What do you serve for Christmas lunch

[bumbiddybiddy]

Need some ideas, we are having a small lunch this year with only 6 of us, including 2 toddlers.

I'm going to be making
Turkey crown
Marmalade glaze gammon
Roast beef

Sides
Roast potatoes
Roast carrots and parsnips
Brussels sprouts
Pigs and blankets
Yorkshire puddings
Cranberry sauce
Beef gravy

It's same as I make every year and would like some inspiration.

Also what pudding you serve afterwards? I'm really unsure of what to serve afterwards

Turkey
Beef
Honey roast parnsips
Paxo stuffing
Goose fat roast potatoes
Mash
Gravy
Roasted rosemary vegetables
Sprouts
Yorkshire puddings
Pigs in blankets

Yule log
Extra special Christmas pudding
Custard/double cream

All easy bung in oven stuff, delicious with no stress

I have a boned and rolled turkey so it only takes an hour.
Stuffing balls
Roast potatoes
Carrots
Pigs in blankets
Red cabbage
Cauliflower/broccoli cheese
Gravy
Cranberry sauce
Bread sauce

No starters, for pudding a choice of
Trifle
Chocolate and pear self saucing pudding
Yule log (bought)
Cheesecake with a choice of raspberry sauce or peach or both (homemade)
Christmas pudding

I expect leftovers for pudding to serve tea as well and may reserve the Yule log.

There’s just the two of us, so we’ve got:

chicken
carrots
parnsips
peas
roast tatties
yorkshires
gravy
pigs in blankets

For pudding we have Christmas pudding and cream.

No starter

Main course
Turkey
Sausage meat, sage and onion stuffing
Pigs in blankets
Roast potatoes
Roast parsnips
Carrots
Broccoli
Cauliflower cheese
Cranberry sauce
Turkey gravy

Dessert
Christmas pudding
Yule log
Sticky toffee trifle

We eat about 1pm. We'll have crackers and cheese followed by Christmas cake at about 7pm.

5 adults including a veggie:

Small turkey roll
Roast chicken
Nut roulade
Roast potatoes
Honey roast parsnips and carrots
Cauliflower cheese
Sprouts
Pigs in blankets and veggie alternative
Stuffing balls
Chicken gravy and veggie gravy
Cranberry sauce

Christmas pudding, rum butter and cream
Raspberry mascarpone sherry trifle
Cheeseboard

There are three of us so I do enough for 12 (DS is a 6’3” rugby player so eats for two) and we eat Xmas dinner for 3 days. Saves cooking every day. When the turkey runs out I have a rib of beef.
Lunch will be
Turkey
pigs in blankets
sausages
chesnut stuffing
sage and onion stuffing (in turkey - homemade when I realised Waitrose do fresh breadcrumbs- yeh)
carrots
roast parsnips
roast potatoes
celeriac puree
red cabbage ( a return to the table now DS loves it apparently)
spouts sautéed with bacon - if I can be bothered - by then I may have given up
maybe some broccoli but may add it Boxing Day.
Pudding - trifle ( family secret recipe) or Christmas pudding with brandy butter

We are not big pudding fans so may serve it in the evening.

We have smoked salmon as a starter this year on blinis. In the past I have made the blinis but life’s too short and supermarket ones are fine.

My favourite part of Christmas are the left over sandwiches. I will probably pop to Tescos on Boxing Day for fresh bread, it would be sacrilege to use sliced bread.

I’m also going to resurrect my special mince pie alternative, again old family secret recipe found in my great grandmothers recipe book under the title “ filling for tarts” it is well named and although it looks a little boring it tastes like heaven.

You may have noticed that I don’t do Yorkshire puddings. I’m a Yorkshire lass and it is wrong to serve them with anything but beef. I also make them using beef dripping, they are addictive. The only dripping I could find was Wagyu dripping in Aldi so will be interested to see how they taste.

I see a lot of people have bread sauce, what does it taste like exactly? It's not something I've grown up with so I don't know anything about it

Depends who makes it and how, but usually it's slightly spiced, thick, and mild flavoured. Traditionally you stick half a dozen cloves into an onion and poach it in milk until it's soft. Then you add white bread (so it's a good way to use up stale bread) and cook it until it thickens. Take out the onion and cloves and add a good grating of nutmeg.

Home made carrot and ginger or artichoke soup (choice) with cream and chives

Roast Turkey
Veg Wellingtons for the vegetarians
Pigs in blankets/vegan pigs in blankets
Walnut, apricot and sage stuffing balls - home made
Roast parsnips and carrots - honey glazed
garlic roast potatoes
brussel sprouts with lemon zest
red cabbage with shallots and red wine
Bread sauce
cranberry sauce
gravy

Christmas pudding with cream or custard.
Chocolate yule log

Cheeseboard, grapes, figs, clementines

Champagne, wine, coffee and brandy

That's how I make it too. Although I sometimes add a knob of butter as well just before serving. I use ALOT of nutmeg because I love nutmeg. It has to have the consistency of not-too-runny or too-thick porridge. I am not from the UK and had it form the first time when I was in my 30s after meeting DH. The whole concept horrified me, but it's actually my favourite bit now.

Just two adults this year. I’ve massively over catered.

Beef
Ham
Roast potatoes
Cauliflower cheese
stuffing
Pigs in blankets
Yorkshire puddings
Roast parsnips
Brussels, chestnut, leek and bacon
Broccoli
Peas
Gravy

Sticky toffee pudding
Custard
Vanilla ice cream

I haven't read the whole thread but just in case nobody has suggested this, the recipe on the can will work just fine, I made it in October and it went down well 😊

It’s hard to explain. Like gentle soft bready porridge that with a subtle nutmeg flavour. Comfort food.

