What's your Christmas menu?

RichTeaBiscuit · 21-11-2015, 12:35

What's your Christmas menu?

I'm looking for ideas, especially for vegetable sides.

chopsim · 21-11-2015, 12:42

I love mashed carrot and swede together with a bit of cream and salt and pepper.
Roasted sprouts with lardons.

Gogfumble · 21-11-2015, 13:44

Chuck some chestnuts in with the roasted sprouts too. Yummy.

chopsim · 21-11-2015, 13:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gogfumble

Chuck some chestnuts in with the roasted sprouts too. Yummy.

Mmmm not thought of that. I shall be trying that in the run up to Xmas day.
You have to test these things first you know🍴

Gogfumble · 21-11-2015, 14:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by chopsim

Mmmm not thought of that. I shall be trying that in the run up to Xmas day.
You have to test these things first you know🍴

Of course you do can't be giving people food you haven't tried yourself. I am making fudge as a little gift for some people, have to make some to try myself too

daisiesfan · 21-11-2015, 17:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by chopsim

I love mashed carrot and swede together with a bit of cream and salt and pepper.

This is the only way I can enjoy both carrotts and turnip. Never tried it with the addition of cream though.

I'm doing canapes rather than a starter as it's just too much work when everyone is seated.
Think my canapes will be cream cheese, pepper and spring onion rolls (in tortilla wraps), Prawns on top of bruscetta with chilli sauce and cream cheese, pate on toasts and salmon on blinis. I wont be making the blinis or the bruscetta, so they're just an assembly job.
Main- Turkey Crown, Glazed Ham and Roast Beef with all the trimmings. Also going to try Ina Garten's creamed spinach as I saw that on her show and it looks gorgeous.
Dessert- Homemade Christmas Pud, Homemade Pecan Pie and probarbly a trifle.

For veggie side dishes, I always do creamed leeks which are everyone's faves and just chopped leeks, salt, pepper fried gently in butter and add a splash of white wine and then add double cream.
Braised red cabbage that get's cooked in teh slow cooker so it's out of the way, then sprouts with bacon and chestnuts, mash, roast pots, brocolli, peas.

sarahj1986 · 21-11-2015, 20:11

My husband is Spanish and they do things slightly differently over there at Xmas. As we did a more "British" Xmas last year, this year we are doing it the Spanish way. Xmas eve we both have off work, we plan on visiting my family with presents, have a small buffet at my sisters. Once home we will have our "main" dinner. Starters will be a selection of fishes (lobster, smoked salmon terrine so far), then a roast lamb dinner. Pudding is yet to be decided but it's likely to be chocolate orientated. Xmas day we are slobbing out on the sofa with cold meats, cheeses, chocolates, crisps and other nibbles.

molliepops · 21-11-2015, 20:23

No idea until the day, will see what we fancy. One year it was just egg on toast and that was better than any huge dinner as we really fancied it.

daisiesfan · 21-11-2015, 21:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by molliepops

No idea until the day, will see what we fancy. One year it was just egg on toast and that was better than any huge dinner as we really fancied it.

Egg on toast for Christmas dinner? Wow!! You really spoiled yourself

I think even if I was on my own I would still have to do something special for Christmas dinner.

Toby LaRhone · 21-11-2015, 23:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by molliepops

No idea until the day, will see what we fancy. One year it was just egg on toast and that was better than any huge dinner as we really fancied it.

The much quoted crossword clue:
1 across - "Egg on".
(5 letters.)

Toby LaRhone · 21-11-2015, 23:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by molliepops

No idea until the day, will see what we fancy. One year it was just egg on toast and that was better than any huge dinner as we really fancied it.

I bet you're underplaying it.
Was it egg on toast with "all the trimmings"?

Roni_J · 22-11-2015, 01:16

Having beef rib this year veg sides will probably be:

Mashed swede (with plenty of black pepper)
Cauliflower and Broccoli Cheese
Braised Red Cabbage
Roasted Parsnip
Steamed Carrots
Steamed Brussels

pugamo · 22-11-2015, 12:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toby LaRhone

I bet you're underplaying it.
Was it egg on toast with "all the trimmings"?

I think it was actually eggs benedict, and that was just the Christmas breakfast

NoFussNoFrills · 22-11-2015, 13:15

Turkey cooked dinner & pork.

Bit of cake. 😀

Turkey, stuffing sarnies and pickles for supper.
More cake & tea.

Easy is best for me.

barbeler · 22-11-2015, 13:39

More or less what I had today.

Linda McCartney pie
Morrisons Glamorgan sausages (which aren't sausages at all)
Roast potatoes
Sprouts, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and peas.
Gravy made from Aldi gravy granules.

