How Do You Host Christmas Dinner? Tips Please!

[GilbertShow]

I’m trying to get myself properly organised for Christmas this year and would love to hear how everyone else manages the big meal. I’m thinking of the practical stuff as well as the fun bits.

How do you:
• Keep the food hot without everything drying out or the veg going mushy?
• Time the cooking so you’re not in a blind panic at the end?
• Decide when to open crackers – before food, during, after?
• Keep conversation flowing so it doesn’t slip into everyone staring at their plates?
• Do you have table games or ‘talk cards’?
• Wrap up the meal without it feeling abrupt or awkward? Do you all sit for ages chatting, playing games?

Any tips on hosting in general would be brilliant! I love cooking and the meal is always appreciated. I find the ‘hosting’ at the table a strain and worry that others are not having a good time. I don't think I'm a natural host.

I'm not a big drinker, though we will have wine/CAVA with the meal. We do have table decorations, candles lit etc.

Basically, if you’ve found ways to make the whole Christmas dinner smoother, relaxed and less stressful, please share!

Is this first time you’ve hosted Christmas?
How many coming?
Do you host get togethers often? Or very rarely if ever?

I'm not a big drinker, though we will have wine/CAVA with the meal.

the fact you don’t enjoy a drink doesn’t mean others won’t wish to partake in a drink before and after the meal

Who are you hosting and what time have you asked them to arrive?

Write out all your timings on a big chart. Include absolutely everything like when you’ve got to take the meat out of the fridge, turn the oven on, put the plates in to warm etc…
Rope in some people to help and know in advance what you want them to do. I always grab my DBro last min to do the carving as he’s really go at that, and DSiL helps plate up. The dc help carry things through to the table.

No, ever year for the last 20! 😂 but it is rare I would invite anyone for a formal dinner at any other time. Family meals, with adult DC’s/partners, yes sometimes.

Usually there are 6-10 of us, adults/young adults. DS’s and partners are competent cooks too.

I just feel the actual sitting down to eat is a bit of a let down.

@Throatsore yes, drinks for DC’s to access as and when. It is just me that wouldn't have much.

Keep conversation flowing so it doesn’t slip into everyone staring at their plates?
• Do you have table games or ‘talk cards’?
• Wrap up the meal without it feeling abrupt or awkward? Do you all sit for ages chatting, playing games?

do your guests not know one another well?

and you’ve hosted Christmas every year for the last two decades? Have they not gone well??

• Keep the food hot without everything drying out or the veg going mushy?
• Time the cooking so you’re not in a blind panic at the end?
I plan the menu taking cooking times, oven availability, need to reheat or keep warm or cook at last minute all into account. it does take some effort but it's doable. eg, we often do a cauliflower cheese. In part because I can do it the day before, then just cook it in the oven while the meat is resting and I'm cooking yorkshires (which I have a separate oven for). I routinely only do fairly basic other veg because it's easier to ensure they're served properly.

• Decide when to open crackers – before food, during, after?
We always do this as we sit down and as food is being served. Makes a nice vibe at the start.

• Keep conversation flowing so it doesn’t slip into everyone staring at their plates?
I think normally this should be natural ifyou're all family/friends but I guess you could think of a few particular topics. Make a point of asking people questions, including the children, to generate talk and discussions.

• Do you have table games or ‘talk cards’?
Inevitbaly someone likes to tell the christmas cracker jokes. But that's it.

• Wrap up the meal without it feeling abrupt or awkward? Do you all sit for ages chatting, playing games?
Again - this is normally organic. At some point we clear plates. People often sit around still chatting.

If you aren't a big drinker, I still think it's really good to offer a round of bubbles or a glass of something on arrival. gets a nice vibe going (even if people re choosing non alcoolic options) and ensures you look welomcing and generous. Ditto, make sure there are some nibbles out for people to snack on as soon as they arrive. If gifts are goingn to be exchanged, do that at a time that creats a bit of excitement - we tend to do it quite soon after everyone arrives and I'll usuall ywork in a break in cooking to accomodate this.

