg 3) veg curry, rice and naan breads 4) turkey pie, roasted new potatoes and veg 5) lasagne and salad 6) Chinese meal using some leftover turkey in the egg fried rice, sticky chicken wings and stir fried veg.

For breakfast: toast, muffins and crumpets with jam/marmalade

For lunch: make your own sandwiches, get cheese/ham/tuna/egg mayo and salad, plus crisps and crudités and everybody makes their own lunch if they're about.

I'd also start clearing room in your freezer and buying things when you see them on offer, ie half price pizza if you don't make your own, 3 for £10 on meat deals to get mince/chicken/sausages, garlic bread.

If you don't feel like you can ask for monetary contributions, at least ask them to bring their own alcohol, the food can be done fairly reasonably if you're organised but I tend to buy too much alcohol, ie someone liles baileys so I should get they, someone else gin, is 2 cases of beer enough, or should I get 3.....?

You want to pull out your hearty filling but inexpensive meals. I would do:

• thick vegetable soup (with carrot, lentils, split peas, butternut squash etc.) with warm bread and butter or garlic bread.
• lasagne or similar pasta bake, veggie to keep costs down.
• sausage, onion, apple and potato casserole (sausages cut up so they go further).
• jacket potatoes with cheese and beans, salad on the side.
• veg or egg curry with rice, flatbread, plenty of veg in the sauce.

I think you can’t ask for cash. It will be fine tho.

• Lentil Soup and lovely bread followed by cheesecake (bought)
• Lasagne and frozen peas and frozen garlic bread (make it ahead) with ice lollies to follow (no cook)
• Jamie’s veggie chilli with grated cheese and sour cream and jalapeños etc and rice. Follow with Viennetta x 2

-Jacket potatoes with salami and cold meats, salad and grated cheese. Followed by nice fruit.

• Curry, rice no desert. Couple of packets of tangfastics.
• Pie and oven chips. Poached pears and vanilla ice cream.

• Christmas dinner

Even as a broke young adult, I still made a contribution to the family Christmas feast. At the very least you can get everybody to bring some cheese and crackers and some booze. Surely people will say ‘what can I bring?’ Don’t say nothing!! Even if you just assign them each something small and cheap, when you multiply that by ten it will save you some money.

I would only cook one big filling meal a day. And then have a lighter lunch or dinner of just sandwiches, nibbles or leftovers. I think it’s always ‘festive’ to have stuff in the middle of the table that people can help themselves to.

Stuff like
Veg curry
Veg chilli
Root veg tagine and cous cous
Sausage casserole and mash
Fish pie
Toad in the hole
Tray bakes with chicken thighs

Cottage pie - with lots of veg through it to make it go further
Turkey and broccoli pasta bake - uses up leftover turkey and my mum uses a recipe involving condensed soup and mayonnaise, so no sauce to actually make
Baked gammon with potatoes - leftover ham for sandwiches
Steak pie - cheap cuts of beef, slow cooked with carrots and mushrooms to stretch it out and then padded out further with pastry and potatoes
Chicken thighs, chorizo, potatoes bunged in a tray and baked - Mary Berry recipe I think
Sausage cassoulet - also Mary Berry
Puddings - think cake type puds that can be served with custard. Ingredients not expensive a v filling - leftovers can be used to pad out lunch
Lunch - lots of thick hearty soups to fill people up
Make and freeze as much as poss in advance so you’re not on your knees by the time they leave!!!

This chicken and mushroom puff pie is always a crowd pleaser in our house. You can make and freeze the filling in advance, then defrost and add shop bought puff pastry before putting it in the oven. I serve with veg, mash and gravy. It uses chicken thighs so relatively cheap.

I can't imagine they'll expect festive type meals and a cheese course all week surely ? Especially uni students, they'll probably be delighted to have a home cooked meal!

I'd go for tasty winter warmers and a few that can be made in advance and frozen:
Sausage casserole with mustard mash
Fish pie
Veggie curry with rice, naan and chutney
Homemade tomato soup with eg veg, pesto & mozzarella ciabattas (buy part baked)
Seafood linguini - fish goes a lot further in this than individual portions.
Lentil, bean and veg chili with wedges, guacamole, grated cheese etc.

I think for breakfast provide cereals, toast, yogurt and fruit and tell people it's a help yourself situation. Possibly one or two days I'd do a cooked breakfast/scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and bagels but really you'll have enough to do. I certainly hope they appreciate you !

Absolutley ask for contributions!!! Its a whole week<img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Shock" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/build/assets/shock-7MJQdU1X.png"><img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Shock" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/build/assets/shock-7MJQdU1X.png"> Everyone brings their own alcohol, you supply mixers & soft drinks<img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Smile" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/build/assets/smile-iCO8d7ST.png"><img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Smile" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/build/assets/smile-iCO8d7ST.png"> Then ask for guests-whether it be a couple, a family or a single person- to bring the ingredients for one meal to feed everyone, then everyone has a meal that they know that theyll love & look forward to eating it, along with everything else provided
Of course youll have to try & get people to tell you what theyll be bringing, if going down this route, you dont want the same meals several times over<img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Shock" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/build/assets/shock-7MJQdU1X.png"><img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Shock" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/build/assets/shock-7MJQdU1X.png"><img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Grin" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/build/assets/grin-D7Eg_B6y.png"><img loading="lazy" class="inline-flex mumsnet-emoji" alt="Grin" src="https://www.mumsnet.com/build/assets/grin-D7Eg_B6y.png"> The alcohol doesnt matter, if people bring too much, they can either leave it at host`s house as a small thank-you or take it home with them

A huge pile of jacket potatoes and then bowls of beans, cheese, coleslaw and maybe tuna mayo for people to serve themselves plus a bowl of salad.