Meals over the festive period

[CornishGem1975]

Trying to forward-think my meal plan so I can get my grocery order loaded up and start picking up freezer or storecupboard bits over the next few weeks.

What meals do you eat around the festive period (when it's not Christmas Day or Boxing Day!). I am trying to plan from 23rd December to 1st January!

We try to eat things with lots of veg, homemade to make up for the fact we're going to have too much chocolate!

Fish (usually salmon or sea basa) with new potatoes 2 types of veg and a creme fraiche based sauce

Jambalaya (prawns, chorizo, peppers, onions)

Baked potato with chilli Con Carne

I always do spiced parsnip soup with the leftover parsnips and roast cauliflower biryani with leftover cauli

Turkey, ham and leek pie with leftovers.
beef curry

I also tend to go veg for more veg and fish.
Also try and use up any left overs.
Cauliflower and red pepper curry
Shakshuka
Thai fish cakes and salad
Proper tuna nicois with tuna steaks
Prawn linguini with chilli and garlic
At some point I make a big macaroni cheese to use up the cheese board and usually do something for myself like Stilton stuffed mushrooms as I can abide macaroni cheese.
Sage and butternut squash risotto
Any left over veg goes into soup for lunches.

We do similar to @FrenchandSaunders:

Turkey, gammon and leek pie with veg
Gammon and potato dauphinois
Beef curry to use left over beef

I always make a good beef stew for the freezer for the week in between Christmas and NY.

And a minestrone and butternut squash soup for the freezer.

We will have a gammon ham too which I prep on Christmas Eve.

Home made mince pies in the freezer.

And Nancy Birtwhistle demonstrates a fantastic way of cooking potato dauphinoisse in advance for the freezer and she does a great batch cook of loaded potato skins if you follow her on Insta.

Good luck with your Christmas prep op!

To help use up leftovers...
Cauliflower (and broccoli) gratin with gammon

Pasta Alfredo to use up turkey or chicken

Chicken or Turkey or diced ham in a white or cheese sauce with broccoli or carrots or celery, topped with mashed potatoes, cook as if it is a cottage pie.

Risotto to use chicken etc and veg such as peas, green beans, leeks, asparagus.

Sausage hotpot with any leftover vegetables, topped with sliced potatoes. Bake till potatoes are golden.

Cassoulet with any leftover duck and sausages and gammon plus haricot blancs , garlic & onions. You could also add things like tomatoes, stuffing, sausage meat balls, chicken thighs... for a tasty rustic dish.

We always used to have a pack or two of the part baked rolls in over the Christmas period to have with soup.

Other recipes I had lat year around Christmas:
Winter pilau with beetroot, cauliflower and coriander chutney
Sprout nasi goreng
Creamy baked orzo with cauliflower, onions and mustard

We have guests from the 20th from abroad. I always plan in advance. This is what I have planned for the dates you've mentioned. Maybe not what you're after as we eat at a restaurant ok Christmas day.

23rd- dusted lemon sole with a caper and lemon sauce. Homemade chips minted peas and baked beans (I hate beans but OH loves them so I also do a salad)

24th - Our huge traditional Chinese takeaway

25th- restaurant meal

26th- Boxing day buffet including some warm dishes of- Maple mustard ham, pigs in blankets, cauliflower cheese bites, loaded potato skins and spicy cranberry glasses chicken drumsticks. Served with the obligatory pickles and Piccalilly ,part baked baguettes and a few different salads. Desserts provided by the in-laws.

27th - leftover ham turned into a lentil soup, served alongside a tray of cheese toasties with whatever needs using up and the remaining pickles.

28th- Veggie chilli with rice and nachos.

29th- Greek lemon chicken and potato traybake with greens.

30th - posh lasagne, garlic bread and salad.

31st - Onion bhaji, chicken pakora, saag paneer, Hyderabadi lamb shanks, butter chicken, lemon pilau rice, garlic naan, poppadoms with spiced onions and chutneys.

1st- Steak and sausage pie with horseradish mash. Undecided on this year's veg ATM but will probably be TSB , peas and mangetout.