Help me sort Christmas...cooking!

[Sonolanona]

I always end up hosting.... I only have a 3 bed semi , but most of my family live in London or 2 bed houses...so they come to me (can't wait for my rather weathy brother to go buy the big house he's always looking for...then it's his turn!)

This year I have a total of 9 adults and two toddlers aged 2 and 3. We can JUST about squeeze round our kitchen table as dh makes a nifty extention, and thank god I do have a big cooker.

But... I'm tired of being the one to do all of it. I've been unwell for months with severe gastritis and no improvement and eating is mierable for me. and I'm run down. I don't do some incredible multi course meal, just xmas dinner and puddings, cheese board etc, but it all falls to me, and frankly others trying to help just makes it more of a hassle!

I'd go sod it and book for us all to eat out BUT my DD2 and her Dh are nurses and won't know their shifts til december, and most pubs/restaurants only do two sittings ..neither of which will suit. ..and I can't really leave them out!

Is it worth ordering everything from M+S so it's just a 'bung in the oven' job? Ha anyone ever ordered in a completely catered dinner?
I love my family and despite the chaos, (dear GOD they are untidy!) I love seeing everyone together, but I need to make the food easier on myself!

ANy ideas gratefully recieved. I did think about asking everyone to bring a dish, but as most are coming on the train that's not practical either!!!

Keep it simple! For starters we tend to do fizz and nibbles (olives, bread sticks & dips etc) before the veg goes on. Stick to one type of meat- that's in the oven for ages then when it comes out to rest the roast potatoes, parsnips, stuffing and pigs in blankets go in the oven and shortly after any carrots, sprouts etc go on the hob. Prep all your veg the night before and buy pigs in blankets, stuffing and gravy from M&S. Don't serve pudding straight after, make them help to tidy up, load the dishwasher and digest a bit and then do it. I would stick to one pudding and cheese.

I never buy ready made Christmas items. As you've been ill it's a godsend to be able to ask others to do stuff. Say you're providing the bird, ask others to do the veg, stuffing and pigs in blankets. As another to supply a pudding. Then on the day designate chores, the DC can lay the table etc.

Don't think you have to do it all .

Can you ask them to bring things like wine, chocolates, biscuits? Also I would do simple dinner as @MiddleAgedDread suggested and simple decorations round the house, more focus on get the family together.
P.S. don’t get your hope high about your brother. He might start doing BIG renovation or going away 🙂

Personally, I prefer homemade and don’t find it too much hassle but, apart from roast potatoes, pre prepared vegetables, stuffing balls, pigs in blankets, Christmas pudding, cake and other desserts are just fine. Gravy is okay (fresh not the instant ones).

You could make stuffing balls, pigs in blankets, gravy and braised cabbage, cranberry sauce in advance and freeze them. Obviously, the cake and Christmas pudding need making well in advance. Prep the veg and par boil the potatoes on Christmas Eve, along with any other pudding you have.

But why bother if you are unwell? Shop bought is almost as nice. Except roast potatoes, which are absolutely grim 😂 If you can manage to make those, dinner will be just fine! Maybe make some gravy and freeze it, if you have the energy.

Honestly, I’d sack the “traditional” meal entirely in the circumstances. Explain you’re not really well and you just want to enjoy their company (you know- the actual point for a family celebration!) and you’ll just be making a normal meal? Lord even order in pizzas! Or they can all bring a dish.

If they’re that heartbroken they can cook their own Christmas dinner on their own time if they can’t bare a Christmas without a pig in a blanket but surely the point of the family coming together is to spend the time well whatever you’re eating and not at the expense of one of the group flogging herself over some veg.

Take care!

Get a take away! We did last year and I’m never going back! It was truly amazing, we had Chinese and everyone ordered anything they wanted without worrying about cost, they bill ended up cheaper than the price of a Turkey!

Send a breezy message in your group chat asking them to confirm who’s bringing the (cold) starters,a cheeseboard and puddings. Then leave the rest to M&S.

