Christmas Dinner Menu

[Lwrenagain]

Hi! Can we share what we're cooking? I want someone who shares joy in cooking Christmas food to get excited with!

I budget around £200 for the food for Christmas period, including treats and meals. I really shop around for this.

I make lots of "big" sides because we have open door policy for family/friends/neighbours/colleagues or if any school mums etc need some dinners plating up (we've had that happen when a mums oven broke Xmas day and we were able to drop off some dinners for her) plus DP works shifts, so if any of his colleagues are working over the Xmas day without a dinner we plate them up and he'll do a drop off.

To be cost effective I get loads of veg and tart it up for the mains, plus it lasts days/can be made in advance to help with small oven situations.

Meat - turkey / a joint of ham.
Stuffing - homemade - sage and onion with sausage meat is the favourite for my family but I prefer chestnut and apple stuffing 😋
Pigs in blankets
(I do try to stock in veggie/vegan equivalents in!)

Veg - roasties with garlic and rosemary and lemon
Potato dauphinoise topped with brie and sage
Carrot and Swede mash
Roasted garlic sweet potato mash
Glazed heritage carrots with thyme
Honey and mustard parsnips
Cauliflower, leek and brocoli cheese
Sprouts with chestnuts or pancetta
Braised red cabbage 😋

Homemade cranberry sauce/apple sauce and mint sauce (I dislike my homemade cranberry so I buy ocean spray for me, I just enjoy making it even if its a bit shite😂)

I make the gravy in advance and just use the Colemans bread sauce packets because I've never liked fresh bread sauce tbh.

I try getting all the veg and potatoes when they're on offer at aldi or lidl and to keep costs down I'll make a veggie soup or stew or curry for a few days we need something less rich to eat and also not dead expensive ☺

The meat when it's half price at sainsburys seems to be the best bargain because it lasts ages.

Last year Morissons had a great deal on wheels of brie being half price and some good deals on cheeses and pates.

For the veggies/vegans
I defrost vegan sausages and use them with sautéed mushrooms to make stuffing.

I see what veggie mains I'll see what's being stocked in all the supermarkets, aldi has vegan pigs in blankets etc

Lidl and aldi do nice veggie pastries ❤

Desserts
I'll make mince pies and a Christmas cake with the DC but also look for ideas on the Jane's patisserie blog, I like her trifle ideas ❤

I love stollen/dried fruit/marzipan flavoured puddings, anyone else?
I'd happily swerve chocolate for Christmas flavoured sweets!

Cheese board with homemade chutney (Mary Berry has a terrific recipe) and then some shop bought ones such as quince.
Lots of French stick/crackers/butter etc

We don't drink alcohol in my house but I'll get a baileys and amaretto in for guests, if anyone wants to bring their own booze I'll provide mixers etc maybe someone can recommend a nice bottle of wine for me to keep in for visitors? I'd appreciate that!

Last year was a really crap Christmas so I'm super excited for this one 🌠

https://iamafoodblog.com/smashed-brussel-sprouts/

Garlic, herb and parmesan Sprouts are nice with some crispy pancetta or roast chestnuts if you fancy something different.

I love a good sprout.

Lidl do a decent vegan parm if you need a vegan or lactose free version :)

My stomach is rumbling from reading these posts 🤣

Starter is always, without fail, prawn cocktail. Gotta use juicy, fat jumbo prawns. I've been following sainsburys Marie sauce for years, and it's my favourite sauce. We eat the starter hour before the main meal. I guess the prawn cocktail is more of a very light lunch 🤣

Main event; roast turkey and ham. Cauliflower cheese (Nigella Lawson recipe), glazed carrots, mushy peas, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts fried with bacon and creme fraiche (tesco recipe), honey roasted Parsnips, braised red cabbage, brocoli, creamed cabbage and leeks, pigs in blankets, stuffing, Yorkshire pudding and homemade gravy.

Not forgetting to mention sauces; the apple sauce, the cranberry sauce , homemade bread sauce, and my favourite, the sprout ketchup by the sauce shop! I also quite like their stuffing ketchup, but personally, I think that's geared towards leftover sandwiches.

