What are your festive menus?

mrs_thrifty_2

Kimevans - I don't know whether you've got delia's Christmas book( but no doubt you can get the recipe online if not ) but she has a very nice recipe for mincemeat souffle puddings which are Christmassy but ot too rich. I've made a not that the sauce she suggests is too much and I only made half last time.

another idea is a french lemon tart - again Delia has a lovely recipe. It's fresh and not too heavy.

All this talk of Christmas food is making me feel hungry!!!!

mrs_thrifty_2

Oh dear, my brain is ahead of my fingers - I meant "not too heavy" and that I've made a "note"
sorry

mrs_thrifty_2

I do my potatoes like Ashli but without the turn on the top and I find they come out crunchy - I cut them medium small as I think they're better. I usually use King Edward.

haylibo

Thank you everyone for posting on the 'tatties, much appreciated.
x

sammiboo

we dont have a christmas menu as such

Christmas eve we dont have anything special, i am not sure if i should change this now we have recently moved house and I have a kitchen i enjoy cooking in....

Christmas day we go to my parents, my family absolutely love christmas

Around 11-12pm we will have proper cumberland fat and juicy sausage sandwiches.

Then have nibbles through the day, chrismas pie etc

Christmas dinner is usually served about 6pm

No Starters

Full traditional dinner, all the trimmings

Christmas pudding


Then later may have a mince pie with fresh coffee - if we arent fat enough!

Boxing day used to be - Ham, egg and chips - mum would always buy a huge ham from the butchers.

Myself and my boyfriend havent any set meal traditions yet as we have only lived together since march, so will have to set our own traditions

undercover_angel

It's nice to see what everyone else will be having, but then I am very nosey!

Xmas Eve: Homemade Chunky Winter Vegetable Soup served with Warm Crusty Bread. Pudding:Homemade Shortbread dipped in Cholocate
(We only have something relatively small because of all the food to be consumed on the following days) Also it was to be something I can prepare in advance and then heat up when we get back from the carol service at 7:30pm


Xmas Day:

Breakfast: Cream Cheese and Pancetta Bagels, Fruit Juice

Lunch: (At Mums)
Starter- Prawn Cocktail OR Adenes Pate on Brown Toast

Main Course- Turkey Crown OR Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes with Swede, Roast Potatoes, Sausages in Bacon, Cheese in Bacon, Yorkshire Puddings, Sage and Red Onion Stuffing, Carrots, Peas, Roast Parsnips, Brocolli, Bread Sauce, Cranberry Sauce

Pudding - Home Made Lemon Cheesecake OR Christmas Pudding with Custard, Cream or Brandy Sauce

Final Course- Cheese Board and Crackers, Coffee and After Dinner Mints

Tea: Buffet Style, selection of cold meats, seafood, salad, bread sticks and dips, vol au vents, mini pizzas, quiche and bread

Boxing Day:

Breakfast: Cereal or Yoghurt and Fruit

Lunch: (At Mums, late at about 2pm)
No Starter
Main Course- Turkey, Chips, Gravy and sausages/cheese in bacon (my brother loves these!)
Pudding- Same as yesterday; if we can fit it in

Tea: (Available from 7ish as all 26 of the family come over at some point)
Buffet Style again.

God! When you type it out it looks like sooooooooo much- well it is soooo much really! Blimey- my tummy hurts just looking at it all!

Tracey x

lilmisskitkat

All these meals sound lovely! Here's ours....

Xmas eve - takeaway usually after being exhausted by an over-excited DD lol and dropping off family gifts, last minute wrapping etc - totally knackered, can't be ar**d cooking

Xmas Day

Breakfast - chocolate for DD bacon and egg butties for the rest of us.

Dinner - starter is prawn cocktail, then Turkey and all the veg and trimmings (can't be bothered listing them all lol) and chocolate pudding for afters if anyone can squeeze it in (no one likes xmas pud)

Tea - Buffet tea with cold meats, quiche, salad, things on sticks, crisps and dips, spicy chicken wings, cheese and pates, M&S/Asda mini party food selection etc.

Boxing Day - Buffet at OH's aunties house

28th/29th - Buffet at OH's cousin's house

New yrs eve - takeaway, OH and i are planning a quiet night in together this year

New yrs day - Buffet at my grans then off for another at OH's cousin's - talk about stuffed lol

Xmas day is spent next door at my mams, we do all the food together. Next year we'll have moved to the new house with more room and a proper kitchen so it'll be my turn to be hostess :eek:

Kate xxx

helcat26

Dear Kimevans and all
This is my first posting so I hope you will excuse any daftness.

Just read your ideas about menus and had a couple of "money saving" or sanity saving suggestions.

If you are bored of prawn cocktail, but have a load of people demanding it, can I suggest that you try going to your local Chinese supermarket? If they are anything like the ones around here ( Sheffield) they sell excellent huge (6")frozen king prawns at a very good price approx £7 for 750g. 3/ person make a sophisticated starter with homemade aioli or a little sweet chilli and salad and you won't have to butter all that brown bread!

Also have you considered saving on the day stress by baking your camenbert in it's box rather than frying- the oven will be on anyway for your roast so it will save energy too.

I always have a challenge in that I cook for eldery parent wanting traditional, and a husband and family who want unusual.

So this year if you want to know, it is
Breakfast:
Bilberry pancakes for those who get up- picked the bilberries on the moors so they were free, make the pancakes in advance and freeze so thay take 2 mins with a hangover.

Lunch
Scallops in vermouth and cream on sliced leeks

Breast of chicken stuffed with sage, onion and pancetta rolled in parmaa ham

Christmas pud with home made baileys icream

Long snooze then I put out thing so people to eat if they want- christmas cake, glazed ham, mince pies, cheeses

I spent year of working like a dog at Christmas force feeding people so now I say do everything in advance as much as possible. Oh and do your roasting in foil trays you can throw away so that you don't miss the film washing up!

Is this the sort of thing I am supposed to write?

ashli_2

Just the thing Helcat. Welcome, from a fellow sheffielder

kitchpoo

haylibo wrote: »

A little off topic and don't know whether I should start a new thread but... how do you make the perfect roast potato? Do people roast with the bird (I find the bottoms can become a little soggy) or seperately and at what temp?

Do them with Goose fat. Best roasties I have ever had...we only do them like this at Christmas...to keep it special.