Christmas lunch for 15. plate up and serve or dishes on the table

[sacbina]

Having a Salmon main course with various sides. A bit of a squash and squeeze around the table so not huge amount of room to put serving dishes in the table.

Would it be mad to keep serving dishes in kitchen and get them to serve themselves before sitting down?

Never fed this many before so am a bit adrift. .....

I do a serve yourself type thing in the kitchen for the same reasons. Works well and means the table can stay looking reasonable.

Salmon dished up, onto plates, sides in the middle to help themselves. Then if you have any salmon left, put it on a smaller serving plate for 'seconds" :)
Well, thats how I do it...

Plate up some - say plate up hot and put cold dishes on table, or whatever is appropriate. Otherwise some people are sitting down waiting with their meals getting cold while others are still serving themselves in kitchen. (Have had this at some family meals - sitting at table on my own while others are still faffing in kitchen.)

Have you got a sideboard you can move dishes to when everyone has been served?

Thanks all. Wise words as always 😊

I tend to use a folding table butted up to the dining table, and covering the whole lot. It gives a bit of extra space in the centre for dishes
It will be good fun whatever you do ! :)

Unfortunately no room for an extra table, too, already borrowed a dining table and we're straddling two rooms.

Whose idea was it to feed 15 - glares at dh!

I come from a big family, so we are used to all squeezing in. When there were lots of next generation 'littlies' , they had their own table as an overflow

Have you got a couple of teenagers who could 'waiter'? If you have space for someone to walk around the table.

Put the salmon on the plates and have teenagers walk round with side dishes, put 2 or 3 sides in the dishes the teenagers are serving.

No teenagers, but willing 5 and 3 year olds. Not much use. 4 ageing GPs. Not much use either!!

Only 2 kids so don't want them on their own table........ just yet!

What about using ironing board as extra table for side dishes