I might add roast parsnips and stuffing balls.

soap-lea · 22-11-2015, 15:43

I cook xmas dinner for one usually pork or chicken, roasted parsnip, sprouts, mash, stuffing, yorkshire pud and gravy

the leftover meat is made into other things for the few days after, I have learnt how to cook the right amount of veg

I like to be tradional so buy a small xmas pud but generally have it boxing day or later

thinking of maybe making homemade pate and chutney for a starter and to use for lunches for the few days i have off work

barbeler · 22-11-2015, 16:25

I don't think Christmas dinner is anything special at all these days. I'm sure it was a special treat at any time before the post-war period, but it would now be very easy to have Christmas dinner every day of the year if you wanted to (in fact I've read of one man who does). I think it's now mostly an excuse to break diets and over indulge in cakes. Even the Christmas day wine has lost any novelty value it once had.

Missli · 22-11-2015, 16:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoFussNoFrills

Turkey cooked dinner & pork.

Bit of cake. 😀

Turkey, stuffing sarnies and pickles for supper.
More cake & tea.

Easy is best for me.

This ^^

jarryhack · 22-11-2015, 19:36

Prawn Cocktail or Pate On Toast for starter

Turkey
Roasties
Peas
Carrots
Sprouts
Stuffing
Gravy
Yorkies
Pigs in blankets
Cranberry Sauce

Trifle or Christmas Pud

Cheese and Biscuits

We have a retro feel to our Christmas Dinner, but it's simple and always lovely.

stud u like · 22-11-2015, 19:43

Boiled ham
Turkey
Chipolatas with bacon wrapped around them.
Sprouts with little Christmas kisses
Parsnips
Roast potatoes
Bread sauce
Stuffing
Home made gravy
Cranberry sauce
Peas and carrots
Individual Christmas Puddings
Cheese and biscuits

Lushness · 22-11-2015, 20:03

Chicken and lamb
Roast potatoes
Roasted vegetables
Stuffing
Yorkshire pudding
Nice rich gravy

I also do a Macaroni cheese but I only serve a teeny amount of this cause no one can ever eat it all, it's mainly for Boxing Day as a side dish

I don't have christmas pudding, none of us like it and I'm trying to lay off the cake. I will probably make an apple crumble.

I recently bought a new microwave convection oven, it'll be so much easier to have two ovens going at once as space in my single oven is always a problem.

tiacat · 22-11-2015, 20:41

We always have the same tried and tested vegetable sides

roasted cauliflower with cheese sauce poured over the top (the sauce is just single cream with various cheeses melted in, touch of english mustard)

red cabbage
brussels
mashed carrot and swede
brocolli

the rest of it is the meat, gravy, bread sauce, yorkshires, mini sausages, stuffings of various flavours, roast pots

way way too much of course

Hotgossip · 22-11-2015, 20:46

Traditional Turkey roast here but I do it all from scratch. Own stuffing, own gravy, own bread sauce etc.

I do roast parsnips, roast potatoes, I make little carrot batons (can't bear carrot cut into rounds) and finish them in fresh orange juice and butter, leeks in cheese sauce, little chipolatas over the breast of Turkey, sprouts and a few peas for son!

The only thing I buy readymade is cranberry sauce. I make my stuffing from pork sausage meat, Seasoning, fresh chopped parsley and fresh breadcrumbs and an egg to bind. I sometimes make a stuffing with rice too.

prior to Xmas Day I make a big saucepan of red cabbage which I cook how my German MIL used to do it. I add brown sugar, loads of vinegar,a few bay leaves and salt and pepper and I slice a couple of cooking apples and lay on top. Cook it really slow and low until all the apples on the top have disappeared and gone down into red cabbage. I freeze it and just reheat on the day.

noise747 · 23-11-2015, 09:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by molliepops

No idea until the day, will see what we fancy. One year it was just egg on toast and that was better than any huge dinner as we really fancied it.

Yep, sausage and chips for me, unless I get pushed to have dinner at my brothers place.

malpasc · 23-11-2015, 09:14

For the first time in about 20 years I'm actually going to my parents' for Christmas dinner. Looking forward to not cooking!!

Not sure of the full menu yet but my mother is the queen of canapes, and I do know the main course is going to be venison

I'm providing the Christmas cake, which I baked about 3 weeks ago and is being fed with whisky every week.

21-11-2015, 12:35	#1
RichTeaBiscuit Forum Member Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 230	What's your Christmas menu? What's your Christmas menu? I'm looking for ideas, especially for vegetable sides.

21-11-2015, 12:42	#2
chopsim Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 2,135	I love mashed carrot and swede together with a bit of cream and salt and pepper. Roasted sprouts with lardons.

