I’m accidentally hosting a HUGE Christmas…

[Donewithitt]

(In July) - we live in OZ and usually host Christmas in July, with all the usual bits. However, this year I’ve accidentally invited about 40 people.
We normally serve it buffet style anyway using disposable plates and cutlery but wondering how to bulk it out without killing our oven (and ourselves)
Normally we have
turkey - de-boned and stuffed (easier on the oven and can be made in advance)
pigs n blankets
roasties
stuffing
carrots & parsnips - roasted
sprouts and bacon
gravy
thinking of adding
baked mash
cauli cheese
a ham
Worried about doing too many other veggies, think they need to be cooked on the spot and can’t be kept warm, and stressing about preparing big volumes!
Any ideas?

Sounds fine to me. I would lose the ham and cauli cheese. Serve some garden peas and maybe some mashed swede. How big is your oven?!

Do a pavlova and Christmas pud for dessert. Pre-made brandy butter.

Tom Kerridge’s rolled turkey is easy and impressive and simple to carve.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/toms_turkey_roll_with_44115

@Ilovemyshed- we do the Marcus Waring one which is similar. Oven is a large double oven, we can also use our bbq as an oven. Ham is a nod to the Aussie Christmas - which I can con someone into bringing 🤣

With a double oven, you’d be fine with the mash and cauliflower cheese. You could do braised red cabbage - make in advance, then reheat in the microwave. Gordon Ramsay’s recipe is good - https://www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com/recipes/braised-red-cabbage/?srsltid=AfmBOooF5mI3KzdDd3Gxi92JndgZ5Nc-DvbP2sWqrHMmQV_vL2llgePC

@Donewithitt how do you accidentally invite 40 people for a july christmas???

We have often hosted huge Christmases. My biggest piece of advice would be to find a company that rents commercial catering equipment. We have rented extra ovens that come on wheels and can plug in anywhere. Also have rented one of those heated sideboard things that keep things warm and the veggies go on top in heated silver dish things (sorry for crap description! I don’t know the correct term!)

I’d do some plain veg that you boil/steam on the hob - like greens or peas. Bit of butter and salt on it. With so much roasted food, people like something fresher and plainer.

Pumpkin or potato & leek soup with some garlic bread to fill them up beforehand? Chuck out some antipasto and cheese?

Yes to the ham - even better if someone else brings it. Yes to peas. So easy to do. I also do asparagus as an easy green extra.

You can do red cabbage several days in advance - good for filling plates and ime better than meat!

You can do a load of roasties the day before so that they reheat quickly and are ready to serve.

Good luck!

I would deffo be asking people what could they offer to bring to the table . Share the load .

I think I’d be looking for things I could do in a slow cooker or stove top just to take some of the volume. You can actually warm the mash in a slow cooker. Maybe a nice soup for a first course.

Surely out of 40 people they can cover sides and desserts?

Why on earth do you have Christmas in July? Yes I realise Oz is in the southern hemisphere but July????

Theres a formula for catering for larger numbers. I don't have time to look for it now but I expect google will find it. It is to do with averages of more people.

So say you are catering for 4 people, you could allow 6 individual chicken breasts on the basis of one each and 0.5 spare per person. By the time you get to 40 people there will be a lot of people who won't want any more so you don't need to allow 40 +0.5 each.

A hostess trolley is a good idea maybe.

100% this. People need to be bringing stuff and helping clear up

Amazing ideas!!!
love the soup idea - hadn’t thought of that.
we make a big cheese / meat board to start and then a sweet one to Finish and that (plus booze) is what most guests bring. I farm the easy mains out to family and close friends. My BIL will bring a ham.
I think I was thinking something slow cooked - like a brisket, with frozen Yorkies (for ease) could work too?
for the non turkey lovers!

We do a huge christmas with family ech year - 25+. Due to oven space we ask everyone to bring a dish eg potatoes, carrots etc. Main house cooks the meat. Desserts as well.

We do 26-40 for Christmas each year.

2x triple slow cookers to keep things warm have been the best buy. They keep mash warm and various veg.

Ham can be cooked in a slow cooker to take it out of the oven equation.

We do Brussel sprouts, peas and sweetcorn (the kids love sweetcorn) on the cooker top as veg options.

Ilovemyshed · Today 12:11

Sounds fine to me. I would lose the ham and cauli cheese

Lose the cauli cheese ? What sacrilege is this ?.

Goes off muttering ....

BTW , Christmas in July is A Thing . QVC used to do brilliant CiJ , I used to make sure I booked the day off work to watch . Now it's A Bit Shit not such a good day on there I don't bother .

It’s because we want a cold Xmas, like the northern hemisphere gets. A hot Xmas is lovely, but you don’t get the same kind of cosy feeling in 35 degree heat with a bbq and salads.

So you can have the nice food and your kids can understand what fairy lights are because it’s not dark in summer.

My Australian husband does the turkey on the barbie which frees up the oven considerably. It’s still like a traditional turkey.

Turkey on the bbq, turkey out and wrap well with foil and into an esky, ham doesn’t take long so in and out, wrap well and into another esky. Frozen already roasted Potatoes on in foil roasting tray. Turn at half time. Bbq off and potatoes can sit there for a bit longer until ready.

Cauliflower cheese - get extra lasagne pans from Vinnies and cook before and freeze. They defrost overnight then into the oven. Carrots and parsnip on the top shelf. Steam green veggies on the stove. Sprouts halved go into the slow cooker. Check your timings.

Would you consider throwing a bit of money at a heated buffet tray - you can get them cheaply in the UK but not sure about down under.

https://www.robertdyas.co.uk/daewoo-electric-buffet-server-small-3-x-15l

You can also get ornate trivets designed to have tea lights under.

depending on space and budget they really take the pressure off.

Sorry hectic week - so great ideas! We are considering hiring a charcoal spit to roast meat. But not decided yet.
I’ve been trying to find the tea light warming trays (like the ones you sometimes get in a Chinese restaurant, we have a large walk in pantry that we could keep everything warm in on the counter. We don’t have red cabbage so might need to give that a go.
DH has also hired a keg of beer from a local craft beer bar. So that could be good! I’ve got 2 friends coming over on the Friday to help me prep as much as we can. Everything will be done in foil trays - won’t look great. But I’ll be glad to avoid the washing up!

I’ll have to come back when I haven’t overindulged on Belgian beer… but
for another veg - take a bag of petit poi’s peas and throw into a pot in the morning to defrost(for lunch meal). Maybe 20 mins before serving, boil a kettle of water and pour over them in the pot. Should be enough to cook the peas.