What do you do for Christmas dinner?

seafarers_wife

I am going to be the laziest so and so going this christmas. Oh is working away and ive no holiday left to go home so im going to volunteer to work christmas day and boxing day and every other day thats classed as a non working day as its triple time and buffet provided so no cooking and no washing up.

will get some nice treat food in though like king prawns, smoked salmon, cheese board, and some other nibbley bits that take my fancy nearer the time. one thing i refuse to do though in december is go to the supermarket when its busy so i wait till silly oclock in the morning and go then and get what i need.

auditbabe

Over the years I have cooked every Christmas so I guess this year won't be any different but what I'm changing is is the amount I spend. I am cutting down big time this year I have been inspired by this http://www.cheap-family-recipes.org.uk/recipe-porkshoulder the work this group is truly amazing. Christmas can be cheap and still festive.

ciderwithrosie_2

My mum and dad always come over for Christmas lunch, they buy the turkey, they like a fresh one, although I wince at the price they pay for it as tbh I can't tell the difference in taste between that and say a Bernard Matthews frozen one. We cook a big ham on Christmas Eve to have with the turkey (we started cooking it in cola a few years ago a la Nigella and wouldn't do it any other way now). My mum has a traditional way of cooking the turkey, which is to season it, stuff the neck end with chestnut stuffing, smear the breast with butter and wrap it first one way then the other in several layers of greaseproof paper then tie with (non flammable) string. Bung in the oven for about 4 hours - comes out perfectly cooked everytime. We have roasties, maple roasted parsnips, sprouts, carrots, sausagemeat balls, bacon rolls, chestnut stuffing (old family recipe) sage and onion stuffing, bread sauce and cranberry sauce (hm last year as I can't ever find one I like, they're all pretty bland). Hubby and I share the cooking, but I mostly just peel the sprouts and drink mulled wine!

I usually buy a very small christmas pudding for my parents in case they want some but we usually all end up eating the dessert I've made, either a cheesecake or mousse, I made a lemon and lime syllabub served with my own brandy snaps last year. Now the boys are older we all have a glass or two of sparkling wine with lunch.

I try and make as much of it as possible as it's all part of Christmas for me, I have the week before off work so I can get my house looking lovely for guests and all my food shopping, present wrapping and baking done. Then by Christmas Eve afternoon, everything's done and I can just relax and enjoy our open house, with OH's family and ours and the boys' friends dropping in.

Ahhh, can't wait now

[Deleted User]

I usually buy my two daughters a turkey crown every year ,today in tesco''s they were £35.00 and M&S have told me that they will be around £45-50 each this year so it looks like the turkeys off the menu this year.We will do without and maybe have a large chicken or a piece of beef instead.

red_devil

we have a turkey crown or a cockerel from the butchers. I am amazed people pay marks prices its overpriced. We make roast potatoes etc none of your aunt bessies rubbish. We have sausages and bacon from the butchers too and do the pigs in blankets some people are so lazy.

How do people manage starters the dinner is enough?

toontron

We usually have a fiercly expensive piece of beef on the bone, and a turkey, I make my own stuffing and pigs in blankets for those that want them, about six veg and roast potatoes and parsnips, also proper gravy. Pudding is generally chocolate gateau or Christmas pudding, but usually nobody is hungry enough to tackle that until the evening. I make a real effort with Christmas lunch and don't use anything cheap or shop bought. I wonder now back to the 70's when I was growing up, how we ever got through breakfast, lunch, "proper tea", and supper???? Either we were piggy wiggys or the portions were smaller in those days!

Vaila

its became the tradition in our house to have an indian meal, as no one in our home is a big fan of roast dinners etc

Alison_Funnell

Roast turkey crown or large chicken, stuffing, bread sauce, gravy,cranberry sauce, roast pots, roast carrots, onion, cauli, swede, brussels - not always all that veg but ALWAYS brussels as we love them. Xmas pud and custard. All home made.

We also have xmas cake, mince pies, ham, trifle. Again all home cooked including the mincemeat.

The only thing we really buy is pannetone as we have tried to make that yet and Lidls are good and not a bad price.

cookie9

First time for me. Just the two of us so not sure what to do. Not willing to spend all day cooking whilst OH sits doing nothing. Thinking may do turkey ( OH insisting on turkey despite the fact the are just 2 of us) and he has to do homemade starter and desert.

memelalou

I follow the family tradition of turkey with pork loin. We have with it sage and onion stuffing, Roast potatoes, parsnips and onions, yorkshires, mash, brussels, carrots and peas. We don't have pudding - theres never room.
I also slow cook a gammon christmas eve morning for dinner that night and boxing day served on both with really soft bread rolls, chunk of cheese, salad and a various amount of random pickles you seem to have in at christmas - our very own festive ploughmans.