Christmas Day Menu

[FuckoffeeBeforeCoffee]

I usually go to my mum's for the day, where we have prawn cocktail/Turkey/pudding but I want to make the day my own, not recreate hers.

So, what's your menu on Christmas Day? I'm looking for inspiration (especially starters).

Thank you.

We never have a starter as I'd rather have more of the main course . Do you really want a starter or is it just following tradition? You could always get/make some nice canapés for whilst the food is cooking.

Pate or soup for a starter, turkey and ham for the main course and then a selection of puddings, trifle, chocolate log and Christmas pudding

Never have a starter- it's too much and also makes all your timings harder. We have a few canapés with drinks instead.

We don’t have starters and I hate turkey so we do a different meat each year usually. This year I’m thinking lamb because it’s just so tasty and expensive at the moment so feels like a treat but last year was slow cooked shin of beef in red wine and it stunning!

My brother is vegan so want to try do something other than the usual but roast but not seen anything really exciting yet

pudding will be vegan Christmas pudding and mince pies for my mum. DH and the kids don’t like those so will do homemade trifle and a cheesecake (ds has asked for Kinder Bueno or Oreo)

Smoked salmon, prime rib of beef, vegetables, sorbets and petits fours for pudding.

We have a good breakfast but no starter for lunch.

Turkey with all the trimmings and lots of different veg.
A chocolate pudding, usually a roulade (I don’t like dried fruit)

If you really wanted to do a starter I would do smoked salmon and granary bread, maybe with prawns and/or avocado on the side.

Canapés and drinks throughout the day and then the roast fairly late on is how we've done it since we've been adults!

Canapés can be whatever you like, I've enjoyed making spring rolls, sausage rolls, cheese bites etc. just party food.

Another no starter household here. There's no starter I'd rather have than more Christmas lunch. My main meal last time was very traditional: turkey (cooked on the barbecue to allow more oven space), roast potatoes, parsnips carrots and sprouts, a steamed green vegetable, vegetarian main course for me (Delia's parsnip roulade last time), meat and vegetarian gravy and bread sauce. I think I did Yorkshire puddings one year. Mostly can be made or prepped in advance.

Puddings were salted chocolate tart, passionfruit meringue ice cream cake and sticky apple caramel cake.

My fave meal of the year!
We do starters either prawn cocktail with smoked salmon with soda bread on the side or Parma ham and melon with a few prawns too. For the main Turkey, gammon, side of salmon, stuffing, potatoes, pigs in blankets and lots of veg. Plus bread sauce
We always have Christmas pudding and i do a chocolate log and a pavlova with it - plus lashings of cream and brandy sauce. Then cheese board with chutneys, walnuts, dates, grapes etc etc

We never have a starter. Takes attention away from the main course preparation and there’s already too much food!

Traditional main course of turkey and trimmings. This year I’m going to make a choice of dessert - Nadiya’s caramel chocolate flan, and Tom Kerridge’s spiced orange cake with plum sauce and Christmas pudding ice cream.

Then cheese for later in the evening when everyone is out of their lunch time coma.

Genuinely.

And I mean genuinely.

Not having a starter didn't once cross my mind until I read these replies.

Pancakes for breakfast with berry coulis. Nibbles in the morning - usually homemade sausage rolls cooked from frozen in the oven. No starter, two chickens instead of turkey with all the trimmings. Leftovers go straight into a pie dish (and topped with pre made pastry the next day for Boxing Day pie. We take a break and then head back for pudding - selection of Xmas cake, pud and cheese and crackers

We don’t really do breakfast on Christmas Day…..we just start on our chocolate selection boxes

We usually have individual baked Camembert with a part baked roll and a choice of chutneys, main course of turkey, stuffing, roast potatoes, parsnips, carrots, sprouts, red cabbage, pigs in blankets. Christmas pudding for dh and the dc and an alternative dessert for me as I don't like Christmas pudding.
Over the years, we have had other starters (mini spring rolls with sweet chilli dipping sauce, tempura king prawns, breaded Camembert, Brie and cranberry bruschetta) but if I suggest doing anything other than baked Camembert nowadays everyone complains

Our traditional starter is prawn cocktail but in the last few years a few of the family have expressed a desire for something else so now there’s a choice. Usually something along the smoked salmon or baked goats cheese lines which are easy to prep in advance.

This year it’ll be prawn cocktail as usual and I haven’t thought of a second one yet.

We have soup and some nice bread at lunch for our starter and then the roast later in the evening It suits us better spaced out like that and it seems more relaxing.

No starter here either OP!

We tend to have late breakfast/brunch with croissants, cheese, smoked salmon, bucks fizz.

Then nuts, olives etc with the odd glass of fizz while we start cooking, no rush. No starter, we do some sort of bird (not turkey) and a veggie main, with loads of sides including Yorkshire puds.

Pudding is Nigella's gelato cake with raspberries and warm chocolate sauce.

Also never have a starter at Christmas, one of my favourite meals of the year. I prefer to eat more pigs in blankets, roasties, veg and different sauces such as cranberry and orange, apple, stuffing and do a choice of meat.

my pigs are full size chipolatas wrapped in streaky bacon and then I might do Porchetta and a joint of Sirloin or a Turkey crown.

Starters take the edge off such a glorious indulgent main.

Last year we had an Indian take away. It was really good. We ordered it Christmas eve and just re heated everything.

We don't have a sit-at-the-table starter. We have canapes in the sitting room e.g. smoked salmon blinis, little quiches, cheese bites - some things that cM be prepared the day before and are eaten cold, some that just need to be bunged in the oven for 15 minutes. We have half the tree presents while eating canapes and go then go through to eat main course and pudding.

Normally, it is a smoked fish plate. Fillet of beef and then a cheese board and some kind of dessert for those who want it.

Smoked salmon and caviar for breakfast, with champagne Buck’s Fizz.

Starter: scallops with cauliflower purée and peashoots
Main: Turkey and gammon with all the trimmings
Pudding: Christmas pudding and roulade with Baileys cream

Evening: cheese selection

I bloody love Christmas!!!!

Bit early to start worrying about Christmas now?!

I usually get fillets steaks from my butcher, I do them with potato dauphinois, veg and Yorkshire pudding and gravy . Then a selection of deserts that can be eaten as and when. Trifle, cheesecake, ice cream etc.

We varied year to year so sometimes did

Starters: baked camembert or homemade chicken pate or none
Mains; Roast Capon or Porchetta or Goose or Rib of Beef
Desserts Cheese

However, a few years ago DD developed an eating disorder and we had very dislocated Christmases (sp?) so last Christmas as she was in recovery, we all agreed that a trad Xmas dinner wasn't for us - but I love cooking/providing for family (you can imagine how the ED years impacted on that) so I wanted to do "something" and feel like I was making something for the family.

We went middle eastern and I did challah bread for breakfast and then did homemade chicken shawarma with salads, homemade hummus and homemade pittas and a tonne load of toum which was the most glorious of a kick ass garlic sauce. And it was lovely. DD was happy it wasn't a stressful traditional meal with a full plate to be served at once, she ate well and enjoyed it and I still got my fill of feeling like I'd done my job on the whole providing front. Am not sure we'll ever go back to the traditional dinner routine

Enjoy whatever you choose!