Christmass dinner for under £20

ciderwithrosie_2

MrsE wrote: »

I've never got the bread sauce thing, it's thickened white sauce really isn't it.

I've tried making it myself and I've managed to get it fairly tasty with a few tweaks from the standard recipe but tbh I still prefer the packet mix (not Tesco's own one though, that really is gluey)

People happily eat parsley sauce or cheese sauce on their dinners and bread sauce is just like an oniony, clovey, creamy savoury-ness that is thickened with breadcrumbs rather than flour.

My OH never touches it because he never had it growing up and therefore doesn't miss it, but I really don't enjoy a chicken or turkey dinner without it, and as mentioned by tiger eyes, it's really good with cold turkey in a sandwich!

MrsE_2

ciderwithrosie wrote: »

My OH never touches it because he never had it growing up and therefore doesn't miss it, but I really don't enjoy a chicken or turkey dinner without it, and as mentioned by tiger eyes, it's really good with cold turkey in a sandwich!

That's it isn't it, it's what you're used to.
My mum never made it either, so I've never developed a taste for it, mind you my taste buds are not based on my mums cooking! Would be fish fingers or burgers & chips and chops & potatoes served with tinned veg if it was!!!

My mum loved a parsley sauce, I've never been a fan of parsley so I don't make it, sometimes I make a cheese sauce for my cauliflower. My granny always did a white sauce for left over chicken & called it chicken fricassee.

ciderwithrosie_2

MrsE wrote: »

My granny always did a white sauce for left over chicken & called it chicken fricassee.

Oh god, yep I remember fricassee, was one of my mum's ways of using up the turkey. Parsley sauce has gone out of fashion as well I suppose. One of my favourite meals growing up was ham, baked potato, peas and parsley sauce. Haven't had it in years though, as none of my lot would eat it.

I think we were just overloaded with sauces and condiments as kids (probably to hide the fact there wasn't much meat to go round .... dear me, sounding like the Cratchetts now:rotfl:) and OH's family were the opposite as he was diabetic from a young age he probably had more meat on the plate than anything else.

He'll happily eat a steak just on its own.

mumps

I love bread sauce. On Boxing Day I slice up some left over turkey in a dish, add all left over veg and potatoes, pour bread sauce over and heat in the oven. It is better than Christmas Day.

carlamarie_2

Im from Yorkshire and DO have Yorkshire pudding, never had it as a child at christmas (but did ever Sunday without fail, with our compulsory roast).
I only do It now as my kids are such picky eaters and there favourite component of a roast dinner is the Yorkies!
As for the sauces, as a child my mum used to serve cranberry, but none of us like it. I have never, to my knowledge, tried bread sauce, but I always imagined it to be bland?!
There will be a jar of mint sauce on my table though, as me and the hubby love it with just about everything!

Mince pies, I buy a box for the hubby in the run up to christmas (me and the kids don't like them) but he doesn't eat then on Christmas Day, he's too busy attacking the pork pie! I bought him some mince pies last week, but then gave them to an homeless man instead, the hubby hasn't noticed he hasn't had any this year!
Christmas pudding/cake isn't liked by any of us either.

Starters,we don't bother with, as were usually too busy cutting twist ties from the kids toys to waste time in the kitchen artfully arranging prawns alongside cucumber.

Pudding wise, I usually buy a couple of deserts from M&S (millionaire shortbread and a mouse thing was last years treat), however as I get paid on xmas eve, there is no way im facing the supermarkets then, deserts will be whatever I can rustle up from my baking cupboard.
These are. Usually eaten long after dinner, more before bed, if not of Boxing Day. My children who really don't appreciate the finer things in life have requested swish roll "but only that one from morrisons, we don't like the posh one" (25p each, that'll do nicely) and angel delight!

Writing this as made me realise, that as much as we're a family of christmas nuts, we aren't keen on the staples of christmas!

specialboy

I find it really sad the people are so predictable, planning a meal weeks in advance and even planning the evening mince pie or the turkey butty for supper. At the end of the day its only a roast dinner that is eaten week in week out in many homes throughout the land and can be done very nicely for a tenner for a family of 4.

MrsE_2

specialboy wrote: »

I find it really sad the people are so predictable, planning a meal weeks in advance and even planning the evening mince pie or the turkey butty for supper. At the end of the day its only a roast dinner that is eaten week in week out in many homes throughout the land and can be done very nicely for a tenner for a family of 4.

I think that's what we love about Christmas, the traditions. I doubt you can buy a turkey for under £10, let alone the rest of the dinner.

It's a roast dinner yes, but it's a roast dinner with bells & whistles on :-)
We usually have starters, a choice of two puddings & a cheese board, we would never have all that on a regular Sunday.

MrsE_2

carlamarie wrote: »

Mince pies, I buy a box for the hubby in the run up to christmas (me and the kids don't like them) but he doesn't eat then on Christmas Day, he's too busy attacking the pork pie! I bought him some mince pies last week, but then gave them to an homeless man instead, the hubby hasn't noticed he hasn't had any this year

I've read on here about people having pork pies as part of xmas, it's not something I've ever come across. I wonder if it's regional? Mind you I'm from an Irish family so all our traditions won't be southern they will be a hot potch of southern & Irish.
Is the pork pie a Northern Xmas tradition anyone?
Just had a though, is it a regular pork pie or is it a cranberry topped Xmas style one?

I've also read about the steak pie on New Year's Day on here, I think that's Scottish? I'm not mad on pies but that one sounds quite nice.

toontron

We sat down last year to a full xmas lunch, eldest toonie, who was 12 doesnt eat any veg, younger 10 year old toonie doesnt eat meat, i am not a roast lover anyway, Mr Toonie got stressed at the younger toonies constantly looking longingly at their ipads, sooooo we decided, this year it is homemade lasagne and garlic bread, because everyone will actually eat and enjoy that!!

pretzelnut

Im doing my 1st ever christmas dinner this year. My mum has done it all my life, Im keeping it simple. As the kids are not big eaters and id rather be playing with them than being glued to the cooker all day.

Mushroom soup for starter,
Roast pork, yorkshire puds, roast potatoes, mash, carrots & sweetcorn. All stuff me and the kids will eat, and lashings of apple sauce for main, followed by chocolate fondue with lots of fruit, shortbread, marshmallows, flapjack etc for dessert.