Speaking of leftover sandwiches 😍 mammoth turkey sandwiches featuring quite a few of the sides, lashings of bread sauce. That's sandwich truly finishes me off on Christmas evening.

I always purchase dessert, you know, just in case. No one ever wants dessert. But the year I'll decide not to buy dessert is they year someone will ask for one 🤣 I purchase a roulade and a gateaux.

I know it sounds like an excessive amount of food, but we do use the leftovers for another christmas dinner on boxing day and leftover sandwiches. Whatever is left over by the 27th goes into a pie.

We have a chest of freezer this year, so I'm looking forward to being super organised and cooking and freezing things in advance!

Haven't RTFT yet but I am totally here for this. Planning Christmas food is one of my favourite things. Haven't started thinking about it yet so may steal some ideas!

I am in awe at the amount of vegetable sides that some of you do. Our Xmas is a very small affair but I will definitely be pinching some of these ideas, including the smashed Brussel sprouts.

The Christmas sandwich with bread sauce is the greatest meal of the year, isn't it? Surpasses the main event by miles 😁

Younger kiddos in bed, brew, Christmas butty and crisps and dip, board game and then film or telly, bliss!

I love a good boxing day left over buffet too. We stock up on part baked baguettes and our boxing day mostly involves those, lurpak and so much cheese!

https://www.janespatisserie.com/2021/12/18/after-eight-tart/

Mint chocolate is very divisive in our house, by divisive I mean could warrant a visit from the riot police, but I'm making this for a family friend this year, thought I'd share for anyone who may have an abundance of after eights 😁

As well as Christmas Queen Nigella, there is a princess named Poppy, who has some amazing Christmas recipes, she really does simple indulgence, Poppy O'toole is her name, I think she does Saturday kitchen sometimes 😊

@Pleasenowthatsenough the best thing about vegetable sides is often lidl and aldi have veggies at 19p over Christmas week, they last a while in the fridge or freeze well etc and always nice to pick at.

I think I spend my Christmas food budget on butter if I'm honest 😁🙈

@Mustbethewine I have never ever made a prawn cocktail or even eaten one, they're the fancy ones that get served in glasses, aren't they? They look lovely, I've just always been scared of cooking shellfish!

Xmas day will include an assortment of cold meats and seafood as starters.
We will be in Spain for first in a decade so I know it will be ridiculous amounts.
Iberico, lomo, chorizo, cecina.
Garlic prawns, lagoustines with gremolata, tiger mussels, clams in white wine sauce, grilled Razor clams.
Mains would be a fish probably sea bream with cava sauce and leg of lamb with rosemary crust.
Crispy potatoes, glazed carrots, honey parsnips, garlic green beans.

Dessert I have already been asked cheesecake, I think probably burnt basque one. Maybe I will leave some chocolate pots for the little ones.

I think I will have water for supper 😂

Oh wow! I hope you have an absolute amazing time! All sounds fabulous ☺

A recipe I saw on Debbie Greenwoods QVC presenter blog
The Challenge

(Cannot remember the quantities but )

Base is crushed chocolate digestives mixed with melted butter/margarine and press firmly into a loose base quiche tin (line with clingfilm to make it easier to remove ) Chill in fridge
Layer of condensed milk that you;ve boiled in the tin(not the caramel one it's too runny) till it's fudge like . Chill
Melt some Mars Bars with some butter to make it softer , spread over then stud the top with Malteasers . Chill

Take it out and remove film . Let it soften a bit and use a sharp knife to slice thinly

The Challenge is to eat more than one slice

That sounds filthy. Challenge accepted 😁

Can I just say, I've avidly read every post and now feeling so festive. Forwarded to my husband, who's now very happy to go to any of your houses on Christmas Day! 😄

I am simply impressed by your planning ..

I only figure out what we we’re having for tea today at 3.30🤣

I'm not ready to think about my own menu but yours sounds absolutely amazing, your lucky friends and family!

What lovely people you all are 💐

It's just DH and I this year and I am SO excited. We've only ever had Christmas just the two of us once before, and that was due to lockdown!

We're pescatarian and DH is lactose intolerant.