But DELICIOUS! M&S do a big tub if you fancy trying it but it’s easy to make too.

We are having double pork.. roast pork with crackling as well as gammon

Pigs in blankets
Sausagemeat stuffing with cranberries and walnuts (my signature)
Cauliflower cheese
Potatoes, carrots, parsnips
Sprouts with bacon
Tenderstem broccoli
Yorkshire puddings
My mums gravy
MIL usually rocks up with mash and peas amongst other things which we furiously scramble around trying to find space for

Dessert will be white chocolate and ginger cheesecake and/or mince pies or a plethora of chocolate
I'll do nibbles to start with more pigs in blankets, chips & dips etc but more informally before sitting for lunch

I'm doing:

Beef
Lamb
Pork
Stuffing balls
Pigs in blankets
Red cabbage
Roast potatoes
Dauphinois potatoes
Cauliflower cheese
Yorkshire puddings
Carrots
Broccoli

I'm using onions / red onions / parsnips / carrots as vegetable trivets under the roast meats and will blend them into the gravy.

Desserts

Christmas pudding
Chocolate cherry pudding with chocolate sauce
Lemon cheesecake

There will be extra thick double cream or custard as well.

I'm not sure why a PP said 3 meats is wasteful. It's not like we throw the leftovers away. I'll make a Christmas pie with anything left over.

Leg of lamb
Roast potatoes
Sprouts
Carrots
Peas
Mint sauce
Yorkshire puddings
Parsnips

Xmas pudding or/and tirimisu

3 adults

Only 6 of us for Xmas day:

turkey
pigs in blankets
stuffing
roast parsnips and roast carrots
roast potatoes
brussel sprouts fried with bacon
long stemmed broccoli
bread sauce
gravy
yorkies

pudding

xmas pudding
white chocolate and raspberry roulade
cream
brandy cream

Oh yes, I'm doing sprouts too. Knew I was missing something!

We're having goose! 1st time. I picked it up from the butchers on Saturday. Now I'm panicking a bit about cooking it. I think I'll go with Nigel Slater but have looked up Raymond Blanc and Good Food recipes.
Any tips on how to cook it without first cutting off the legs/wings etc...? Oh, and carving it? I think Nigel Slater recommends running a knife down the spine, removing the breasts and carving/slicing them first, before bringing it to the table.
Any seasoned goose-eaters' tips welcome, please!

Check it fits in your oven before the big day 😆 Removing the legs actually works quite well - if you're leaving them on, wrap the ends in foil so they don't burn and dry out the leg meat completely.

Put the goose on a trivet of some kind - ideally a sturdy metal rack that holds it off the bottom of your deepest roasting tin but you can prop it up on spare potatoes if needs be. If you've never roasted a goose before you're going to be surprised by the sheer quantity of fat that comes off it. Halfway through the cooking time you'll probably need to pour off the fat thats gathering in the roasting tin. Keep a jug or large bowl handy for this. Once the fat has sat for a while it'll separate - you can skim off some pure goose fat to do your roasties in while the goose rests, and if you can manage to pour off most of the rest of the fat and just keep the cooking juices you'll have an absolutely awesome start for your gravy.

Why three meats? One or most two. If you want it cook the third in Boxing Day.
Bread sauce? Yorkshire pudding? Green beans? Sweet potatoes? Where's the stuffing?
We are having Christmas cake, apple crumble or sticky toffee pudding for dessert.
I find people like traditional meals - hell to pay if I veered off the usual Christmas menu (m included).

Because we want three (it means that more people get a favourite too)! I know, shocker, eh?

Everybody who I cater for really enjoys it. If they want tradition, they're more than welcome to stay at home and cater for themselves!

Oh, and this will blow your mind...we have buffet on Christmas Day, and the roast another day. This year it's Boxing Day. Sod tradition, we do what fits!

PS, your desserts aren't traditional, @mondaytosunday! Best give yourself a talking to!

Mmmm the thought of all this food is making me hungry!

We are having

Scallops and chorizo with cauliflower puree to start

Roast Beef
Heritage carrot bake
Roasties
tender stem broccolli
yorkshire puds
fresh gravy

dessert is cherry cheesecake. I’ve made the coulis for the too so need to do the base and the filling tomorrow. I’ve got some fancy schmancy edible gold leaf to pop on it to make it look all posh (I am not posh)!.

Then need to brush up on some skills tomorrow to prep for the big day - we’re having homemade Singapore slings as the Christmas cocktail this year!

I make my ham on Boxing Day.

We are only 4 this year - one of which doesn't eat anything other than junk so is having pizza.

I decided to order precooked turkey breast roll, ham, roast veggies and cauli/broccoli bake which when I got delivered seems more for 2 than 3 people.

To supplement I'm making the below after raiding the pantry:

Pasta salad (weird with a hot meal but I'm using as a filler)
Deviled eggs (it's tradition)
Stuffed chicken roll and marinated chicken wings
White rolls (cause I forgot to get and don't want to brave the shops)
Shortbread
Cherry streusel tart

Just three adults for Christmas lunch. We’re having:

leek and potato soup

Turkey, pigs in blankets, dauphinoise potatoes, roast potatoes, roast parsnips and carrots, broccoli

Christmas pudding/cheesecake and cream

Two extra adults coming later, cheeseboard and After Eights

We bought quite a bit from M&S that just needs stuck in the oven. I’ll make the soup and DP will make the cheesecake tomorrow. I am full of cold and really hoping to feel better!