Please help with a small but nice menu (2 people only)

[FridaRose]

Hi, unfortunately DH and I cannot see family this Xmas (due to numerous circumstances).

What can we cook on Xmas day (and days before/after) just for the two of us? Obvs can't do massive turkey. Chicken then? I think I should do only few side dishes, but which ones?

Im also pregnant so can't really do seafood or alcohol. Cheese is limited too

Please help us with your ideas, I'm absolutely gutted about not seeing our family so need to have a good menu so we can have a lovely day just the two of us.

Thank you!

Guinea fowl is tasty if you want to stick with traditional accompaniments.
Tastes vary, I think roast potatoes and gravy are essential. Beyond that, well what do you like?

It's not set in stone you have to eat a traditional Christmas roast . Have your favourite meal , or a buffet , or even beans on toast . Mine would be anything I've not shopped for , prepared or had to cook !

we never have turkey as I'm not fussed. For two I would do either a rack of lamb, or some fillet steak I think. Dauphinoise potatoes, braised red cabbage, and a green vegetable. I always do mincemeat and apple sponge puddings instead of Christmas pudding - still really christmassy but less heavy.

Or you could do a coq au vin possibly using turkey leg.
Venison?

I guess the aim here is to make it festive as otherwise I will just sit and wallow in self pity that we're all alone at Xmas.
If I have a solid menu then it'll help with the spirit etc.

We love everything food-wise, but doesn't make sense to have all the sides for just two people?

Really interesting meat options! And fancy too, so will feel a bit special.

You could do a traditional roast but get a turkey breast or crown which would be enough for 2 with leftovers on Boxing Day. Or beef wellington?
I'd have charcuterie, olives, nice breadsticks, hummus type platter as a starter to nibble while your turkey and roasties are in the oven. And a glass of alcohol free fizz.

Yes, it might be better to have something completely different that you like rather than a scaled down roast. Dauphinoise potatoes are really good as TheTurnOfTheScrew says.
You can buy beef Wellington.

I'd do the full thing but with turkey crown. Turkey crown, two types of potato (mashed & roast) whatever your favourite roast veg is. Ready made smaller fav sides from m&s. There'll be a lot of leftovers but leftovers are nice.

We're Home Alone too (although very much not pregnant). I've bought a goose which is a real treat but I love it, and I will most definitely be making all our favourite sides - roast potatoes, sprouts with bacon, pigs in blankets, red cabbage, and something simple.

We'll start the day with champagne + smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for breakfast (sorry), goose for lunch + a Waitrose xmas pud (they do little ones) + a lovely cheese board that we will graze through the day (also sorry). And probably a box of After Eights if we feel a bit peckish in-between. I can't wait!

So it was just us two last year and I still did a turkey crown and all the sides. All the leftovers were for Boxing Day. I made bubble and squeak from the veg and had with the leftover turkey.
The dog also got a full Christmas dinner too

I live overseas and here the big party is Christmas Eve but they eat fish (Catholics) so on Christmas day I usually cook a deboned turkey thigh with stuffing for DH and I. For me sides have to be roast potatoes, cabbage, roast carrots and if I can get the cranberries then cranberry sauce. I usually make mince pies and custard for pud.

I'd go for duck. These two recipes are delicious. There is red wine in the plum sauce but only 50 ml and it cooks off. These are for duck breast/leg portions. Personally, I'd tweak the recipe and roast a whole duck so there are leftovers for crispy duck pancakes/stir fry on Boxing Day.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/roasted-duck-breast-plum-sauce

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/roast-duck-two-ways-spiced-clementine-sauce

Fall off the bone lamb shanks, with mash potatoes.

If you like cheese I would definitely have baked Camembert as cooked cheese is ok (needs to bubble).
A small ham done in the slow cooker is a nice main and then good leftovers.

What would be your favourite thing to eat OP if you think on it ad go with your gut? Would you miss/regret not having a traditional meal? If yes, start from there and build up to include all your favourite sides and just focus on making sure the meat portions are appropriate for 2, there are lots of options for this :)

If you would prefer a on traditional meal then have literally whatever you fancy!

It was just the two of us for Christmas last year, due to covid. To be honest, as glad as I am that we can see family this year, it was great! It's absolutely possible to cook Christmas lunch (or any kind of roast) for two people.

We had roast duck and all the usual sides - potatoes, carrots, parsnips, sprouts etc. Buy them loose if you can and just get a couple of each per person. You can roast most of them together to save on washing up. We had cauliflower cheese too which we would never usually have at a big family gathering. Use leftover meat on boxing day for sandwiches etc. Prepackaged stuff like pigs in blankets can be frozen and you can eat the rest of the pack at new years (or whenever you fancy it!).

For dessert, small xmas pudding or mince pies served warm with brandy cream.

A beef Wellington for two feels luxurious, goes well with traditional side dishes, and won’t produce a tonne of leftovers. Add some 0% prosecco to make Bellinis and it should feel festive enough.

Pretty sure you can eat lobster when pregnant. A lobster pasta or risotto could be nice on Boxing Day, or New Year’s Eve etc.

We have had a small rib of beef, goose, chicken or duck when we were on our own. We had all the sides we like (roast potatoes, sprouts, roast carrots, roast parsnips, broccoli and peas, stuffing, pigs and Yorkshires).

You can eat almost all cheese and shellfish when pregnant.

A meal I make sometimes for special occasions is Beef Stroganoff with fillet steak. It does have brandy in it but the alcohol is cooked off. We have it with rice but any nice carb would do, eg sauté potatoes.

Spread all the treats through the day.
Lovely leisurely breakfast then presents then calls to family then starters then movie, then main course, walk (potter) around the neighbourhood, home for dessert and or cheeseboard.

Most small joints are harder to make moist and perfectly cooked than larger ones so I'd either go big and expect to be eating leftovers for a week or eschew the classic roast completely and go for either something slow cooked like the lamb shanks a pp mentioned or something small but exquisite like crispy topped cubes of belly pork with a calvados gravy , dauphinoise, tender stem and green beans.

I guess the aim here is to make it festive as otherwise I will just sit and wallow in self pity that we're all alone at Xmas

Can you reframe this to 'we are together' and make it more positive? I would still buy a turkey or a crown, just not a huge one.

We're (2 only) having turkey crown, pigs in blankets, stuffing, sauces, potatoes, red cabbage cauli cheese and sprouts. With leftovers for sandwiches. Tend to buy very fancy picky bits for xmas eve. Light some candles, put on classical christmas music, pretend we're posh

Waitrose do a nice sage and onion stuffed chicken breast which is easy to cook (in laws use them for sunday lunches). Then add favourite sides?

Or a gammon, leftovers for sandwiches and very leftovers cut into cubes, frozen and added to pasta dishes or soups?

I'd go for Fillet steak, proper chips, onion rings, mushrooms and peppercorn sauce.

Cook have some nice bits for two people - turkey crown, beef wellington and lovely puds/sides. I'd be tempted to do that.

And try and reframe your thinking .... instead of "it's just the two of us, it's miserable", try and think "this is the last Christmas for a very long time that we can completely please ourselves and have quality time together before kids etc".

I'd just do all the usual trimmings but smaller portions. Leftover turkey and gammon I normally chop up, add leeks and cheese sauce and do a puff pie to have in the week between Xmas and New year.