What constitutes a Christmas dinner?

[Ajollyhappysoul]

What does your meal contain? Starter, main and dessert, especially the main meal? Do you include Yorkshire’s, brocolli? Or are these just for roast dinners?

@sadpapercourtesan

We don't do starters. I can't understand why people want to spoil their appetites with soup/pate when there's Christmas dinner to eat.

I agree! The main is massive, having a starter just spoils it. I can have soup and pate whenever. I have a big appetite and find a pre Christmas dinner starter to be too much.

StrongCoffeAvalanche

Starter: booze

that's my kind of started

We don't usually have a starter but dh likes melon

Main is turkey and ham
Stuffing
Steam veg (sprouts and carrots)
Roast spuds
Cranberry sauce

That's it. I don't bother with mash as there's only us two adults and small kids. I might get potato croquettes if I remember

Don’t have starter.

Main meal consists of Turkey, sausage meat stuffing, roast parsnips, mashed swede, cauliflower cheese, both roasted and mashed potatoes, carrots, Yorkshire puddings and the pigs in blankets are always served with the main meal.

Everyone is usually too stuffed for desert. Although always have deserts on offer. Don’t stick to anything in particular. We just get whatever we fancy, I think this years offerings are Chocolate Gateaux and an ice cream bomb (not sure as Dh picked them up and they’re out in the freezer!)

Starter
Oatcakes and pate or melon in Cointreau or prawn cocktail

Main
Roast Turkey, ham, pigs in blankets, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, pan fried brussel sprouts and bacon, roast carrots, peas, broccoli, sage and onion stuffing, pork and cranberry stuffing, yorkshires, gravy, cranberry sauce.

Dessert
Pavlova or trifle

Starter of prawn cocktail or pate and crusty bread

Main: turkey, stuffing, pigs in blankets, carrots, green beans, broccoli, parsnips, cauliflower cheese, roasted potatoes and mash potatoes, gravy (NEVER Yorkshire puddings on a Christmas dinner and our roots are Yorkshire)

Dessert: traditional Christmas pudding or chocolate/syrup pudding and custard.

Pigs in blankets, chestnut stuffing, roast pots, parsnips, sprouts. No turkey as too expensive. Kids have also requested Yorkshires this year!
Pudding M and S choc pine cones.
Evening
Cheese and biscuits

Salad with smoked salmon or ham, DD2 doesn’t like smoked salmon.

Turkey, roast potatoes, mix of veg, usually cauliflower cheese, carrots and broccoli.

Desert, Christmas pudding, I’ve ordered a lemon tart for alternative.

To add.. I would do turkey if there were more people, but a large chicken did three of us nicely with plenty of leftovers for Boxing Day. I think I also made cauliflower cheese, and there was gravy and cranberry sauce too. I don’t usually bother with sprouts, but I’ve found a good recipe where you stir fry them with bacon.

@JustBkind

Starter of prawn cocktail or pate and crusty bread

Main: turkey, stuffing, pigs in blankets, carrots, green beans, broccoli, parsnips, cauliflower cheese, roasted potatoes and mash potatoes, gravy (NEVER Yorkshire puddings on a Christmas dinner and our roots are Yorkshire)

Dessert: traditional Christmas pudding or chocolate/syrup pudding and custard.

See I think cauliflower cheese is a huge No No with Christmas dinner 🤪

Having fun spotting the Americans here

This year we are having:

Turkey
Gray
Roast potatoes
Bread sauce (probably only I will eat)
Sprouts
Carrots with brown sugar and butter (probably)
Chocolate truffles
Lots of coffee
Christmas pudding with brandy cream sauce

Starter - prawn cocktail/ pate and toast
Main - honey roast gammon, chicken, stuffing, roast potatoes, mash, peas, sweet corn, Brussels & bacon, carrots, honey parsnips, swede, Yorkies, red cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower cheese.
Desert - either Christmas pudding or sponge cake 😊

@Sunshineandrainbow out of interest what do you constitute too ££ for turkey? I guess its a prefernce thing but I would rather have the turkey and skip some other stuff. I think turkey is so economical but only if you like it of course

