What do you do for Christmas dinner?

MrsE_2

Curious_George wrote: »

what do we do? everything!
from scratch, sorry OP but aunt bessies roast pots taste like floor sweepings compared to our real ones!

we are also price tarts and have stuff we know we will use stocked up already from previous bargain hunting trips... but we will be having the works,
and cold meat and mash with pickles on boxing day nom nom nom

My family never did that whole cold dinner with pickles & mash. I come from an Irish family, is it an English thing?
I remember a friend of mine going to her future in laws for boxing day (she was also from an Irish family) & the next time I saw her she told me about the strange meal they served for boxing day & had I ever heard of such a thing? I hadn't.
For us its roast dinner mark 2:D
But the meat is likely to be reheated left overs.

cyclingyorkie

my boxing day meal will be cold turkey with veg, gravy etc - not a pickle in sight!

And I'm as English as they come!

Olliebeak

MrsE wrote: »

.......I remember a friend of mine going to her future in laws for boxing day (she was also from an Irish family) & the next time I saw her she told me about the strange meal they served for boxing day & had I ever heard of such a thing? I hadn't.
For us its roast dinner mark 2:D
But the meat is likely to be reheated left overs.

Lived with my grandmother when very young and that was always another roast meal on Boxing Day with meat warmed up in the gravy, same when I went to live with mum and dad - both sides from Irish families .

Nowadays, we tend to have two lots of visitors on Boxing Day - one lot for a meal (DS1, g/f and her son) and another lot (mum, sister, bil, niece and b/f) who are 'passing through' en-route to visit my younger sister. As we never know what time the 'passers through' are arriving, I do nibbles/mince pies/shortbreads for them (they have a sit-down meal at the other end) and a cold buffet-style meal for the rest of us.

Maybe it's something to do with getting older, but my stomach just isn't up to 2 roast dinners in a row these days :rolleyes:.

Christmas Day Meal (with DD and b/f as guests) will be Turkey, stuffing, mashed pots, roasties, carrot&swede, sprouts, honey-roast parsnips, cranberry sauce, gravy with some kind of Ice Cream Dessert a couple of hours later - possibly Individual Baked Alaskas :drool:.

Another buffet-style meal is done when OH's brother, sister, husband and 2 young children visit.

Also in the freezer is a whoopsied rib of beef - perhaps ear-marked for New Year depending on visitor situation. DS2, dg/f and dgs2&3 will be paying a visit at some point, may get a Leg of Lamb for that meal.

dreaming

Last year DD & I went to DS's for Xmas dinner - DIL decided to do buffet. All the food was lovely but somehow didn't seem like Xmas. DD said she definitely wants roast this year but is working Xmas day so will do on Boxing Day instead - organic chicken, stuffing, pigs in blankets, roast pots. carrots. parsnips, onions, cranberry sauce but NO SPROUTS! Only did them for OH and separated 10yrs ago.
When I was a kid we always went to the Working Mens Club on Boxing Day and took sandwiches (I seem to remember that we had leftover beef from Xmas Day with onion).. Isn't it funny how we all get so used to our family traditions that we think everyone else does that too. Was a real shock when I first got married as ex's family always had cold meat and chips on Boxing Day.

pelirocco

jenner wrote: »

thanks everyone, yes thriftlady, i knew that it would upset some people, marks and spencers is NOT money saving, but everyone has different levels of stress and although I like cooking for people, OH and his kids are v fussy. Im not keen on chicken for a start, OH's kids love chicken, no one likes turkey and kitchen is v small, so to meet everyone's needs and to allow me to feel as relaxed as poss, I like it ready made.

I love the idea of some of the breakfasts on here, although I like to save myself for lunch as its a big lunch.

my problem this year is that my fridge freezer is a lot smaller than my old one and I will have to have enough food in for 5 of us for several days, I dont relish the idea of shopping at christmas. OH and his kids dont and wont eat leftovers which limits what I can serve up, bit of a nightmare really!

