How do you serve dinner?

[theoriginaltms]

I usually just plate it up in the kitchen same as a Sunday roast but am I doing it all wrong? Should I lay it all on the table and let everybody help thereselves like on the tele? 😂

Usually at least 12 of us so everything is laid out on the table and everyone helps themselves.

We have a line of hot plates down the middle of the table (heated by candles inside them) and we plate up the meat, pigs in blankets and stuffing in the kitchen, but then put the veg, potatoes, gravy etc on the hotplates. So everyone has their fair share of meat and stuffing, then can have as much or as little of everything else as they want.

We also keep some turkey sliced ready for everyone to have a bit more if they want it, but they rarely take us up on the offer as they're stuffed (ha ha) by then!

I have kept my old dining table (legs screw off which is handy) and will be setting that up in the kitchen and laying everything out.

I will plate up for the 2 year old then everyone else helps themselves as far as they are able to. Gravy on the main table so it doesn't get spilled. My parents always did it this way and works well. We even do it like that for Sunday lunch too. Although if space in the table is low I will carve the chicken (hubby hates turkey and I could take it or leave it) and hand out the plates with the meat and let them do the rest.

Mil has a heated hostess trolly which is good but then she and fil still dish up to everyone and you get massive portions I can never manage. So big it's like a whole entire meal to get down to whatever they dished you first and your scared it will all collapse and go everywhere. And I feel rude leaving so much but even a champion eater would struggle with those portions!

Every other year I cook for 16. Its a bit of a squeeze in my kitchen where the table is as well. So after getting my brother in law to carve, the people at kitchen end of the table serve up for other people. So a plate is served with turkey and stuffing, then handed to the next person who does the sausage and bacon, then the next who does the roasties, then another person who does the veg and then its handed down the table. Then gravy and sauces are passed around. The turkey remains on the side but all the rest is on the table.

We've aways done it like this.

We eat around 1pm ish. Everything on the table here and a tangle of arms and plates 😊
We have main course then pause to open presents then have pudding. Dog walk in there somewhere if my sister’s with us.

2 people here.

Served on plates and kitchen too small.

Starter about 2:30/3pm.
Different starters different years. Thinking of stuffed portobello mushrooms this year.

Mains after a small break.
This year will be roast loin of pork, roasties, mash, carrot purée, sprouts and beans with lemon and pine nuts, apple sauce and an onion jus.

Do different mains different years but not turkey very often as mam doesn't like it.

Small break.

Christmas pudding and cream.
Mince pies and cream.

PLENTY OF WINE throughout.

Die on sofa until room for more!!!

Oh and we don't do starters. We have crisps and nibbles, blini etc with drinks beforehand. For the main meal we have turkey, sausages, bacon, stuffing, parsnips in parmesan, roast potatoes, peas and carrots, gravy and bread sauce.

My sisters bring the puddings. There will usually be a small Christmas pudding and then a couple of others, something chocalatey, a pavlova, ice cream etc. And then coffee.

After lunch we do presents. And games. Later a cup of tea. In the evening we might watch TV or play more games and I might bring out some cheese and biscuits, pate and prawns.

Everything in serving dishes. Either middle of the table or on the kitchen side depending on how many people and space. Its how we serve most meals all year round to be honest.

Oh I keep forgetting. I do sprouts too. And I do marinaded salmon for two pescatarians.

Dinner never till around 5 here.
Turkey has to come to the table whole, in all its golden glory to be carved. Everything else in dishes on the table - which can be a bit of a squeeze, but then I don't do masses of different veg - just roast spuds (lots!) and parsnips, carrots and sprouts, plus of course loads of pigs in blankets.

In the middle, loads of washing up

Serving dishes on the table. Same as every other meal of the year

There's only 3 of us. It gets bunged on our plates same as a normal dinner. My mum used to put dishes on the table and we helped ourselves and things sat in the hostess trolley staying warm. DH and I are lazy!

I put all food in the middle of the table so everyone can help him/herself. Saying that I don’t go over the top.

One meat, roast potatoes, gravy, two vegetables and pigs in blanket. Meat is carved in the kitchen and partly put on the serving platter, when empty we get more as it keeps warm in the oven.

We do a small starter, DD loves melon and Parma ham, I did a soup once but that is quite a lot of work the day before and it depends on my working days.

Dessert is normally something light, no one likes Christmas pudding so we do Panda Cotta, Souffles, things I can prepare and either just heat up or eat cold.

We light the BBQ mid afternoon. Food is served as it's ready.
Decided a few years ago that a full roast was a waste of time in Christmas day when we would rather have fun with the children.