What's special about your Christmas Dinner?

[ODFOx]

What do you have that makes it special for your family?
I am pretty much a traditionalist, but I do add a lot of trimmings: 3 stuffings, pigs in blankets with full size chipolatas, cranberry and bread sauce. But the touches we have that most folk don't: devils on horseback alongside the pigs in blankets (a revelation that I wouldn't get away without adding now) and an American style green bean casserole made with green beans in a creamy sauce topped with crunchy fried onions.

What additions do you recommend?

[quote HollyandIvyandAllThingsYule]@Jumpingintchristmas yay!🎄🎄🎄 Not long now...[/quote]
I can’t wait!

Sounds great @thebabessavedme - that’s exactly what it’s all about.

Not really special, but always proper gravy made in the roasting tin, with stock from the turkey giblets made the day before.

Home made Ps inBs, best quality fat sausages cut into thirds, wrapped in half a rasher of streaky. 2 on a cocktail stick, v quick and easy, made and frozen well in advance.

Sausage meat, sage and onion stuffing, also made and frozen in advance - sausage meat squished out of best quality sausages.

Always homemade Christmas pudding, brought to the table flaming gloriously from plenty of 50/50 brandy and vodka. With a sprig of holly on top. Someone is always detailed to turn the lights off first.

We never have it before around 5 - far less of a rush for the cook. And I will always have had a lot of Buck’s Fizz (fresh OJ and proper fizz) first.🎄

Same here @GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER we have our Christmas Dinner at dinner time (albeit a little earlier than usual). It’s a much nicer day that way, and far more enjoyable for the cook(s).

Blazed salmon (salmon that's nailed to a plank next to a fire and it kind of half cooks half smokes) warmed up and served with a creme fraiche, lemon and herb sauce.

One year I bought a jar of tar pickled herrings and they were so amazing but I've never seen them sold since and I think I will have to try making my own so that will become another special thing.

My Christmas Dinner is pretty much standard fayre, but special for us because I do as much as possible from scratch.

I love being cosied up in the kitchen with a few sherries, Christmas carols on, and prepping. It's not something I have a lot of time to do normally so I really enjoy it.

@lachy

My Christmas Dinner is pretty much standard fayre, but special for us because I do as much as possible from scratch.

I love being cosied up in the kitchen with a few sherries, Christmas carols on, and prepping. It's not something I have a lot of time to do normally so I really enjoy it.

Me too @lachy always carols on and a tot or too of sherry- I only drink it in winter but so lovely and warming.

Carols and sherry (or mulled wine) also when making mince pies - first batch usually on 1st December but not before.

Havjng dinner in the evening.
Proper homemade brandy sauce
Chilled Dessert / pudding wine with the pudding
Decent chipolatas, twisted into minis, and rolled up streaky bacon: not ready made PiB.
Everything home made (starting now and frozen: bread sauce, spicy red cabbage, cranberry sauce).

Lovely thread OP!

I guess we are pretty trad...

Fizz
Turkey or sometimes beef for the meat eaters
A beautiful artichoke & pistachio white nut roast for the veggies / also goes as a side with the meat.
Cranberry & red cabbage
Pigs in blankets
Parmesan roasted parsnips, roasties & Brussels sprouts,
Yorkshires

Chocolate xmas cake decorated with white icing (nigella's Choc Guinness cake last year)

V.small xmas pud so we can set fire to it

Nuts to crack with nutcracker
Home made mince pies
Loads of cheese / chocolate
Sloe gin (it's brewing in my cupboard right now)

🎄🤶🏽🎅🏾

Oh also mulled wine & we usually have multi generational games like charades & the kids & some of the adults put on a xmas show 🎄😊

I was listening to a podcast earlier in the year where the American hosts were talking about green bean casserole and I am definitely considering adding it to the list!

I do do a bit of a special Christmas dinner, there is a lot in life I am not good at but a full Christmas dinner is one of them

I would say there are 2 things special about mine, 1 is the menu I have created over time since first moving into my own home 5 years ago, and the other is that I will happily include anything that people want.

What I currently make:

Whatever meat we fancy, I am not keen on meat, the DC have chicken and DP will have some kind of red meat
Pigs in blankets
Meat stuffing/garnishes
Bread based stuffing
Yorkshire puddings
Roast potatos
Mashed potatoes
Carrot and sweede crush
Roasted chantenay carrots
Roasted parsnips
Cauliflower cheese
Cream Cabbage
Brussel sprouts
Bread sauce
Gravy
Cranberry sauce

I am considering adding:
Green bean casserole
Sprout Gratin alongside the buttered sprouts
Spiced Red cabbage

It sounds like a lot but while it is all served on the day, the veg keeps well and I eat it in various combinations for the next few days so absolutely none of it goes to waste!

Jamie Oliver's braised red cabbage with bacon, apple and balsamic vinegar.

Sprouts fried in butter with bacon!

My mums proper sausage meat stuffing.

Homemade sherry trifle.

@Mumoblue

Brussels sprouts fried in garlic and bacon. I learned to make them that way because my ex didn’t like them boiled. They are really nice like that, even he would eat them without complaining.

Mine almost didn't make it to the table the first time I did them like this.

Well the chef does need to keep tasting don't they 😳

I make everything from scratch apart from the Christmas pudding.

Usually do my turkey crown like this and this stuffing is absolutely lush.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/turkey-crown-roast-garlic-pancetta

I par-boiled then fried Brussels sprouts with butter and toasted almonds and pecan nuts the other day, was really lovely. May do that at Christmas.

A beautiful artichoke & pistachio white nut roast for the veggies / also goes as a side with the meat

OMG. Do you have a recipe you could share, @PeriChristmas?

Table decorations, beautifully set out (all generally by DM) Christmas crackers, have to wear the paper crowns and read the jokes etc, red cabbage, Brussel sprouts, pigs in blankets, trifle, cheesy Christmas songs in the back ground, lots of bubbles.

Oh yes and a small Christmas pudding because I love them but no one else seems to although DC will have a spoonful.

Parsnips with a maple syrup and mustard glaze.
Carrots roasted with cardamon seeds.
Baked camembert for a starter.

@HarebrightCedarmoon

I par-boiled then fried Brussels sprouts with butter and toasted almonds and pecan nuts the other day, was really lovely. May do that at Christmas.

Can I just say a massive thank you on behalf of MN for not saying 'pan-fried'? I would describe you as a breath of fresh air, but you've just had a load of sprouts so...

OMG. Do you have a recipe you could share,@PeriChristmas?
Was thinking this too. Sounds delicious 😋

Brie, bacon and cranberry croissants for breakfast on Xmas eve, Xmas day or Boxing Day (or all three…)

Boxing Day sandwich. Almost all leftovers in a toastie - turkey, ham, cheese, bubble & squeak, stuffing.

Cauliflower cheese is essential for Christmas dinner at my house.

Anyone got a good recipe for a vegetarian stuffing?

We also have a Boxing Day sandwich- hadn’t thought of toasting it though!

What's special about it is I don't cook it

Homemade potato croquettes prepared the night before and chucked in the oven 10 minutes before. Its a tradition I took from my own parents.

Broccoli cheese instead of cauliflower cheese as DH doesn't like cauliflower. I almost prefer it now.