Can I ask what your menu is like on Christmas?

[justanothermanicmonday1]

I need some inspiration.

Can you tell me what you're having?

Breakfast

Starts

Mains

Desserts

Wine/beverages

Cheese boards etc.

Thank you! 🌺

Who’s going to be there?

My menu (and number of meals) now is very different to pre-children (us and our parents), to young children, and now young adults.

On Christmas day we have croissants and orange juice and coffee for breakfast, for lunch we tend to cook up a load of those party canapes (spring rolls, samosas etc) and some smoked salmon blinis, as a kind of light lunch to pick at, then we have main meal at around 4/5 - roast turkey, pigs in blankets, sprouts, roast potatoes/parsnips, carrots, stuffing, bread sauce, cranberry sauce. Then for afters we have christmas pudding and brandy butter. Then later in the evening we have a cheese board and crackers.

We crack open some fizz at lunch time, and move onto white/red wine with christmas dinner. Yum.

Not sure yet but one thing I will be making is sticky balsamic roast potatoes!

I tried them out last week for a birthday meal and god they are SO delicious. They stay true to a roastie but amp it up a little without being spicy or anything. Just a depth of flavour.

Breakfast is toast with eggs and smoked salmon

Main meal at about 3ish
roast (not sure what two meats yet lady year was turkey & beef Wellington)
Roast pots
Stuffing
Gravy
Macaroni cheese
Rice
Pigs in blankets
Balsamic and bacon sprouts
Roast carrots
green beans

Drinks - a nice juice or two from our local farmshop ( we ate t total here)

Will be too stuffed for pudding

Before main meal we snack on crisps choc breadsticks etc

We have croissants, bacon and tomatoes with Bucks Fizz for breakfast ( that's after the gallon of coffee for early wake up).
We then have lunch, we no longer do starters. We have turkey, pigs in blankets, sausage meat stuffing, and all the veg. I usually have puddings, Christmas Pudding and maybe profiteroles and some Ice cream for the kids but the last few years no one has wanted it, so may skip that this year and keep for Boxing Day.
Supper later on is left over meats, cheese board, pickles, pate etc.
The kids are usually full on chocolate so much gets left again, for Boxing Day.
Drinks wise, we have wine with lunch. A baileys sometime during the day. Port with supper.

Do you have a recipe please ? Or is it balsamic in the oil.

Breakfast - Bacon rolls

Starts - none, because life is too short

Mains - fillet steak in some sort of approximation of Tournedos Rossini. Because I have some in the freezer, it's lovely and doesn't take hours to do.

Desserts - not decided. Usually Christmas pudding. Generally do a ris a l'amande as well which most people prefer.

Wine/beverages - bottle of English blueberry wine bought randomly because I was curious about it

Cheese boards etc. - none, because by this time we have eaten far too much

Breakfast
Croissants and fresh fruit and coffee

Starts
Chicken liver parfait with a mango chutney and a dressed salad

Mains
Turkey and a pineapple glazed ham with all trimmings

Desserts
Mandarin cheesecake

Wine/beverages
Buck fizz, kir royale

Cheese boards etc.
pretty basic port salute , Brie and Wensleydale with water biscuits and some fruits and nuts

Admittedly we are not great breakfast eaters in our house so normally coffee and toast. Then around 11am a group of friends get together and it is normally cheese boards and mince pies. There is cold meat and sandwich salad bits available if someone is hungry during afternoon. Dinner is around 7. Normally a smoked fish plate to start. Beef, two veg and potatoes and sauce for mains. Dessert and or a cheese board after.

Breakfast: Bake your own pastries and chopped melon probably.
Lunch: Traditional turkey dinner and trimmings
Dessert: I need to decide what to make so will be reading with interest for inspiration

Later in day: Rolls or sandwiches and chocolate I imagine

Edited to add we do a big cheeseboard on Christmas eve so don't have one Christmas day.
Drinks will depend on whether we need to drive anywhere but something with elderflower usually. Might try a few virgin cocktails if I can be bothered.

Excuse me. But you can't swan in here showing off about your potatoes without giving us the recipe. 😏

Breakfast (4 people)

Full Scottish: square sausage, bacon, black pudding, eggs, potato scones.

Dinner (10 people)

Starters

Salmon mousse
Pate
Prawn cocktail
Melon

Mains

Turkey
Chipolata sausages
Sausage met stuffing
Carrots
Parsnips
Sprouts
Mashed potatoes
Roast potatoes
Cranberry sauce
Gravy

Desserts

Profiteroles with hot chocolate sauce
Jelly and ice cream

Wine/beverages

Prosecco
Malbec
White wine
Soft drinks god kids

Cheese boards

Yes but tends to be a supper snack

Brie, cheddar, blue cheese with oat cakes

Do you make your Kir Royale? If so how or do you buy a bottle? Really want to try this!!!! Thanks x

Breakfast who knows and coffee

late lunch around 3-4

starter - poss bruschetta or seafood
Main -Turkey or gammon, carrots, broccoli, parsnips, red cabbage, cauli cheese and sprouts. Stuffing balls, piggies in blankets, gravy and if there’s time bread sauce.

