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?

No starter but if people are here in the afternoon, usually some nuts or little snacky things. I am making some "nuts and bolts" with cereals like Chex, Cheerios, various nuts, mini pretzels, etc. I found a recipe with Maple syrup to make them salty/sweet. I will add cayenne to jazz them up. You make up a butter based drizzle and mix it with the cereals etc and then slowly roast until dry and crispy.

Then turkey, stuffing, roast potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole.

We are having pumpkin pie for desert this year, with whipped cream. I am bit worried we will not be able to get the cream as we are in Vancouver. The floods and land slides a few weeks ago due to a huge storm means we have shortages of some things and dairy is one.

No starter here, except chocolate from the stocking.
Chicken, pigs in blankets - lots and lots, stuffing - the cheap stuff! Roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, selection of veg, carrots, peas and broccoli to keep the kids happy, sprouts, red cabbage and parsnips with garlic, cream and bacon - the absolute best bit of Christmas! Cranberry sauce, bread sauce & gravy.
Pudding is usually profiteroles, sticky toffee pudding and some kind of cookie dough thing for DD although that's usually eaten much later.

Smoked salmon starter, with champagne left over from bucks fizz at breakfast

Turkey/shop bought vegetarian pie, pigs in blankets, stuffing, roast potatoes, roast parsnips, braised red cabbage, sprouts, cauliflower cheese, peas, carrots. Giblet gravy, vegetarian gravy. Nice red wine or Schloer

Cup of tea

After a break - Christmas pudding, brandy butter, clotted cream (or a mince pie), dessert wine.

Much later cheese and biscuits, port.

Oh and bread sauce!! And cranberry sauce.

First course - booze
Main course - Turkey, ROAST POTATOES in goose fat, carrots (butter, cumin), sprouts (bacon, cream), parsnips, pigs in blankets, stuffing, bread sauce, gravy, cranberry sauce (don’t think anyone eats it, mustard.

SECONDS

Long gap / booze

Small portions Christmas pudding swimming in brandy sauce (vastly superior to brandy butter) and cream.. the right ratio I think.

Gap / booze

Cheese board

Booze etc.

Am always amazed at people having starters, I don’t want anything getting in the way of seconds

Some light cocktails to start, something like a French 77 (pink champagne cocktail). No foodie starter, it takes the shine off the main event

Turkey infused with thyme and oranges, rosemary and goose fat roasties, honey and ginger carrots, sautéed brussels with garlic and ginger, honeyed parsnips, pigs in blankets, home made gravy, stuffing. We will probably have home made Yorkshire’s even though they aren’t traditional as well as a home made cauliflower cheese, again, realise not traditional but it’s a v complimentary accompaniment to a roast.

Decent reds, a choice of Pinot Noir and a Shiraz and a nice pouilly fume for the white drinkers

Pudding will be something v light. There will be a cheeseboard. Champagne. Possibly some Irish coffees

No starter.
Free range chicken and beef
Butternut squash and sweet potato mash
Roast potatoes
Yorkshire's
Vegetarian stuffing as can't bear mincemeat
Parsnips
Carrots
Red cabbage
Broccoli
Peas

Later on after a gallon of gaviscon Christmas pudding and cream or Yule log. Cheese and crackers and some nice drinks. More gaviscon and then probably a handful of chocolates...🤪☺️

Chicken, Pigs in blankets, Quorn, Stuffing, Roast Potatoes, Parsnips, Swede & Carrot, Peas & Sweetcorn, Yorkshires, Noodles, Gravy (yes I have to flippin fry noodles just before serving up for ND kiddo).

We are always too full for dessert so usually end up having that in the evening or on Boxing Day.

@BigTwinkie

No starter. Free range chicken and beef Butternut squash and sweet potato mash Roast potatoes Yorkshire's Vegetarian stuffing as can't bear mincemeat Parsnips Carrots Red cabbage Broccoli Peas

Later on after a gallon of gaviscon Christmas pudding and cream or Yule log. Cheese and crackers and some nice drinks. More gaviscon and then probably a handful of chocolates...🤪☺️

That mash sounds really nice

No starter but nibbles when everyone arrives.
Turkey, pork and sage stuffing, pigs in blankets, roast and mashed potatoes, roast parsnips and roast sweet potatoes, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower cheese, sauté leek, beans and peas.
Dessert is always apple crumble,custard and thick cream or chocolate concrete!

Coffee and mints

Salmon Pate & toast
Turkey, roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, yorkshire puds, peas, carrots, brocolli, cauliflower, stuffing, gravy, white sauce, redcurrent jelly
Christmas pudding & Cream plus chocolate pud of some kind for DD

The only things extra to our usual Sunday roast are the starter, pigs in blankets & stuffing.

@Ajollyhappysoul

Does anyone have breaded garlic mushrooms for starter or is that weird and when would you have sausages in bacon, if you have them?

Maybe in the 1970s?

@MrsPleasant - I’ve had a couple of Christmas days alone and would have loved to have a takeaway place nearby.

