Christmas Menu Plans

Lisha

That's exactly what I was thinking Maryanne84. Delighted no parboiling involved
Thanks a mil

eskimocat

Our dinner was somewhat planned this weekend gone by. So far its looking like this (Have done it menu style just for fun )

To start:
Delectable Crab Meat and Prawn Salad with tangy pineapple pieces, served with a creamy Marie Rose sauce, topped with a sprinkling of smoky paprika

For Main:
Succulent Free Range Chicken served with creamy buttery mash and crunchy roast potatoes
Accompanied with fresh of the stalk sprouts with bacon pieces, buttered carrots, and a tasty side of gently fried mushrooms and onions
Tasty trimmings include herbed sausage loaf, cocktail sausages and a deliciously thick chicken gravy.

Dessert:
A trio of desserts include: a luxurious tangy Lemon Cheese cake, wonderfully Tipsy Trifle, and not forgetting the family favourite Christmas Pudding served with brandy cream!

Drinks: Shlor White Grape and/or Champagne Bruit


That's everyone's favourites taken care of! The secret to a heavy menu like above, is a little bit of everything and not too much of any one thing and stretch it out over several hours

YUM!!

LadyMeowMeow

C.K Dexter Haven wrote: »

Anyone doing spiced beef at all? Would be interested in how you prepare it/cook it.

My mother does spiced beef every year. We always get it from Nolans Butchers in Kilcullen and it's lovely. You can just boil it in water for several hours (depending on the size) but I suppose you can add things to the pot to enhance the flavour, as you might do to a ham. The guy in this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6goAmMakd1A boils it in Guinness, water and root veg which intrigues me! I've always thought it was fine boiled in water because the flavour from the spices are strong enough that you might not want any other flavourings.

CrazyChick18

Our plan for food is a plate of rashers In the morning for breakfast and we all make a rasher sandwich and we hold off then until dinner usually about 2/3pm starters we all have vol-au-vents except for dad he has prawns and then dinner turkey/ham/stuffing/sprouts/carrots & parsnips and croquettes and then after that I don't know how we fit a dessert but there's usually trifle or flan up for grabs it's it to the couch and let it all digest and then around 8 o clocks some tins of sweets are going around.

D-FENS

Thought these looked savage on their Christmas show last year, they will be attempted this year

http://scrapbook.channel4.com/bookmarkBar/50cf077de4b09659198442c6

nosietoes

I'm a stickler for tradition. Been having the same Christmas food for the bast 15 years or more!

Breakfast: Bucksfizz, potato latkes, smoked salmon, chive creme fraiche, coffee

Lunch: some nibbles of sausage roll, spanish marinated anchovies, good farmhouse cheese...

Dinner: roast bronze turkey, glazed ham, parmesan roast parsnips, stir-fried sliced brussel sprouts with toasted pine nuts, glazed carrots with poppy seeds, goose-fat roast potatoes, sausage, walnut, apple stuffing, port wine gravy, and cranberry relish.

Dessert: plum pudding with brandy butter and/or sherry trifle

We don't tend to eat dinner till 7 or so.

Starter each year changes. This year I think I will do a chicken and foie gras terrine with pickled mushrooms and mushroom ketchup as we have a bigger number than usual and I don't want to be standing over a hot starter and worrying about it.

fussyonion

We've never gone mad with breakfast but this year we're going to have a traditional fry:
-Sausages
-White and Black pudding
-Bacon
-Beans
-Fried Egg
-Toast
Coffee/Tea/Orange juice

We don't have lunch because we eat our Christmas dinner at around 4pm.
The usual fare: roast turkey, smoked ham, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, potato croquettes (you can tell we love potatoes), Brussel sprouts, carrots, peas, stuffing and gravy.
All washed down with a cold bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.

I'm planning on doing Tiramisu this year..we never have dessert..but I don't think we'll eat that til way after the meal.

Evening time, it'll be the usual turkey and ham sandwiches or crisps and nuts with some more wine.

Stephen's Day we have another Christmas dinner and in the evening, I'll do a platter of cocktail sausages, onion bhajis, sausage rolls and wedges for anyone popping round.

SparkySpitfire

All this talk is making me hungry :P

Our starters are usually mandarins and grapefruit. But I have decided this year that fruit for starters is NOT happening, and I've taken it upon myself to prepare some canapés. :eek:

Christmas dinner is best part of the day. We usually have the same thing every year:

Meat:
Turkey
Ham
Beef
Corned beef

Veg:
Boiled potatoes
Roast potatoes
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Cabbage
Turnip
Carrots
Peas

Extras:
Yorkshire puddings
Stuffing
Homemade gravy
Bisto gravy :P
Cauliflower sauce


mmmmm :P

Jude13

Drooling sitting at my desk in work. Fly home next week.

I used to hate breakfast on Christmas morning as I couldnt eat the pudding or sausages but the last few years I get clonakilty gluten free products and go mad.

I usually wake about 10am and my brother and his wife drop in for a full Irish Breakfast. My mother then throws a fit as no one will got to church with her, someone always breaks.