Starter: selection pack or chocolate truffles

Turkey, roast potatoes, mixed roasted veg (parsnips, carrots, halved onions, beetroot and sweet potato), mashed swede, Brussels, peas, stuffing, bread sauce, gravy, cranberry orange relish. Vegan types have some sort of dried thing, mums in charge this year, didn't look 👀 appetising from the screen shot

Christmas pudding for dessert, plus something like lemon meringue

NEVER Yorkshire puddings on a Christmas dinner and our roots are Yorkshire

I totally agree, I don’t think they should have a place on a Christmas dinner
We’ve only started doing this recently as Dh and dd decided they were adding them and I got overruled!!

but it turns out I’m the only one who ‘doesn’t’ have them, everyone else tucks in!

No starter. I think our main course must be huge as we all have big appetites but don’t think we could manage a starter!

So... turkey, roast potatoes, parsnips, broccoli, peas, carrots and sprouts. Yorkshires, pigs in blankets, cranberry sauce and stuffing. Tried Jamie Oliver’s gravy once but it was awful! So just normal gravy.

Then Christmas pudding.

No starter
Roast turkey
Roast potatoes and roast parsnips
Mashed potatoes
Pigs in blankets and chicks in blankets
Stuffing
Peas carrots and sprouts
Broccoli and cauliflower cheese
Carrot, parsnip and sweet potato mash
Gravy
Cranberry sauce
Mint sauce (for me..ducks for cover..)

Banoffee pie, Christmas pud, mince pies, cream

when would you have sausages in bacon, if you have them?

My family pigs in blankets to be put in the roasting tray with the bird (last 1/2 hour), as it makes the gravy taste bacony.

We don't have starters then no one will eat the meal! Roast dinner type meal early afternoon, some type of pudding and crackers later on

[quote JHMJHM]@Sunshineandrainbow out of interest what do you constitute too ££ for turkey? I guess its a prefernce thing but I would rather have the turkey and skip some other stuff. I think turkey is so economical but only if you like it of course[/quote]
Thinking £35ish for a decent turkey.

My family like** pigs in blankets to be put into the roasting tray.

Butternut squash, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, stuffing balls, peppers, potatoes, and some bird that isn't turkey.

For me, the key ingredients are a roast bird, ideally turkey but a good chicken or duck would do. Really good roast potatoes, parsnips and carrots, pigs in blankets, home made stuffing, good gravy made with wine and fresh herbs, baked red cabbage and sprouts (which I like with pancetta and chestnuts but DH prefers steamed so we go for the easier healthier option. Cranberry sauce is good but not essential.

No cauliflower cheese, no yorkshires, no broccoli. I do peas for DC as they don't like sprouts.

Pudding is traditional Christmas pudding lit up with warmed brandy and served with custard or cream.

Candles, crackers to pull, paper hats, stupid jokes, lots of wine.

Good chocolates and brandy or whisky. (We eat it in the evening, not lunchtime)

That's it.

I like it really traditional. But am very happy to have salmon and caviar blinis to start or a cheeseboard afterwards etc if people who are hosting insist.

Just realised that we usually have the pudding next day because we can't manage it.

Starter: Prosecco or champagne at frequent intervals throughout the day

Main: Turkey, sometimes ham too, roast potatoes (always in duck fat rather than goose fat if I can find it), stuffing balls, pigs in blankets, honey and mustard roasted parsnips and carrots, braised red cabbage, gravy, cranberry sauce

Pudding: No idea this year. Husband doesn't like Christmas pudding but daughter and I love it. We might have that and let him have Vienetta (which he loves). Or I might make a golden syrup sponge and custard or ice cream. One year I made a gingerbread trifle which was nice but we were just too stuffed to eat it till boxing day.

Xmas dinner = meat, roast tatties, pigs in blankets and if liked, brussel sprouts.
Anything else is a bonus x

Starter - something light, seafood.
Main - Turkey, roast potatoes and parsnips, stuffing, red cabbage, sprouts with chestnuts, mashed carrots and swedes, pigs in blankets, bread sauce, cranberry sauce, gravy.
Pudding - Christmas pudding, custard, brandy butter.