Critique my Christmas dinner menu

[shouldistop]

We'll be feeding 8 adults & 4 children aged 1-7.

Starter: sweet potato & butternut squash soup (people can add chilli flakes or crème fraîche)

Mains:

2lbs Roast beef
2lbs Gammon cooked in cider
2lbs Turkey joint

Pigs in blankets
Stuffing
Mashed potatoes
Roast potatoes

Broccoli
Carrots
Parsnips
Sweetcorn
Peas
Sprouts

Dessert: sticky toffee pudding with either custard or ice cream

Swap the sweetcorn for cauliflower cheese and also add Yorkshire pudding

Trifle is for Boxing Day 👩‍⚖️

Turkey crown and stuffing
For veg I have french beans, carrots, sprouts and parsnips.
For starch: roasties, mash, sweet potato.
Sauces: cranberry sauce, bread sauce and gravy.
Extras: pigs in blankets.
Dessert: Christmas cake, something else (in the past apple pie or crumble with custard or ice cream or cream).
I've decided against a starter, but mushroom soup or prawn cocktail in the past.

I think you are over complicating it by offering three different meats and too many veg. I'd cut out the sweet corn for a start, either broccoli or peas and one of the meats.

We generally have a ham or roast beef on Boxing Day, and this year and a ready made lobster and scallop pie for Christmas Eve.

Ditch the starter.

Not enough meat.

You have too many veg options- 3 is plenty.

I'm going to say that if you're having a starter, then soup is a very good idea - just chop, whack it in the pan, leave it to cook - none of the last minute fannying around and masses of workspace required for canapes and tiny things on toast etc - what a faff!

We have always had sweetcorn with Christmas dinner, probably started by my mum due to us kids refusing sprouts. She actually just used to put a tin of it (lid opened but not removed) straight in the oven. Saved a pan. We had just carrots, sweetcorn, parsnips and sprouts as veg. Turkey, stuffing, roast potatoes, (no mash), gravy and cranberry sauce. No-one we knew had pigs in blankets those days, I think some people would have chipolatas though?

I should add my mum was a fantastic cook, so everything was perfect and delicious. We all loved the gathering round the table, the talk and laughter, huge quantities of lovely food - nothing fancy.

My mum was Italian, so we did have some extra Italian Christmas goodies, which were mostly sweet (little dough chunks/pastries in syrup, a kind of doughnut with sultanas), as well as Christmas Spaghetti - a tomato sauce with anchovies, nuts (hazel, walnut and pine) and raisins/sultanas - on Christmas Eve.

Enjoy your lovely family Christmas dinner op

If you’re having a starter surely it has to be prawns?
Where’s the Baileys cheesecake, Christmas pudding, five different types of cream?

Ditch the starter

Turkey & Beef
Roast potatoes
Stuffing
Peas
Carrots
Parsnips
Sprouts
PIB
Gravy
Cranberry sauce & horseradish

Xmas Pudding & an ice cream or pavlova type option (Iceland yes Iceland do some good ones at Christmas)

Don’t over complicate it or give yourself excessive work

Bread sauce? Cranberry sauce? Horseradish? Cauliflower cheese with mustard?

Seems like a lot of food to me (do you have that many pans?) but I actually like the idea of not overly rich veg and only having one pudding (but I've never made a chocolate tree thing and noone here likes cheesecakes unless it's a homemade baked affair). I think I'd ditch the soup but mainly because I wouldn't want to have to washup the bowls ready for the dessert

One thing I have found is that if there is any sort of reciprocation or rota system, some people do resent it if one couple become too ambitious and keep increasing the complexity.

No need for mash and roasties. I agree with a second pudding my mother in law used to make a fruit mousse as one of hers, light and fruity after a rich meal it was perect

Mash AND roasties is essential.

Christmas braised red cabbage? Cranberry sauce? Bread sauce? Leeks? Roasted parsnips? Chestnut stuffing?

@kinzarose

Is that enough meat for 12? It really wouldn't be in my house

That was my first thought , unless there are a lot of vegetarians

Mrsmadevans

I agree.
For several of my family the meat is the most important part of the meal and will eat a great deal.
I am guessing there may be a preference for the beef or turkey, and some may want both.
2lbs of beef will not go far for 12 people. I think gammon may be second choice for most.

I am not a big meat eater, but I like people to have more food than they need for a christmas meal.
Left over meat rarley goes to waste in any home- it can be eaten over several days afterwards in many ways, or sliced and frozen for packed lunches or meals in the new year.

I would double the amount of meat.

@speakout

Mrsmadevans

I agree.
For several of my family the meat is the most important part of the meal and will eat a great deal.
I am guessing there may be a preference for the beef or turkey, and some may want both.
2lbs of beef will not go far for 12 people. I think gammon may be second choice for most.

I am not a big meat eater, but I like people to have more food than they need for a christmas meal.
Left over meat rarley goes to waste in any home- it can be eaten over several days afterwards in many ways, or sliced and frozen for packed lunches or meals in the new year.

I would double the amount of meat.

Yes l would too . If there is any legal over then the usual Sarnies or Boxing day cold cuts with chips will take care of it 🤗 Have a lovely meal Op 😋😀

Legal? 🤣🤣 Meat 🍖!

No red cabbage no cauliflower cheese. I'm not coming 😂

Mrsmadevans

Exactly. In fact we buy extra foods to have with left over meats in the days after christmas- pickles, crisps, chutney, picallili, , cheese, salads, crackers, breadsticks- lunches, meals and snacks are taken care of in the days after christmas.
It allows for those who usually cook in the family can have a bit of a break for a few days- carving off slices of meat for sanwiches, to eat with chips or chopping to make a quick fried rice or soup with leftovers.

@speakout

Mrsmadevans

Exactly. In fact we buy extra foods to have with left over meats in the days after christmas- pickles, crisps, chutney, picallili, , cheese, salads, crackers, breadsticks- lunches, meals and snacks are taken care of in the days after christmas.
It allows for those who usually cook in the family can have a bit of a break for a few days- carving off slices of meat for sanwiches, to eat with chips or chopping to make a quick fried rice or soup with leftovers.

We think alike Speakout l have already bought our jars of pickles from Marks ready for Christmas Night and Boxing day

I think pigs in blankets took off in the 90s. When did red cabbage and cauliflower cheese become de rigueur for Christmas?. They seem even more recent.

Regarding pickles.FYI asda piccalilli is much nicer that M&S surprisingly

@MintyGreenDream

Regarding pickles.FYI asda piccalilli is much nicer that M&S surprisingly

Thank you Minty l will give it a try

@MintyGreenDream

Regarding pickles.FYI asda piccalilli is much nicer that M&S surprisingly

I will try that. OH likes the piccalilli, and dill pickles. I love chilli jam and the thunderous huge pickles onions in malt vinegar. A thick slice of leftover turkey, some sharp cheddar or brie, some pickles, watercress, cherry tomatoes, crusty bread- hard to beat for lunch or a light evening meal.