Lunch is the tough one for me. I always set out not to fill up on salmon and cold cuts but after being away form home and going without for the year I have become very weak.

Dinner is turkey and ham followed by my aunts lovely homemade ice cream. I never really drink on Christmas day. I am not a huge drinker anyway so I usually volunteer as the driver and have a drink late on Christmas night. If I can fit it in with all the food.

weetiepie

nosietoes wrote: »

I'm a stickler for tradition. Been having the same Christmas food for the bast 15 years or more!

Breakfast: Bucksfizz, potato latkes, smoked salmon, chive creme fraiche, coffee

Lunch: some nibbles of sausage roll, spanish marinated anchovies, good farmhouse cheese...

Dinner: roast bronze turkey, glazed ham, parmesan roast parsnips, stir-fried sliced brussel sprouts with toasted pine nuts, glazed carrots with poppy seeds, goose-fat roast potatoes, sausage, walnut, apple stuffing, port wine gravy, and cranberry relish.

Dessert: plum pudding with brandy butter and/or sherry trifle

We don't tend to eat dinner till 7 or so.

Starter each year changes. This year I think I will do a chicken and foie gras terrine with pickled mushrooms and mushroom ketchup as we have a bigger number than usual and I don't want to be standing over a hot starter and worrying about it.

That sounds devine!! Can I come to yours for the day lol!

Frigga_92

Going all out this year for our first Christmas as a married couple

Breakfast is going to be pancakes with bacon and maple syrup

We don't have lunch on Christmas Day but throughout the day there will be nibbles, chocolate and nuts and beverages.

Then for the dinner

Starters - baked camembert with garlic bread and homemade mini sausage rolls
Main - turkey crown, honey glazed ham, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, homemade stuffing, vegetable mash, pan fried green beans, roast carrots and courgettes and plenty of gravy
Dessert - homemade profiteroles

Then a rest with a glass of something lovely

hdowney

So changing up my starter. Now going to do my mushroom bruschetta (sp?) followed by all the usual

we'llallhavetea

this tread is making me so hungry it's ridiculous.

finix

Has anyone tried those 4 bird roasts from Lidl/Aldi ? There is only 3 for dinner this year and was thinking of trying something else instead. Its only the turkey I want to replace, still have the ham and veg etc, Thanks

miss no stars

I'm amazed by all the starters! We never do starters, between dinner and dessert there's so much food already.

Menu here is traditional:

Roasted (& well basted) bronze turkey
Ham - boiled in ginger ale and glazed with ginger preserves, Mustard and cloves (saw on nigella express and wanted to try)
Mash
Goose fat roast potatoes (the goose fat makes them incredible, par boil and then fluff the outside by shaking them in an empty pot, then roast in goose fat. Delightfully soft and fluffy inside, crunchy and crisp outside. Well worth the effort)
Marrowfat peas
Sprouts
Carrots
Parsley, sage, thyme and onion stuffing
Homemade cranberry and orange sauce.

Dessert is trifle
I'm thinking of also doing an apple, mincemeat and nut strudel, as if I won't have enough to be doing!

Eamo71

Toast4532 wrote: »

My boyfriend and I have decided to spend Christmas together this year, instead of going to our families.

For breakfast we'll have a fry, but think we might get some fancy sausages from the butchers.

For lunch I dunno what we'll do - any suggestions appreciated. No prawns though, he's allergic!

For dinner we'll have either a four bird roast or duck, or something as I don't like turkey.

For dessert I will make something chocolaty maybe. Any suggestions welcome!

Can't wait for it this year actually

I'd skip lunch and go staright to dinner. if you've a big fry in the morning. you'll be full at lunchtime.

fussyonion

We never normally do breakfast or dessert but this year we're going to, so here's our menu:

BREAKFAST:
Sausages, rashers, pudding, fried egg, toast, orange juice and tea.

No lunch

DINNER:

Roast turkey, cooked on a trivet of celery, carrot, onion, garlic and lemons, seasoned well with salt, pepper, butter and completely covered in foil
Boiled smoked ham
Sage and onion stuffing
Mashed potatoes
Croquette potatoes
Roast potatoes
Brussels sprouts
Carrots
Gravy


DESSERT

Tiramisu

seanie27

Also if, by the sound of it, you're cooking breakfast lunch and dinner - that's a lot of work and if you don't prepare beforehand you'll end up cooking all day, hassled, frazzled and fit to pass out after the last meal. There's lots you can prepare beforehand by a day or two or three. Make the gravy today or christmas eve. Then when the turkey is done add the turkey juices to finish it off. Prep the veggies, blanch em, cool em, into freezer bags and whack em in the freezer. Stuffing - can be made today or tomorrow I always make two batches. If you're having ham - cook the ham on christmas eve then roast it in your oven on the day with the glaze for 20-30 minutes or so. Same for the desert - sweets such as trifle can be made well before the day.
Rermember the day is about enjoying yourself, having fun, being laxy, a few drinks. So try not to tie yourself to the kitchen. Get the heavy lifting done a day or two before. Happy Christmas!