You shouldnt be apologising , I think Thriftlady was a bit rude tbh

Ladyshopper

Boodle wrote: »

It really is interesting to read what lovely dinners you are all planning

For breakfast I am toying with the idea of Portugese custard tarts to have with coffee, but I might just go with muffins of some sort. It depends on how I feelon Christmas eve when I come to make them. I am usually really hungry by mid-morning though so will probably end up having toast and jam or a bowl of branflakes too.

There are two adults, one toddler and one baby for Christmas dinner. For starter I plan on serving roasted sweet potato, pecan and spinach salad.

We were planning on a chicken this year, but I have gone vegan and DH & DD veggie (as vegan as comfortable for them really.) TBH, it was pretty much the veggies and condiments that make Christmas dinner for us anyway, rather than the meat element. So instead we will be having:

Wild mushroom wellington (although we are also tempted to do a lentil pie with traditional "sausage"-type spices instead)
Carrots and parsnips
Sprouts with hazelnut butter
Sweetcorn
Roasted potatoes
Braised red cabbage
Stuffing
Bread sauce, cranberry sauce (bought jar), mustard and gravy

Afters will be Christmas pud with custard (DH prefers it to both hot and hard rum/brandy sauces.) I won't have cheese and DD simply doesn't like it, but DH will probably have some in for himself. Will probably be full enough after that meal to eat any then though

Supper will probably be some leftover veg as a fry-up but I usually only cook enough for the meal, so it might well be a sandwich and crisps or something.

Family are coming on Boxing Day so we will have:
A pie like the lentil one mentioned above
Sausage Rolls
Mushroom puffs
Bought onion bhajis with mango chutney for dunking
Stuffing balls with mustard and cranberry sauce for dunking
Crackers with hummus, mushroom pate and creamy cheese (going to try making my own with soy flour from a recipe on the internet)
Mincemeat pies
Christmas cake and a tunis cake

Another request for the mushroom wellington recipe please, sounds lovely!

MrsE_2

thriftlady wrote: »

I would rather serve my own liver up for Christmas lunch than do that. How odd.

Christmas lunch is just a roast dinner, it is one of the easiest meals to cook unless you buy into the tellychef idea that you have to make every single dish a superexperience and have five different vegetables all 'cooked up' in a different way and three different sauces each using a different kind of alcohol and two kinds of stuffing.

All you need is a big bird or joint of meat plus roast potatoes and a couple of other veg. Gravy is a by-product of the meat so that's easy and a few simple thrifty extras like stuffing and bread sauce will stretch your meat.

Christmas pudding is also a doddle to make- all you do is mix a load of ingredients together and you do it well in advance. Don't bother with brandy butter or any other fancy sauces, just have cream the pudding is rich enough.

Mincemeat- I can't believe people buy this. It is the easiest thing to make. All you do is mix dried fruit, apple, sugar and alcohol in a bowl and leave it for a couple of days then pot into jars. The hardest thing is grating the apple.

Christmas cake is basically the same thing as the pud and mincemeat with flour, eggs and butter. Again really easy to make-just mix it altogether and bake. I don't bother icing and marzipanning I think spoils the cake and uses far too much sugar.

It is my belief that Christmas dinner has become way too complicated and indulgent. I think this is because we feast all year round so we have to make this one lunch even more rich and over the top.

Christmas lunch in the Thrift household will be -

No starter- we've never had starters for Christmas lunch, if there is one meal that doesn't need adding to it is this one.

Roast goose, roast potatoes, carrots and peas, goose giblet gravy, apples sauce and sage and onion stuffing. I might add a few chipolatas wrapped in bacon(I don't buy these ready made- it is hardly taxing to wrap bacon round a sausage).

Christmas pudding and cream or fresh fruit, shell nuts and cheese.

There will also be mince pies and Christmas cake around.

I do not make a special breakfast. The kids eat Father Christmas chocolate for breakfast and I have coffee.

I don't buy crisps, or other salted snacks. Why would you? You're not going to go hungry on Christmas day.

I do not make a special tea, there are usually hm sausage rolls and some sort of winter salad to eat with cold goose and cold ham. I'm baking a ham on Christmas Eve with the intention of having plenty of leftovers.:santa2:

I see where you are coming from, BUT I also see where the M&S fans are coming from.

