Is there such a thing as an easy christmas dinner ??

[colette]

We are about to ask MIL and family to xmas at ours for the fist time. Last year was not much fun, they spent even more time than usual in the kitchen refusing offers of help whilst dd wondered why we had rushed her away from all her new pressies to sit waiting , and why we couldn't open any presents. Meanwhile ds was getting cabin fever and eyeing up all the chocs on the tree/ ornaments that looked interesting to play with/ bird cage to shake/ hostess trolley to check out the wheels on... aaaaghhh . Mil does the full turkey with all the trimmings quite formally and looks exhausted by the evening.In fact fell asleep last year.
So what should I cook ? (I don't even like turkey anyway)that I can pretty much prepare the day before. Any other tips for spending time with the family and breaking with tradition would be gratefully received

Yeah, when you go out to eat or someone else cooks it for you. I wanted to go out, b/c am due 18 December. But my mum offered to cook. Hey, more power to her!

yeah turkey burgers and microwave chips

But a roast is easy isn't it? Just write down what time you need to do everything if that is what you find hard.

Cheese on toast with a few crackers on the side.

i wouldnt know as ive never made a xmas dinner (and im 31 too) as my DP does it all whilst i knock back the wine - hic hic!! - lol

I just view Christmas dinner like any other roast dinner. Just do the minimum - ie roast meat, roast potatoes, carrots and a green veg. Use ready made stuffing, cranberry sauce out of a jar, bisto gravy and forget roast parsnips, chipolata sausages and bacon. Easy peasy

Mancmum that makes sense - post crossed, Mil bread sauce is horrible(don't like to sound ungrateful) and bil thinks she is a brilliant cook , he took offense when I said I thought she was quite good.. Tbh wish it was just us this year, but would cause huge offense .

oh and no starters, can never understand why people have starters when the meal is huge enough. And buy Xmas pud and a trifle so you can offer an alternative

I will check later have to do ds nappy and go to pta meeting. Thanks a lot for the replies

I did not do starters instead I had some bowls of chilli nuts that I served with Cava that worked well and did not fill everyone up...

the main course took about 25 mins I recommend the hot gravy as if any of the veggies get cold waiting for serving, it warms them up I bought loads and added some read wine to give it a bit of a kick.

The Xmas pud microwaved served with double cream with brandy in it (bought from Sainsburys and saves fuss of baking sauce). Then a plate of cheese and biscuits... quite plain and simple meal but it worked for 20 and I spent teh day with my family rather than having kitchen induced breakdowm... same again this year except I will cook turkey the day before so freeing up the oven for roasties... hot gravy again to warm up meat!

Colette, you can serve a really nice Christmas lunch by cheating on all the accompaniments - Joubere and Duchy Originals do lovely fresh gravy, bread and cranberry sauces. You can get a boned and rolled turkey joint from M & S, or rib of beef (the traditional English Christmas Day roast before yucky turkey took over).
Buy all the veg pre-prepped too.
Smoked salmon if you decide you do want a starter, and a premium Xmas pud.
Or go out!

Thanks for all the ideas, good tip about the gravy mancmum and marina beef sounds good to me. I supose it is because mil is great but will secretly be quite put out about this.. So I want it to be much more relaxed than the xmas we have spent there.
Is it a good idea to cook beef the day before and heat it up , or will it be tougher??

colette I don't blame you for looking for an easier option that spending all morning slaving in the kitchen and I will be following this with interest.

My tip...

I always make carrot and swede mash with black pepper. I make it in advance - sometimes weeks in advance - this microwave it on the day. Sod peeling, chopping, mashing on Christmas day. I don't want to miss the fun.

colette I cook the turkey, pork, and beef the night before.
chop veg in morn and put in pans.
only put potatoes and stuffing in oven on xmas day.
do gravy as these are cooking.

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I have to admit I don't get this three types of meat Christmas dinner lark. My mum just did Turkey for Christmas dinner but friends of ours offered turkey, pork and beef last year and apart from the cost (eek) I was wondering if this was perhaps why Christmas dinner is thought to be such hard work.

How many choices of meat do you have?

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Why not try Nigellas slow roasted pork. You put it in the oven for a very long time (24hours IIRC) at a very low setting and just leave it in there until you are ready to serve it.

It works well with a mound of mashed pots (all peeled hte night before) and ribbons of carrot and courgette. (I do this by using a veggie peeler to make ribbons along the length of the carrots and courgettes - do loads of it as it is extremely popular. Prepare the night before in a microwave proof dish - on the day itself add a good knob of butter and lots of black pepper,cover the dish with a plate and micro on high for 6-8mins - then serve).

Then for pud, perhaps some melted chocolate puddings from M&S (most people love them) and serve with grandmarnier flavoured cream - for christmas effect!

For a starter, how about some canapes that you can all eat while having pre-dinner drinks - I love making them but TBH, you could just buy a selection pack that suits you and serve them up.

You really shouldn't have to spend more than 30mins in the kitchen with this menu! Just remember to set the table, put drinks and glasses easily to hand etc the day before too - DH's job perhaps

Pruni - we always had turkey and a gammon when we were at home. Nowadays my family seem to prefer beef but I adore turkey (I know minority of one here) so we often have turkey and beef now. Sometimes if we are at home over Christmas I'll do a very small gammon for boxing day!

breaksfast hard boiled eggs ham fresh bread and butter

11.00 coffee and choc biscuits of a high calibre and open presents

1.00 pres (preprandials) chilled tio pepe sherry or gin and tonic or for the chav children beer Pringles, rice crackers and roasted cashew nuts

starter vichysoisse served hot because no on wants it cold
lunch turkey, not stuffed but a nut roast also made which serves as stuffing or veg alternative
roast pots mash few sprouts with toasted almonds(dry fry in pan), cranberry and kumquats, family veg eg frozen peas tinned whole carots, pud chocolate log (delia) christmas pud and crem beaten with brandy or lemon freeze loads of cheese (stiltin, bleu d'auvegne, camembert, chedar, goats cheese)
wine beer water

later cold turkey sandwich with white bread, christmas cake and sherry trifle and mor cheese and biscuits

Crikey, yeah. Go to Marks. Take one large trolley. Fill it with ready made stuff. Pay for it. Leave. Chuck stuff in oven on the day. Eat. Anybody moans and they're on dishes.

paolosgirl I thought of that and got their xmas food ordering booklet, and was a bit shocked at the prices. Dh is chipping in with "is it organic and free range?" Er no that costs more.. but think M & S food hall will come in handy for some things just not everything.
Thanks again for all the replies , pruni and soapbox I am not that keen on pork but you are selling the idea to me. K bear the swede sounds good or I could do carrot and sweet potatoe and freeze with black pepper. Only 1 type of meat I think I never cook a roast, so 1 is enough for me.

Not much more to add really,apart from backingupwhat others have said about having lots prepared before hand and gettingpre packed stuff.
I did it last year and me and dh got all the veggies ready the night before. Bought a huge turkey breast crown thing from M&S delicious and no waste( not keen or slippery meat here

Joubere gravy and bought cranberry sauce and M&S stuffing.

All went fab!! If you don't like turkey, you could always do a big ham. I lived in Finland for a few years and at Christmas they had huge hamsinstead of turkey which were delicious anda lovely change.