If you’re hosting a large number round a table, allocate place settings.
It might help ease the pressure on the actual morning if you lay up the table the evening beforehand.

At the minute, all staying with us, unless DM decides to join us and one DC will go and collect her mud morning.

We eat at about 16.30.

Plan your timings on your phone/computer so when you’ve inevitably forgotten about the sprouts or the stuffing, you can easily go back and add them in without rewriting the whole thing. You also have it for future years too and just adjust based on the size of your meat/starters.

On your timings - write the time down and then the instruction e.g. 1200 - oven to 180, 1220 - parboil potatoes. Print this out and put it next to the oven with a pen - not black, something that will stand out. Use timers and name them “potatoes on”, “veg on”. If someone walks into the kitchen and the timer is going off, they know it’s time to put the veg on, they can look at the list and see what time it is, what the instruction/temperature is and do it then tick it off. This means if your house is not completely useless that you can go for a wee or be talking to someone without dinner completely falling apart. Everyone can just keep it ticking over. If things don’t go to plan and you need to pus timings back, you go through the list and add your delay to the times. So if you’re running 30 minutes late, you go through the timings and just add 30 minutes to everything.

How best to do everything will depend on your cooking set up. Whether you have multiple ovens, how big your oven is or whether you have an air fryer. Work out what cooking appliances you have - what can go in the microwave/air fryer, what needs to be in the big oven because that baking tray only fits in there. Then juggle things accordingly.

I’ve never planned when to open crackers - it just happens. Never planned conversation - it just happens. We’ve had Christmas trivia questions etc on the side but it’s usually for after or if people are waiting a bit between their main and dessert. I’ve never planned how long people spend at the table - it just happens. Some want to stay and play games and some want their own space/go play with their new things/want a nap.

you may have forgotten during too, also essential @Throatsore? 😉😆

So you host Christmas Day every year and have done for 2 decades?

Same people coming as usual?

I didn’t forget

the op was kindly planning to serve during dinner!!

How do you:
• Keep the food hot without everything drying out or the veg going mushy?
I'm pretty good at having everything ready at the same time. I have two ovens - dont know how I'd manage without. Some things are decanted into warmed serving bowls. Others are just served in their already hot casserole dishes (eg red cabbage). I dont keep stuff warm beyond that. I put everything on the kitchen island for people to help themselves.
• Time the cooking so you’re not in a blind panic at the end?
I have a carefully worked out timetable that says when everything has to be in and out. The only very last minute thing really is gravy, which I make ahead. And sprouts I guess. But even those you can cook quickly and refresh ahead of time and then whizz them around a pan with hot butter and chestnuts at the last minute. We dont have a sit down starter. We pass round canapes. I can finish off the main course at the same time.
• Decide when to open crackers – before food, during, after? After everone has got their food, but before the wine is poured (too many accidents!)
• Keep conversation flowing so it doesn’t slip into everyone staring at their plates? Umm, I've never known that to happen at a dinner, Xmas or otherwise.
• Do you have table games or ‘talk cards’? No. We do read out cracker jokes.
• Wrap up the meal without it feeling abrupt or awkward? Do you all sit for ages chatting, playing games? The main part of the meal usually ends because kids are nagging to open their presents and cant be held off any longer (we do xmas dinner with my siblings and kids, and dont open presents between families until after dinner, they get presents from their own parents/Santa in the morning). We then come back for pudding. Games after that.

😊

Yes, similar people, perhaps different partners and of course DC’s were aged 4+ when I started!
Sometimes it has been my parents and/or parents in law. Sometime step DC’s.

So have the Christmases you have hosted for the last two decades with basically the same people as coming this year…. Been awkward affairs with cold food?!

Food has been ok. Sometimes a bit luke warm, depending on timings. I do heat up the dishes and plates in the warming drawer.

I just feel it is so rushed, getting everything out together on the table or island. Making sure everyone has their food, waiting until the crackers are pulled, hats on, wine served - all whilst I'm stressed that the food is getting cold.