21-11-2015, 13:44	#3
Gogfumble Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Swashbuckling on Melee Island. Posts: 21,624	Chuck some chestnuts in with the roasted sprouts too. Yummy.

21-11-2015, 13:48	#4
chopsim Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 2,135	Quote: Originally Posted by Gogfumble Chuck some chestnuts in with the roasted sprouts too. Yummy. Mmmm not thought of that. I shall be trying that in the run up to Xmas day. You have to test these things first you know🍴

21-11-2015, 14:35	#5
Gogfumble Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Swashbuckling on Melee Island. Posts: 21,624	Quote: Originally Posted by chopsim Mmmm not thought of that. I shall be trying that in the run up to Xmas day. You have to test these things first you know🍴 Of course you do can't be giving people food you haven't tried yourself. I am making fudge as a little gift for some people, have to make some to try myself too

21-11-2015, 17:34	#6
daisiesfan Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: UK Posts: 2,408	Quote: Originally Posted by chopsim I love mashed carrot and swede together with a bit of cream and salt and pepper. This is the only way I can enjoy both carrotts and turnip. Never tried it with the addition of cream though. I'm doing canapes rather than a starter as it's just too much work when everyone is seated. Think my canapes will be cream cheese, pepper and spring onion rolls (in tortilla wraps), Prawns on top of bruscetta with chilli sauce and cream cheese, pate on toasts and salmon on blinis. I wont be making the blinis or the bruscetta, so they're just an assembly job. Main- Turkey Crown, Glazed Ham and Roast Beef with all the trimmings. Also going to try Ina Garten's creamed spinach as I saw that on her show and it looks gorgeous. Dessert- Homemade Christmas Pud, Homemade Pecan Pie and probarbly a trifle. For veggie side dishes, I always do creamed leeks which are everyone's faves and just chopped leeks, salt, pepper fried gently in butter and add a splash of white wine and then add double cream. Braised red cabbage that get's cooked in teh slow cooker so it's out of the way, then sprouts with bacon and chestnuts, mash, roast pots, brocolli, peas.

21-11-2015, 20:11	#7
sarahj1986 Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Warwickshire Posts: 8,099	My husband is Spanish and they do things slightly differently over there at Xmas. As we did a more "British" Xmas last year, this year we are doing it the Spanish way. Xmas eve we both have off work, we plan on visiting my family with presents, have a small buffet at my sisters. Once home we will have our "main" dinner. Starters will be a selection of fishes (lobster, smoked salmon terrine so far), then a roast lamb dinner. Pudding is yet to be decided but it's likely to be chocolate orientated. Xmas day we are slobbing out on the sofa with cold meats, cheeses, chocolates, crisps and other nibbles.

21-11-2015, 20:23	#8
molliepops Forum Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: woking Posts: 21,678	No idea until the day, will see what we fancy. One year it was just egg on toast and that was better than any huge dinner as we really fancied it.

21-11-2015, 21:35	#9
daisiesfan Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: UK Posts: 2,408	Quote: Originally Posted by molliepops No idea until the day, will see what we fancy. One year it was just egg on toast and that was better than any huge dinner as we really fancied it. Egg on toast for Christmas dinner? Wow!! You really spoiled yourself I think even if I was on my own I would still have to do something special for Christmas dinner.

21-11-2015, 23:27	#10
Toby LaRhone Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 9,227	Quote: Originally Posted by molliepops No idea until the day, will see what we fancy. One year it was just egg on toast and that was better than any huge dinner as we really fancied it. The much quoted crossword clue: 1 across - "Egg on". (5 letters.)

21-11-2015, 23:29	#11
Toby LaRhone Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 9,227	Quote: Originally Posted by molliepops No idea until the day, will see what we fancy. One year it was just egg on toast and that was better than any huge dinner as we really fancied it. I bet you're underplaying it. Was it egg on toast with "all the trimmings"?

22-11-2015, 01:16	#12
Roni_J Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 842	Having beef rib this year veg sides will probably be: Mashed swede (with plenty of black pepper) Cauliflower and Broccoli Cheese Braised Red Cabbage Roasted Parsnip Steamed Carrots Steamed Brussels

22-11-2015, 12:48	#13
pugamo Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 17,247	Quote: Originally Posted by Toby LaRhone I bet you're underplaying it. Was it egg on toast with "all the trimmings"? I think it was actually eggs benedict, and that was just the Christmas breakfast

22-11-2015, 13:15	#14
NoFussNoFrills Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Not here 😇 Posts: 4,577	Turkey cooked dinner & pork. Bit of cake. 😀 Turkey, stuffing sarnies and pickles for supper. More cake & tea. Easy is best for me.