Pudding - roulade or pavlova

Rest of the day - as you please from what’s in inc cheeses, salamis, seafood,pates etc etc.

Boozes - decent fizz and then anything as wanted

@jelly79 @Legoblockskillfeet

Ha apologies! I followed a Jamie recipe although I will say they categorically did not take over 2 hours!

Highly recommend though.

www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/potato-recipes/balsamic-potatoes/

Thank you 😊

@justanothermanicmonday1
It's just champagne (or a decent sparkling white wine) and creme de cassis. Although it's not blackcurrant my mum will sometimes muddle brambles and add them and a bit of simple syrup for sweetness

Do you make your Kir Royale? If so how or do you buy a bottle? Really want to try this!!!! Thanks x

I don't think I've ever seen it ready made but I could be wrong. You buy a bottle of creme de cassis (blackcurrants). Most supermarkets stock it. For Kir Royale, you add a glug of creme de cassis to a glass of champagne/cava etc. For ordinary kir, it's just dry white wine. The creme de cassis is quite nice with berries or fruit salad too.

Breakfast: pastries and fruit salad. My parents will have poached egg on toast, same as the other 364 days a year 🤣. Mind you they look good on it.

I don’t do starters but there will be something like smoked salmon on brown bread and homemade sausage rolls & mince pies ( thanks mum) from around 11-12:30

2pm- lunch: traditional- Kelly Bronze turkey crown, stuffing, roast potatoes, yorkshires, 3 veg, cranberry, gravy.

pudding: Christmas pudding for those who like it, key lime pie and chocolate and raspberry roulade for those who don’t.

evening: cheese and charcuterie board, and people are welcome to raid the leftovers for sandwiches etc.

drinks: mainly champagne- I like it with angostura bitters or Kings Ginger, rosé, and whatever red Dh chooses.

Breakfast - pastries, oj, buck’s fizz, smoked salmon & cream cheese bagels

starter - none

main - turkey, mash, roasts, brussels with bacon, stuffing x 2, pigs n blankets, lots of veg, gravy.

early evening - trifle & then cheese & biscuits.

snacks throughout day - chocolate, crisps & nuts.

drinks - coke, champagne, buck’s fizz, baileys, whisky, gin.

I was too slow and did not realise you had already replied, Happygertie!

Your mum can call it creme de mûre when she uses blackberries. I also like peaches (crème de pêche). I would have all of them if I could. I think you can even get strawberry but I've not tried that.

Do you make your Kir Royale? If so how or do you buy a bottle? Really want to try this!!!! Thanks x

M&S used to do one. I get the buck’s fizz from there.

Mmmm strawberry purée. I'd love to try champagne with a bit of that in.

V v keen on making a trifle this year with lots of whipped cream. I've got the frozen raspberries in my freezer and sponge fingers in the Christmas cupboard!

Haven't fully decided on a menu yet but thinking of ham in cola or maple glaze this year. Will definitely have pigs in blankets.

Drinks: merlot, advocaat (for snowballs), cava, Gavi, Chambord, and some peach brandy liqueur jars i nicked the idea from Nigel Slater's CC. Got these sorted at least 😅

Breakfast Bacon rolls/ sandwiches/ croissant and coffee
Lunch Turkey or a goose plus vegetarian dish(undecided)
Roast Potatoes
Swede mashed in butter and black pepper
Cauliower cheese
sprouts
Parsnip
Broccolli
Homemade veg stuffing
Pigs in blanket
Lemon Tarte
Chocolate dessert
Christmas pudding with various creams
Supper
General leftovers
Smoked salmon
Egg Mayo Vol au vents…if I can get vol au vent pre made …any clues anyone!
All this food covered Boxing Day as well!

This is all sounds fantastic.

Giving me some inspiration

There is just the two of us with our two small DC. We have recently moved into our new home so we're excited for a quiet Christmas with a few visitors throughout the day. Although DMIL might join us last minute if she doesn't go to her sisters.

Breakfast:

Soft rolls with Square sausage & tattie scone

Starters:

Chicken liver parfait with a chutney and side salad with balsamic glaze

Mains:

Roast beef joint & roast chicken
Roast potato's
Mash
Sprouts with bacon bits
Honey glazed carrots
Brocolli
Pigs in blankets
Yorkshire pudding
Dauphinoise potatoes
Stuffing
Beef & chicken gravy from all those lovely meat juices

Dessert:

Some sort of chocolate cake with ice cream

And later in the evening if we aren't full we will have a cheese & meats board.

Same for Boxing Day too😂

Drinks:

My DP will most definitely be bringing out his beer machine although I'm not sure I'll have the room with the cooking 🤣

Rum for DP
Gin for me and bow Kir Royale😂