I’d set the table and Turkey breast and ham the night before and bung the rest in while you have your drinks and starters.

We don't bother with starters now, it just left less room for the main course!
Mid-morning I serve blinis with cream cheese and smoked salmon trimmings, barely any prep required and enough to take any hunger pangs away.

I would ask for volunteers to cook the main, explain that although guests are welcome you're just not up to it this year.

Assuming you are thinking of turkey dinner? If so, get your guests to do all the cooking on Christmas Eve, then you do the Christmas Day stuff (if you want to).

Christmas Eve:
Make stuffing mix, put in fridge ready on tray
Peel potatoes, store in fridge in water
Use ready made pigs in blankets
Chop/peel any green veg
Make mash
Roast turkey, cool, and carve
Make gravy from turkey juice

Christmas Day
Put potatoes in to roast
Chuck pigs in blankets in oven
Chuck stuffing in oven
Microwave mash and gravy
Heat turkey in oven submerged in water and covered with foil (it comes out tender and juicy)
Boil/steam green veg

It makes Christmas Day very easy and there's way less cleaning on the day too. To make even less work use foil trays and buy some products ready made if you like.

If there are 9 adults one of them can take charge of dinner. I don’t mean helping, I mean doing it. So they can bring the stuff, arrive early, and get cracking. You just waft in for drinks occasionally.

Then someone else can be in charge of cleaning up. It might have to be at your house but it doesn’t have to be you in the kitchen.

Do you really have to host when you haven’t been well? Could you just have everyone around in the evening for drinks ? You sound like a very nice person

It's an absolute pain and I always feel under appreciated

Make it the day before and reheat

Three large lasagne size dishes - not mixed up but in the same dish.

1 steamed veg (carrots, sprouts with chestnuts and bacon and spiced red cabbage)
2 roast veg parsnips and potatoes

3 meat (turkey PIB and stuffing

Gravy from Aldi, cranberry sauce?

What else is there?

Why are you doing all of it?! Send an email/WhatsApp to people explaining that as you have been unwell you don't feel up to tackling this single-handed this year and allocate responsibility and dishes - A needs to bring pre-prepared (chopped/peeled/whatever) veg, B brings the pudding, couple C&D are in charge of the cheeseboard in its entirety, etc. DH, who presumably knows how the table should look and where everything is kept, is in charge of setting it.

Order it all from Cook OP - keep it easy

Mainly adults and no one helping?
Tell them if they are able bodied they are going to have a chore.
On the other hand, do you have freezer space? I precook almost all of the xmas dinner and most of it is ready to go in the oven from freezer.
Roasties, carrots and parsnips, Yorkshire puddings, cauliflower cheese, pigs in blankets, stuffing parcels, red cabbage, gravy and even dessert.
Only have to worry about the meat and green vegetables (simple steamed) and done.
Use disposable trays for one day to reduce cleaning.

Create a 'bring and share' menu? Ideally you are left with turkey and spuds. Everyone else brings something that just needs putting in the oven / microwave / slow cooker to heat up.

Cauli cheese
Red cabbage
Pigs in blankets
Carrots & Brussels (maybe just prepped, not cooked)
Starter
Dessert
Cheese
Olives / crisps / nuts

Christmas is always a joint effort for our family. Host is responsible for the bird and gravy plus oven timing. Everything else is allocated. One person does puddings, one stuffing, one pigs in blankets. One person peaks and preps potato. The red cabbage and veg is prepped the day before. My rich but wealthy brother supplies all the wine and sets the table.

Boxing day is left over plus a boiled ham and cheese board.

I would decide what you are willing to trade out for ready made. Stuffing, pigs in blankets, gravy red cabbage can all be decent shop bought. Buy a whole cooked ham, frozen roast potatoes are fine.

Alternatively, can you ask if anyone else would like to take on responsibility for the food and prep in your kitchen? I've done this when my mum was unwell, but I'm a good cook so make sure it's someone who can do it.

This^

We've done this many times as some of us work shifts and it's easier for everyone.