I do a mixture of both, I don't make xmas pud (I bought a Georgie Porgie one which is probably better than anything I can make) but I do make the trifle.

I bought M&S stuffing for xmas day (its in the freezer) normally I wouldn't but I will be busy with other things & I'm working xmas eve, so trying to use a few time savers & I think the M&S one will be as good as mine would anyway.

BUT I would never use aunt bessies "anything", with a normal dinner let alone with an xmas dinner:eek:
I will do my own pigs in blankets because I am damned fussy about sausages & my fav are Surrey Whites & I will make my own from them:D
All my veg will be peeled & prepared from scratch as I think they taste far better than those ready preped stuff.

I WILL but all the trimmings & fancy stuff & have the parmesan parsnips, the starter, the cheeseboard, the brandy cream, etc, because its xmas & its the day for pushing the boat out & eating till you are going to explode:D

katieclampet

Our christmas breakfast is always croissants & fresh orange juice, then a traditional dinner, with a joint (usually pork) or turkey, bought from our local butcher. We usually have home grown vegs from the garden, which might have been frozen earlier in the year. We cater for 6 adults and 2 children.

We usually have a ready made pudding from M&S, because we like them, and a home made christmas cake which a friend makes. Although to be honest we never want much after our lunch, and usually have a sandwich & pudding at teatime. We also have some good wine, and generally have a lovely family fun meal!

I'm not a good cook, not keen on cooking at all, and would much rather spend time anywhere than in the kitchen, so anything that makes life easier helps, such a M&S pudding.

I always feel that I should be a bit apolgetic that I don't hand make all my presents or cook everything from scratch, but buying a few things cuts down on the stress, saves me time, and makes my life easier, so I think my new years resolution will be to accept that some times I'm maybe not going to be a very good Old Time Money saver!

katiex

zippychick

katieclampet wrote: »

Our christmas breakfast is always croissants & fresh orange juice, then a traditional dinner, with a joint (usually pork) or turkey, bought from our local butcher. We usually have home grown vegs from the garden, which might have been frozen earlier in the year. We cater for 6 adults and 2 children.

We usually have a ready made pudding from M&S, because we like them, and a home made christmas cake which a friend makes. Although to be honest we never want much after our lunch, and usually have a sandwich & pudding at teatime. We also have some good wine, and generally have a lovely family fun meal!

I'm not a good cook, not keen on cooking at all, and would much rather spend time anywhere than in the kitchen, so anything that makes life easier helps, such a M&S pudding.

I always feel that I should be a bit apolgetic that I don't hand make all my presents or cook everything from scratch, but buying a few things cuts down on the stress, saves me time, and makes my life easier, so I think my new years resolution will be to accept that some times I'm maybe not going to be a very good Old Time Money saver!

katiex

Katie, OS is different from person to person. There is no minimum criteria If you are using OS to suit your lifestyle, needs and family , that's the main thing.:D

suzybloo

Christmas this year will see 7 adults and my wee grandson who will be one 3 days befpre christmas. We will be having Scotch Broth or Prawn cocktail, followed by Roast Turkey or Gammon with honey and cloves, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, carrots, sprouts, cauliflower cheese, pigs in blankets, no-one likes stuffing so it is stornoway white pudding instead, gravy, cranberry sauce and for pudding it is trifle or christmas pudding with cream. There will be oatcakes and crackers, cheeses, coldmeats, onions and chutneys set out for supper with christmas cake and mince pies. As much as possible will be home made and the veg will be from a local farm shop. meat from local butchers so really very little shopping to do in the supermarket. Breakfast will be at my daughters so we can see the wee one open his presents from Santa so not sure what we will be having. The next few days will be a case of using up the leftovers. New Year will be along the same lines but it has to be be Steak Pie, instead of Turkey, and homemeade Clootie Dumpling instead of Christmas Pudding.
This is the way christmas and new year has been since I was young, and now my family who are in their twenties like it to be the same..........ahhh memories :-)