Christmas dinner and table 🎄

[ShutupLwren]

Anyone written a Christmas dinner menu yet?
If so how many are you catering for?

Also has anyone got any nice new table wear or cutlery? I love this side of Christmas!

I’ve had a look online and there’s a couple of sets I like from George at Asda thanks for suggesting. I’m overseas and there isn’t one local to my relatives back in the UK so it’s probably the only place I hadn’t looked.

Potentially, I might have five this year and I've only really cooked for two normally, three on the odd occasion so am bit apprehensive about how much to buy and juggling the cooking so it is all ready at the same time.

I'm anticipating chicken/turkey crown, gammon, roast potatoes, parsnips and onions, stuffing, pigs in blankets, Yorkshire puddings (by request), Brussels, carrots and swede, maybe Broccoli as well. Christmas pudding plus another pudding for choice, a roulade I would think.

One of the guests will be heavily pregnant on Christmas and it's possible she and partner may not come so if I've catered for five and it's only three, there will be loads of seconds and food for the following couple of days. Bonus!

about 10-15. Same as usual. And probably a similar menu to last year. Possibly different starters this year.

Looks like there will be 11 this year for us
Roast is pretty standard
Turkey and gammon
Roast potatoes
Carrot and swede mash
Roast parsnips
Shredded sautéed sprouts with chestnuts
A green veg either green beans or tenderstem
Stuffing
Pigs in blankets
Maybe Yorkshire puddings
Cauliflower cheese
Gravy
Condiments

Don't tend to do starters as the meal is so big, haven't thought about dessert yet, evening will be cold cuts, cheeseboard, crackers, pate etc

I got a lovely Ralph Lauren Christmas tablecloth in tk maxx last year so that'll be back out (our table is massive so I often struggle for size but American brands clearly make things bigger!)

I’m cooking for 8, I know mains - my sister is doing pumpkin pie for dessert and I’ll probably add ice cream sundaes for the kids as a dessert option. Will probably do picky appetisers rather than a starter.
Main - turkey, pibs, sage and onion stuffing, roast potatoes, bread sauce, turkey gravy, cranberry sauce, Brussel sprouts sauted with leeks, honey roast carrots and parsnips, spiced red cabbage, peas, Yorkshire puds for those that want them

If I do a starter it’ll be a vegetarian one, I’ll make some Christmas chutney soon, marry berry’s one and get a large Brie from Morrisons and slice into wedges, egg wash and then coat in panko breadcrumbs and deep fry, but I’m hoping nobody wants a starter. I can’t really be bothered this year because people moan that soup to start is a bit boring and there is people who dislike fish so nothing prawn or salmon based for starters.
I made my own pate one year but I don’t like pate, it’s too meaty for me!

What we like to do for starters is a couple of packs of nice M&S party food nibbles, which we eat with our drinks opening presents before the main meal (as we eat in early evening).

I am not sure where I will be - but I know it will be DH, DD and I (not sure if DD will be eating again by then, currently peg-fed). But I know I will be the main chef, DH will definitely help. And we will likely either have traditional turkey or maybe a roast duck or good roast chicken. Proper roast potatoes. Proper stuffing. And a couple of nice veggies (possibly involving roasted root veg, Brussels sprouts, and/or garlic roasted French beans).

Dessert might be a proper Christmas pudding or something sinful and chocolate, depending on location. Maybe cheese for later.

19 of us this year. Nice white tablecloth and dinner service. Dinner around 5 so nice candles too. Menu will be sorted next month at the big family dinner where we all throw in what we would like and who is doing what. It’s a bit different for us as most family stay here with 2 couples staying in our pub. So from the 23 till 27 slightly hectic. We always have turkey and beef, this year our local butcher is gifted me half a lamb to say thanks for using him for all the pub meals, so leg of lamb will be on the menu too.

I do Christmas dinner every year. My family and DH’s family always spends it together so it’s a fairly large gathering of adults and children. Over the years I have tinkered with the menu and while I haven’t specifically planned this year’s menu yet what I have learned is:

Turkey is fundamentally not that nice, even when cooked perfectly (I have an Aga so it never dries out, it’s simply that no recipe can make turkey actually taste nice!)

It is important to ensure different textures on the plate or it all feels rather same-y. I think this is particularly important for long meals you linger over, like Christmas dinner. So my menu always takes that into account. For example I no longer do roast potatoes and roast parsnips as they are too similar in texture.

Always have a range of sauces for different people’s palates - at a minimum I always make bread sauce, cranberry sauce, and obviously gravy.

Never forget to buy decent cheese! We forgot one year and will never forget again. Having a cheese course makes a meal feel more special, given that Christmas dinner is essentially a fancy roast.

I don’t have or plan to get Christmas specific crockery or cutlery as it feels a bit wasteful. But we inherited very beautiful silver plates many years ago that we only use for special occasions like Christmas.

Oh also, I don’t make starters anymore. I did a few times over the years, but realised it’s pointless given the quantity of food in the main meal. There is a nice breakfast instead at around 10, to tide people over until Christmas dinner is ready at about 2.

My best friends mum makes a fry up about 11 and then a huge Christmas dinner at 4, now I’m a woman who can eat but no way I’d be able to do both in one day.
For Christmas breakfast I just chuck some pastries in the oven for the kids and I save myself for Christmas dinner.
I do love special breakfasts though. On Boxing Day I do scrambled eggs on bagels with Parmesan cheese and torn basil.

My classic starter has always been smoked salmon, brown toast, lemon and a small salad. Over the last couple of years the starter has moved to mid-morning as more of a brunch so we don’t fill up too much on it before the main.

4 of us for full lunch but then another 14 from 3 pm for party food, cheese board and dessert.

No starter
Turkey, ham, roast potatoes, veg, gravy, pigs in blankets and Yorkshire puddings.

Selection of party food
Massive cheese boards with crackers, cheese, chutney, grapes and port
Various sweet treats. I tend to do bite size desserts rather than full puddings.