We eat, but chat is limited, sometimes doesn't flow. We finish the food or maybe someone will eat a little more and that's it. Finish drinks, time to clear up.

I wondered if we are missing anything, maybe I'm just distracted with making sure that everyone eats a great dinner, don't really relax. I want to laugh and engage. Maybe my family don't see dinner it like that at all and have a great time.

(remembering the best year, we had crackers with musical whistles in and a carol sheet - after we'd eaten we played carols around the table, taking it in turns to conduct …😂).
Interesting to find out what others do, I've never had Christmas dinner elsewhere as an adult. (apart from a hotel abroad one year).

Prepare as much if it as you can before the day.

Peel and par boil potatoes .
.peel all veg... Make up stuffing... Everything that can be done before do it on Christmas Eve.

We are using chafing dishes to keep everything warm.

I wondered if we are missing anything, maybe I'm just distracted with making sure that everyone eats a great dinner, don't really relax. I want to laugh and engage. Maybe my family don't see dinner it like that at all and have a great time.

I recognise some of this. I used to gget so stressed out and franly, that also killed the mood for other people.

I would take a really good look at your menu to see how you can destress yourself a bit?

For example, the meat needs to rest. So work aroudn that - if it's out and resting you don't have to worry about it, and you can focus on other things.

Look at your sides. Which are the ones everyone loves? which are the ones that are high maintenance? Is there really overlap? How can you work around this?

So, I do cauliflower cheese usually. - bg hit. Can cook while things are resting and stay hot for ages.

Peas - I know, NOT that traditional, but I put a bit of effort in and do them with more flavourints etc, and they're all ready so I just add the boiling water a few minutes before we serve uip then once they're done, pop alid on and leave them until I'm ready to transfer to a serving dish.

On this note, I usually get all my serving dishes and platters out and allocated to a particularl dish in advance. I learnt this te hard way - i was always trying to get that almost-never-used platter from the back of the cupboard or reasling I needed to wash that bowl before I coudl use it. Now it's all out, ready to go, clean etc on the counter in advance. If I have time and/or someone to help me, I get someone to pour a hot kettle of water or just run hot water from the tap over everything 10 minutes b efore I'm serving, and dry it up, so the dishes aren't cold (I don't have space for pre-warming - but I can usually turn one oven down to low and put stuff in there for the last ten minutes or so eg roast potatoes).

Yorkshires - are in the oven at the point after which I start transferring things to dishes and taking to the table. Everyone knows the yorkshires will be the last thing they get on their plate, at the last minute.

If gravy at last minute stresses you out, make it in advance. We have beef or lamb at Christmas not Turkey. I buy knuckle bones/ oxtail/shanks or whatever and roast them up a few weeks before, make a vat of gravy and freeze it. That way I just have to defrost and decant into a large saucepan to heat up. Also, top tip, ifyou bring gravy to the table in batches the hot gravy makes everything else hotter!

I always peel all the potatoes the day before and leave overnight in water. I also mae the yorkshire pudding batter first thing in the morning and decant into clean used milk bottles which saves space and effort and mess in the final moments.

Also allocate tasks. if you know dinner will be served in 15 minutes, tell DH/DC to start getting everyone ready, go to toilet/wash hands. Put someone in charge of topping up drinks or opening wine etc etc.

Get rid of the crackers to start with. Pointless tat which ruins the table. And so bad for the environment.

Have piping hot gravy, even if the food sits for a few minutes the gravy help warm it all back up.

I time things so veggies are finishing off while the meat is resting, everything into warm serving dishes and people help themselves. Things do go a bit cold but hot gravy.

Thanks so much, that is really useful and has helped me evaluate. Particularly like the idea of considering the range of food I serve… I do over offer! Prepping beforehand too. I usually do it all on the day, as I have time but maybe I'm exhausted and stressed by the time we sit down.
Less on the day would give me time to relax,

YES! To the food containers and dishes ALWAYS at the back of the cupboard, underneath everything else😊. I have bought more dishes this year (IKEA glass with lids) so that we have enough and managing left overs will be easy.

Do you add anything instead, discussion topics, jokes, table games?