Christmas Dinner for 17 HELP!

Gem_

Looking for some old style inspiration here

I am having my friends over for a big Christmas dinner on the 13th, apart from the major problem of cooking for 17 people :eek: , I am in 300 miles away on the 12th and won't get home until lunchtime on the 13th (trains permitting).

Please please help me. Can anyone recommend what I should be cooking (don't have room in my oven for a full turkey). Also any timetable ideas as obviously all food won't fit in the oven at the same time or cook at same temp??????

Gem

wendym

Where will you be on 11th?

I always make a terrine on 24th, which is still safely eaten on 26th, which is the same timescale.

So if you're at home then, you could make a turkey/pork/chicken terrine (I add lemon and some alcohol) on 11th, fridge it on the morning of 12th, then spend a'noon of 13th preparing say coleslaw and a green salad and baking potatoes. I think you need to do something in advance, otherwise every 5 mins of train delay will be incredibly stressful.

Good luck!

Gem_

I am not home between now and the 13th - so anything I make in advance would have to be able to survive 6 hours on a train (with a dog) :eek:

G

Thanks for the luck - you are very right about the train stress. ...

lolabug_2

Could you get any of the 17 to bring something along each? Then have a buffet/potluck type meal.

wendym

OK.

I'll have a think about Plan B.

kethry

hmmmm. i honestly think your best way forward - and its not very OS, and will cost - is to use preprepared vegetables and food as much as possible.

i also think, given that you're feeding 17, you should try do it so that everyone has a little bit of lots of different things. So buy a big bag of preprepared sprouts - they only take 15 minutes from boiling, if that, depending on how "done" you like em - and its rare that people will have more than 5. so 17x4 and you get some idea of how much to feed them.

frozen foods: if you plan it properly you *could*, in theory, pick up frozen foods the morning of the 13th, where you are, and allow it to defrost on the way home. you don't say how long your journey is, in theory you could even buy on 12th and defrost overnight, then carry home in a cool bag/box. that would actually work better i think.

whatever you do, plan ahead for it.

in terms of meat.. hm. do you have a car? you could always try to find somewhere that does *good* rotisserie chicken and buy a few of those, warm, and carve them. you may even be able to find somewhere that does other types of meat that way too, or you could ask them. if you can get that aspect sorted then much of the rest becomes easier: just serve lots of roasties, yorkshire puds, mashed spuds, cauliflour, sprouts, peas, gravy, stuffing and so on.

just a few thoughts there... good luck with it all!

keth
xx

edit: erk, you *do* say how long your journey is, in that case, i really would defrost the night before in a fridge or boot of car and pack up in a coolbag for the journey home.

Bogof_Babe

Does it have to be on the 13th, given your travel situation? If it does have to be then, what time do you want to serve up? Out of the question to make it a conventional lunch time so I'm assuming it's an (early?) evening thing.

I can't see any way of feeding 17 out of a standard sized cooker, so what else do you have in the way of crockpot, pressure cooker etc? Do you have or can you borrow a Hostess trolley?

A tall order this one, but don't panic (yet lol).

troll35

This is what we do at Christmas because we have a large family and there is usually 15 to 17 people for lunch. Each family brings prepared veg. eg one will bring carrots, someone else sprouts, someone else potatoes etc. Oh and I beg steal and borrow steamer attachments for my pans.

The turkey (approx 12-14lb) goes in the oven at about 7am, go back to bed, snuggle, open stockings etc.
Second small joint gets squeezed in at approx 10am (my dad doesn't eat turkey but loves venison).
11am - Xmas pud goes on to steam.
12 noon(ish) turkey etc cooked, wrap it well in foil and towels to retain heat.
12 noon -par boil potatoes 15 mins and drain. I put them in a bowl in batches and give them a light coating in oil and often a bit of garlic. Put in the oven at 12.15 for 30 mins along with parsnips.
12.30 stack up other veg in pans/steamers, start cooking at 12.40.
12.45 potatoes come out of oven and yorkshire puds go in, make gravy.
Everything ready to serve at 1pm.

Can't think that I've missed anything. We usually have a starter too but that is usually pate and melba toast or melon. I make custard and rum sauce after we've eaten our maincourse whilst others are clearing the tables. We never seem to be rushed. Everything just flows and we have time to socialise, play games etc (drink;) )

Oh ...we have a normal sized oven:)

Gem_

The rottiesery chicken is a great idea!

What dishes should I get people to bring?

People are coming straight from work and only 2 of them drive - should I panic yet?

raffe

Completely not OS however using an ordinary cooker i would get several rotisserie chickens carve and place in several oven dishes in the oven covered to warm, some fresh steam in the bag veg from tesco (they have a different bags one of carrots,one of sprouts, brocolli etc) you'll need a few bags however each bag only takes about 3 minutes to microwave once they are cooked put into a warmed dishes covered in foil, some new potatoes (veg section tescos) (all you have to do is wash and stick in boiling water) you'll probably need a two large pots of these, and some nice gravy you can get ready made, M&S sell it heat in pan on stove, M&S also do a fresh platter of sausages wrapped in bacon, stuffing and something else can't remember what it was you would need about four of these, put them in the oven before the chicken and when they are done transfer them to an oven dish placed at the bottom of your oven and then heat your chicken, you could do melon/grapefruit for starters all you have to do it cut it, or buy some ready made fresh soup from M&S heat on stove or they also sell ready made prawn cocktail in shot glasses looked quite nice. Dessert Christmas Pudding (you could put this in the microwave if stuck) Cream/Ice Cream.

As a very wise person once told me Don't forget people are coming to see you, not your food.

natlie

Hi
you can cook all your veg ready to warm up later, if you did a big piece of meat this can be sliced up ready and warmed in a big pan in the gravy which makes it moist (this can also be made in advance) yorkshire puds can be reheated too as can stuffing

I think you could manage that type food fine.

Other options

Flan of some sort (like a big quiche) but do it with salmon and broccoli or goats cheese and tomatoes make it a bit posh this can be reheated. do new potatoes and salad with it - easy, you could make one meat one fish and one veggie then.

HTH
Nat
xxx