Cooking up a Christmas Feast
@mrsg1981 (133)
Exeter, England
November 10, 2015 3:23pm CST
So the dreaded (or loved of course) Christmas meal is approaching, are you catering for others, going somewhere for your dinner, being cooked for in your own home? Do you have any tips to share? Ways to make the day run smoothly?
I am cooking for 7 adults and 4 children. I am nervous, not sure why as I am pretty good in the kitchen as it goes. So the hubby suggests anyway....
8 people like this
11 responses
@Margielynn (693)
• United States
11 Nov 15
@mrsg1981 our family Christmas meal is a little different. Our family has exploded to 45 people. We have our meal at noon on Christmas Eve. We have Pile On, a Mexican dish, which is delish, you have pinto beans, Fritos, ground beef taco seasoned, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, salsa, sour cream and Guacamole,you just pile on what you want we have bunches of yummy desserts.
5 people like this
@mrsg1981 (133)
• Exeter, England
11 Nov 15
WOW @Margielynn, that is a lot of people. The food sounds absolutely amazing though, I haven't tried pinto beans, but cheese is on my top 5 foods list.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (223895)
• Chile
11 Nov 15
We always center the cooking on a roasted meat dish (whether it is poultry, pork or veal). Then there are side dishes for everyone´s taste.
For many years I go to my daughter´s house for Christmas but I take something to eat.
This year I will suggest that she cooks a roasted pork loin and I ca take a cranberry sauce to go with it. Then we can have white rice and homemade mashed potatoes. Yummy!
@GardenGerty (161010)
• United States
11 Nov 15
@mrsg1981 Do as much as possible the day before. Use roasters to cook whatever meat you choose. I am always assigned to make the cranberry sauce like my Mom did, which is very simple sugar syrup with cranberries boiled until it jells. Home made mashed potatoes are always a must.
2 people like this
@mrsg1981 (133)
• Exeter, England
11 Nov 15
@GardenGerty I am hoping to do three meat joints, probably beef, pork and gammon. I made a lovely red cabbage dish a few years ago that was rather delicious. I will probably make a apple sauce this year for the pork. I have an allotment so a lot of the veg is coming from there.
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
11 Nov 15
Just to keep everything as simple as possible. One thing I do do is to clean everything that needs doing at least a day beforehand and make the meat very simple to do.
Ours is mostly Salad and little bits of this and that. All depends really. But I love your idea too. Hope it all goes very well for you.
2 people like this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
11 Nov 15
@mrsg1981
Its something I have stuck to for ages. I find that with them changing their mind at the last minute I was wasting food and time so I go with the flow too and keep it as easy for me as possible that way I can have my own fun as well. After all we need it. I love the idea of Cheesy Leeks but no one here would like them.
1 person likes this
@Margielynn (693)
• United States
12 Nov 15
@lovinangelsinstead21 iI am getting to the age were I am loving simple! Like going out to eat! Hehe!
@mrsg1981 (133)
• Exeter, England
11 Nov 15
The salad definitely sounds very different to our UK tradition. I do love a good salad though. It will be 3 meats, roast potatoes, roast vegetables, plain boiled vegetables for the more fussy guests, cheesy leeks, a nice gravy and some homemade sauces - probably apple at the moment unless I think of any others. Thank you, enjoy yours too :)
2 people like this
@1creekgirl (41785)
• United States
11 Nov 15
For many years now we have a big dinner on Christmas Eve, then eat leftovers on Christmas day after we open presents.
2 people like this
@marguicha (223895)
• Chile
11 Nov 15
@mrsg1981 We do that also in our family. The children have all the next day to enjoy their toys and we rest after Christmas work.
2 people like this
@mrsg1981 (133)
• Exeter, England
11 Nov 15
@1creekgirl I have seen others do this, I guess it frees up Christmas day to enjoy time with family.
1 person likes this
@mrsg1981 (133)
• Exeter, England
11 Nov 15
@marguicha It does sound like a really good idea. Maybe I will try that next year, since we have already planned for this year.
2 people like this
@birjudanak (14320)
• India
11 Nov 15
please dont afriad you are going to make feast for festival and in this time everything happened good as you wish. i am sure it wiil be delicious and tasty.now i fell hungry
2 people like this
@birjudanak (14320)
• India
11 Nov 15
@mrsg1981 best of luck and keep trust on youself so you can do anything happy christmas in advance to you and your family
1 person likes this
@mrsg1981 (133)
• Exeter, England
11 Nov 15
Thank you :) I am looking forward to it. I will do a lot of the food preparation the night before to make it easier on the day.
@mrsg1981 (133)
• Exeter, England
11 Nov 15
@birjudanak Thank you, and the same to you. I will be sure to update everyone afterwards.
1 person likes this
@LCaldwell (251)
• United States
11 Nov 15
We just have us (our family of 5). We do our gifts on Christmas morning and eat around noon time or whenever the turkey is done cooking. 
2 people like this
@LCaldwell (251)
• United States
11 Nov 15
@mrsg1981 Last year my husband worked on Christmas Eve, but was off for Christmas. This year luckily he will be off for both unless he is called in. I remember I had to do our Christmas Eve traditions with the kids and get them all in bed before he was off work.
@Margielynn (693)
• United States
11 Nov 15
@lcaldwell this is our extended family. We always have extra people at our immediate family, people that have no place to go. We are 10 plus most times!
2 people like this
@mrsg1981 (133)
• Exeter, England
11 Nov 15
Lovely, we will do our presents in the morning as just our family (also 5) before the house gets busy later. As my sister will also do her presents at her house. My parents will bring the kids presents to open whilst waiting for the meal.
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
11 Nov 15
It's just us here, even on holidays. We have nowhere to go and nobody to invite, so it's not a big deal. We still make the traditional meals, but it's not much different than a normal day.
1 person likes this
@mrsg1981 (133)
• Exeter, England
11 Nov 15
You will still enjoy it I am sure. Some years we do it just our family, sometimes we go to my sisters, sometime my parents. This year I volunteered.
@Cristi_Ichim (3743)
• Bucharest, Romania
10 Nov 15
I don't think I understand the meaning of the word catering but I have a feeling that I do not do that
2 people like this
@mrsg1981 (133)
• Exeter, England
11 Nov 15
@Cristi_Ichim I meant it as in I am cooking for lots of people, but sometimes it can mean that you run a cooking business.
1 person likes this
@Kazemononoke (248)
• United States
10 Nov 15
Totally just going to the parents and grandparent's houses. Our home is still kind of too empty to have anyone over.
2 people like this
@mrsg1981 (133)
• Exeter, England
11 Nov 15
@Kazemononoke that sounds like fun, I hope you will have a great day.
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