Do you already know what you’ll be choosing, or will it depend on what you fancy on the day? I love a nosey at other’s choices for takeaway. My choice tends to vary slightly, but I always have prawn puri to start with, blooming lovely!

We used to have soup as the starter but found it too filling so last year we had breaded mushrooms and garlic dip. Have to confess not homemade but still lovely. Every year I think should we drop the starter but somehow I can’t bring myself too.

Traditional roast Christmas dinner. Must include bread sauce and Yorkshire puddings. We have two vegetarian family members so a vegi option. Usually pine nut roast or timbale. Either goes with Christmas dinner. None of the lasagna, stroganoff or pasta dishes vegetarians are normally given in pubs or restaurants if you go out for Christmas dinner.

Pudding varies from year to year. Christmas pudding, sticky toffee, baileys cheesecake. Sometimes I do a fresh fruit salad and that is always popular.

23:33Pickles89

We have cheesy roast potatoes and a green salad. And that's it! Sounds boring but it's bloody delicious and no-one's slaving over a stove all day!

Pickles, cheesy roast potatoes sound like a taste sensation!!

No starter

Chicken (I don't like Turkey) pigs in blankets, beef, gammon (at dm's) roast potatoes, creamed leeks, brocoli, roasted carrots, brussel sprouts and pancetta, cauliflower cheese, parsnips, carrot and swede mash.

Dessert: trio of apple crumble, banoffee pie and pear tart.

Followed by cheese, Crackers, cold meats, pickles and crusty bread a few hours later.

Sorry if this is elsewhere:

Pigs in blankets
Bread sauce

Oops forgot gravy, stuffing and Yorkshire puds

I do the same every year.
Starter either melon or toast and pate.
Main turkey crown and a beef, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, roast onions, Yorkshire puddings, carrots, petit pois, sausage meat, pigs in blankets, stuffing, sprouts, cranberry sauce and gravy.

Lentil loaf for veggie.

Dessert raspberry pavlova and cream or chocolate gateau with cream - both frozen and not home made.

Cheese and biscuits

Coffee and After Rights.

Sometimes if people can't manage dessert because full they eat it at tea time.

Starter: A scallop dish served in the shell
Main: Boned turkey crown with sausage meat based stuffing, roast and mashed potatoes, roast parsnips, red cabbage, carrots, sprouts, pigs in blankets, bread sauce, cranberry sauce and Jamie Oliver’s Christmas gravy recipe ( made in advance and frozen)
Dessert: Bought Christmas pudding with brandy butter ( which will be set alight as tradition dictates! )

Then much later on if we can manage it there will be Christmas cake, cheese and port.

Warm canapés and bucks fizz at 11.30ish bringing everyone together for 30 mins, with lovely Christmas music, so no need for starter. Bowls of peanuts/nibbles etc sitting around during the morning.

Turkey, pigs in blankets, roast potatoes, sprouts, parsnips, carrots, peas, stuffing, gravy, bread sauce, cranberry sauce.

Christmas pudding with brandy sauce or cream.

Cheese and biscuits/mince pies/coffee/peppermint tea and after 8s, Turkish delight etc.

Then clear up and watch the Queen.

We don't do starters. Roast turkey, stuffing, roast potatoes and parsnips, sprouts, Yorkshire puddings, condiments and gravy. Sometimes we have pigs in blankets.

@Seafog

In our house it's Nuts, cheeses, snacks, and craft beer for starters, then turkey, stuffing, some form of potatoes, ginger honeyed carrots, cauliflower and broccoli with a cheese sauce, green beans and almonds, turnip loaf, gravy, cranberry sauce, and a loaf of crusty bread.

For dessert we have mince pies, pumpkin pies, apple pies, ice cream and whipped cream
Usually a few plates of cookies and squares, bars, and balls.

Turnip loaf sounds so intriguing. Is this a British recipe or more like a Chinese/SE Asian turnip or carrot cake?

@Esspee

We will be having mango salad, prawns, scallops, black pudding and samphire. Christmas pudding with cream or creme brulee to follow. I don't care if it doesn't seem Christmasy it is our favourite main course.

This definitely sounds like a tasty and celebratory Christmas dinner! Yum

@Fontella

My daughter always makes the starter (it's tradition since she was 12 and it's prawn cocktail) not for me though cos I'm veggie.

It's just Romaine lettuce, prawns, her sauce - the usual, nothing fancy. What actually made me laugh was finding out just recently that my son doesn't like prawns. I asked him why he always gushes over his sister's Christmas starter and he said 'just to be nice' but what none of us spotted was he wasn't actually eating them.

Main course and dessert are my department. The usual - Turkey, gammon (home made nut roast for me), roasties, mash, Yorkshires, roast parsnips, carrots, peas, sprouts and my very, very excellent and wonderful vegetarian gravy which everyone has as it's so delicious if I do say so myself.

Dessert is always homemade Bailey's Cheesecake, as none of us like Christmas pudding.

All washed down with plenty of wine and a snooze in the armchairs (pretending to watch the Queen's speech) afterwards.

Your son sounds like such a polite sweetheart...!