22-11-2015, 13:39	#15
barbeler Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 11,705	More or less what I had today. Linda McCartney pie Morrisons Glamorgan sausages (which aren't sausages at all) Roast potatoes Sprouts, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and peas. Gravy made from Aldi gravy granules. I might add roast parsnips and stuffing balls.

22-11-2015, 15:43	#16
soap-lea Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: With MyAndy! Posts: 15,200	I cook xmas dinner for one usually pork or chicken, roasted parsnip, sprouts, mash, stuffing, yorkshire pud and gravy the leftover meat is made into other things for the few days after, I have learnt how to cook the right amount of veg I like to be tradional so buy a small xmas pud but generally have it boxing day or later thinking of maybe making homemade pate and chutney for a starter and to use for lunches for the few days i have off work

22-11-2015, 16:25	#17
barbeler Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 11,705	I don't think Christmas dinner is anything special at all these days. I'm sure it was a special treat at any time before the post-war period, but it would now be very easy to have Christmas dinner every day of the year if you wanted to (in fact I've read of one man who does). I think it's now mostly an excuse to break diets and over indulge in cakes. Even the Christmas day wine has lost any novelty value it once had.

22-11-2015, 16:59	#18
Missli Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 2,467	Quote: Originally Posted by NoFussNoFrills Turkey cooked dinner & pork. Bit of cake. 😀 Turkey, stuffing sarnies and pickles for supper. More cake & tea. Easy is best for me. This ^^

22-11-2015, 19:36	#19
jarryhack Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: NE Posts: 4,698	Prawn Cocktail or Pate On Toast for starter Turkey Roasties Peas Carrots Sprouts Stuffing Gravy Yorkies Pigs in blankets Cranberry Sauce Trifle or Christmas Pud Cheese and Biscuits We have a retro feel to our Christmas Dinner, but it's simple and always lovely.

22-11-2015, 19:43	#20
stud u like Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: The Sunny Side Of The Street Posts: 40,105	Boiled ham Turkey Chipolatas with bacon wrapped around them. Sprouts with little Christmas kisses Parsnips Roast potatoes Bread sauce Stuffing Home made gravy Cranberry sauce Peas and carrots Individual Christmas Puddings Cheese and biscuits

22-11-2015, 20:03	#21
Lushness Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: London Posts: 24,693	Chicken and lamb Roast potatoes Roasted vegetables Stuffing Yorkshire pudding Nice rich gravy I also do a Macaroni cheese but I only serve a teeny amount of this cause no one can ever eat it all, it's mainly for Boxing Day as a side dish I don't have christmas pudding, none of us like it and I'm trying to lay off the cake. I will probably make an apple crumble. I recently bought a new microwave convection oven, it'll be so much easier to have two ovens going at once as space in my single oven is always a problem.

DS Forums

What's your Christmas menu?

22-11-2015, 20:41	#22
tiacat Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 9,236	We always have the same tried and tested vegetable sides roasted cauliflower with cheese sauce poured over the top (the sauce is just single cream with various cheeses melted in, touch of english mustard) red cabbage brussels mashed carrot and swede brocolli the rest of it is the meat, gravy, bread sauce, yorkshires, mini sausages, stuffings of various flavours, roast pots way way too much of course

22-11-2015, 20:46	#23
Hotgossip Inactive Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 16,816	Traditional Turkey roast here but I do it all from scratch. Own stuffing, own gravy, own bread sauce etc. I do roast parsnips, roast potatoes, I make little carrot batons (can't bear carrot cut into rounds) and finish them in fresh orange juice and butter, leeks in cheese sauce, little chipolatas over the breast of Turkey, sprouts and a few peas for son! The only thing I buy readymade is cranberry sauce. I make my stuffing from pork sausage meat, Seasoning, fresh chopped parsley and fresh breadcrumbs and an egg to bind. I sometimes make a stuffing with rice too. prior to Xmas Day I make a big saucepan of red cabbage which I cook how my German MIL used to do it. I add brown sugar, loads of vinegar,a few bay leaves and salt and pepper and I slice a couple of cooking apples and lay on top. Cook it really slow and low until all the apples on the top have disappeared and gone down into red cabbage. I freeze it and just reheat on the day.

23-11-2015, 09:02	#24
noise747 Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Herefordshire Posts: 22,810	Quote: Originally Posted by molliepops No idea until the day, will see what we fancy. One year it was just egg on toast and that was better than any huge dinner as we really fancied it. Yep, sausage and chips for me, unless I get pushed to have dinner at my brothers place.

23-11-2015, 09:14	#25
malpasc Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 6,350	For the first time in about 20 years I'm actually going to my parents' for Christmas dinner. Looking forward to not cooking!! Not sure of the full menu yet but my mother is the queen of canapes, and I do know the main course is going to be venison I'm providing the Christmas cake, which I baked about 3 weeks ago and is being fed with whisky every week.