We'll have smoked salmon blinis at 12ish with oat creme fraiche and Waitrose cheapy caviar.

Starters will be a little seafood tower with bits from our local fishmonger - probably lovely prawns, scallops and oysters.

Mains we're thinking maybe a salmon en croute with dauphinois (lactose free cream and milk).

No idea for desert yet as so many are made with cream / butter etc, I might have to get good at baking by then!

i've so enjoyed reading all this but am going to ask your advice.
we will go to my DB xmas day so what will we have on boxing day?? no turkey or ham will be in the house.
what do you suggest?

I love Christmas food planning!!
We're at my mums for lunch this year but normally I would cook roast turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, bread sauce, garlic and rosemary roast potatoes, pigs in blankets, stuffing, Brussel sprouts sautéed with butter and leeks, honey roast carrots and parsnips, and then peas and yorkshires because the kids insist.

Breakfast will be pastries, cereals, sourdough toast with posh butter and marmalade, nice fruit juice.

In the evening - chocolate, crisps, cheeseboard, cold cuts, chutneys, gherkins

Christmas Eve dinner is jerk ham with pineapple, egg and chips.
Boxing Day, full English breakfast, Boxing Day sandwich for lunch (leftover turkey and trimmings in a sandwich!), then for dinner more picky bits plus a sausage roll wreath.

Asda have a vegan chocolate torte for £4, for a festive pudding could you whip up some lactose free cream or the coconut collaborative double cream, stick a blob of cream on and top with a truffle or drizzle with melted biscoff spread?

I've added some pics in case I didn't explain that very well 😂

Amazing! Thank you!

Nearer Christmas let's have a look what the shops are stocking, they usually have loads of places have the ready cooked meats but also some nice veggie pastries etc if you fancy something different?

I'd definitely get some cheeses and pates in with the part baked baguettes and crackers etc

Also, ask DB for some turkey to take home for a Christmas butty, it's the law 👌🏻

I have loads of kiddos and Christmas morning we do pastries, I'm considering making those Christmas tree/Nutella shaped pastry this year for them.

Croissants, pan au chocolat, those mini pancakes, (I've included a pic, these ones are from iceland and I cover them in some cinnamon with sugar and some edible glitter for the DC) with some nice fresh juices and some fruit.
Have you ever had sourdough crumpets? I'll be getting some this year, they're lovely!

I think fancy butter at Christmas is a must if your budget stretches, when I was poorer I actually asked for lurpak from my nana as my Christmas gift 😂

I also make a hot chocolate with cream for my dc in the slow cooker, but for a festive look I throw a chocolate coin on top. I would use a candy cane too but my kids don't like mint flavour. That keeps them full enough to not ask all morning when lunch is.

When my friends or neighbours etc pop over I make them baileys or amaretto hot chocolate or a coffee if they want one, I love the smell of both those, if I didn't live in fear of a hangover I'd definitely gain a stone in baileys hot chocolate 😁

Loving this thread - the fried in butter Christmas cake has won me over 😆
Apart from Costco, can anyone recommend a good Christmas cake?

Will be DH and our 3 adult DC this year.

Champagne and smoked salmon topped with sour cream and chive dip on bread squares and big prawns with Marie rose sauce.

Turkey (follow Delia's every year, whereby it's completely wrapped in foil on a trivet of leeks and carrots with splash of wine, cavity stuffed with orange and lemons and neck stuffed with sage & onion sausage meat).
Goose fat roasties
Cauli cheese
Maple glazed carrots & parsnips
Yorkshires
Pan fried Sprouts with pancetta
Homemade cranberry sauce and gravy

Lidl or Aldi 18 month matured Christmas pudding with brandy sauce.

Cheese board and hotel chocolat shots during board games.

What games do you have for the evening?

I'm thinking of buying my little ones a karaoke machine this year 🙈😂

@Lwrenagain I absolutely love your story of how your Open Door policy started. It's exactly the sort of thing I'd love to be able to do but in reality it'd be way too stressful for me. I'm so glad there are people like you in the world.

Your menu sounds amazing OP, what's your address? 😉