Your Christmas menu (with recipes if necessary) please!

[colditz]

I am not a very imaginative cook, but I really want to show off this year. So I thought maybe if the foodies (and non foodies!) could post their Christms day dinner plans, we could all glean the bits that appeal to us, then we could all show off a bit.

I will be more of a gleaner than a gleanee, but I am sure there are some wonderful mumsnetters who have lovely ideas.... that I can pinch.

Please feel free to add any foolproof recipes for lamb gravy - purely for the use of others, you understand

I will be serving

Roast lamb
Roast turkey
Pigs in blankets
Broccili
Peas
Carrots
Sprouts
Roast parsnips
Roast potatoes

Feel free to contribute aany ideas!

We have

Roast Beef
Garlic & Rosemary roast pots (same as normal pots but sprinkled with sliced garlic and rosemary)
Carrots (in melted butter)
Sprouts (sometimes pan fried with bacon and onion once cooked)
Roast Parsnips - glazed with honey
Pigs in blankets
Sage & Onion stuffing
Yorkshire Pudds
Gravy

The stuff I do with the veg is really basic but it just makes it a little different

Mmmm, yes I think I might glze the parsnips and mint the peas...

both tescos and asda usually have some good xmas meal recipes on their websites if you want some inspiration

Turkey
Stuffing
Honey glazed Gammon
Sprouts, with butter & bacon (the bacon that was over the turkey's back in the oven)
Carrots & parsnips mashed
Peas (Boiled)
Sweetcorn
Roastspuds, par-boiled in a chicken stockcube and then slowly roasted in the bottom of oven
Cocktail Sausages

Not sure about starter or dessert yet

We quite often have swede as well. Always have xmas pud for afters although I've just purchased a special xmas cook book (I know I'm sad) with allsorts in it so might try something out of there.
Let me know if there's any area you're interested in (party food, desserts, veg etc) and I'll try and pick out some simple recipes.

Don't forget the bread sauce (Delia's recipe is easy) and cranberry sauce!

ohhhhh parboiled in a stock cube? What differance does that make? does it make them crispier?

i am interested in scrummy little trimmings to make it special, not just a Sunday dinner.

I was going to serve redcurrent jelly instead, as I am doing lamb and turkey... my brother (awkward sod) doesn't eat lamb. And I don't eat turkey.

Would redcurrenty jelly be horrible with turkey then?

There's little focus in my book re the trimmings but there's some nice gravies or finishing touches to veggies like almonds in with the brocolli or roasted pumpkin with sesame seeds? Or what about couscous patties?? All depends on what your family would eat.
There's a great recipe for an ice cream xmas pud!!!

I can't mess with the veg, mum will moan

But I would love a bash at some nice gravy

What about a red wine gray?

Place 2 tbsp reserved pan juices in the baking dish (that you've cooked your joint/bird in) on the stove cover over a low heat.
Add 2 tbsp of plain flour and stir well, ensuring that you scrape the bottom of the pan to incorporate all the sediment.
Cook over medium heat for 1-2 mins stirring constantly until the flour is well browned.
Combine 80ml red wine and 600 ml of beef/chicken/veg stock and gradually stir into the flour mixture making sure the liquid is well absorbed before each addition.
Heat stirring constantly until the gravy boils and thickens.
Simmer for 3 mins then season with salt and black pepper.

Makes 750ml

Um, no the stockcubes don't make them crispier, well not that I've noticed, but it gives the spuds a chickeny flavour (Oh pardon my really bad grammar)

It makes them taste that wee bit "nicer" I think.

Do you all put an X in the bottom of your sprouts? I have no idea WHY I do this.. I think I must have saw it on a TV show..anyone know WHY I do this?

That sounds delicious, mmmm. Would go with both meats too.

Mmm that gravy sounds lovely!

(shameful confession)

We only eat frozen spouts in my family, I hate fresh sprouts, I think they are revolting. Everything else, bar peas, will be freshly prepared, it is a matter of taste, not laziness I promise!

I do know my mum used to put an X at the bottom of sprouts - so they don't stay rock hard in the middle I think.

Laughing at the cross in the spuds - ummmmm not sure other than that was the way that I was taught. Perhaps it helps them cook??

lol, see I hate the frozen ones, DH loves frozen ones, but if I prepare the fresh ones he will eat them. DD prefers tinned carrots, as she eats them cold from the tin, I have now weaned her onto freshly peeled ones that are sliced into batons, but she still won't eat them just sliced normally??

I parboil my sprouts then fry them with some bits of bacon and assorted other items, yummy. Of course slit or cross the sprouts.

I parboil my sprouts then fry them with some bits of bacon and assorted other items, yummy. Of course slit or cross the sprouts.

Oooooo I haven't had tinned carrots for ages!!! Or tinned pots for that matter.

I know a couple of people who do chestnuts in with their sprouts for something a little different.

I only do one lot .

Plus honey carrots and this year sweet potato mash.

Oh do you put X's in your spuds?? I do that for baked potatoes in the oven, but not for boiling.. maybe should try that & see what it's like

Oh I might do roasted sweet potatoes, I love those!

I've never had tinned potatoes, we grow them out in the field so DH heads off with the spade about an hour before dinner! PLanning on getting the other bit of garden sorted out this yr to grow carrots and parsnips..but knowing my DH it won't be this yr at all.