Rete

Normally we spend Christmas at my sister's house as she 1) has a house instead of me with just a one bedroom apartment; 2) she has a formal dining room that will seat 10 as opposed to mine which will seat 6; 3) she has a playroom for the kids of which we now between us have 7 and 4) she has enough bedrooms to house the visiting kids and grandkids.

This year, however, she will not be home as her daughter just gave her their first granddaughter last weekend and her son's wife is due with their second child on January 10. So sis and her dh are driving hither and yon to visit her kids.

My girls are coming home to us for the holidays and I don't know what to make as no one wants turkey or ham. Was looking at a standing rib roast but sorry at $85 for one that will give everyone at least one piece of meat, I won't spend that kind of money.

So throw out your menus so I can get new ideas ;-)

chartreuse

We like a roast goose for Christmas, instead of turkey. The most important part of the meal, though, is roast parsnips. Slice 'em lengthways, drench 'em in goose fat & roast for 30 to 45 mins. Lovely.

Rete

Can't do goose here. DH would feel that he is eating one of his fellow Canucks

Yorkieabroad

Christmas is normally a Turkey and a leg of pork - we do vary a bit, but always stick on poultry of some sort. If its a "quiet year" at my mums - ie only 6-8 of us, we normally do ducks instead working on half a duck per person. Last year we had a turducken, but it wasn't great, so probably the first and last. This year its at our house and its not going to be quiet - there are going to be 21 of us - so it'll be as big a turkey as we can fit in the main oven, and a decent sized leg of pork. And of course there'll be chippolatas (or the closest I can find) even if it means I have to suffer the infantile sniggering of my inlaws at serving "breakfast links" for lunch
I broached the idea of just doing a bunch of turkey legs but got shot down in flames for that....

Goose was always our staple for New Year, although the last couple of years we've had a beef roast instead. Not sure what it'll be this year.

Weeze

I think I might do Nigella's stuffed pork loin this year. I have done Beef Wellington a few years running, that always goes down well. We had a bird in a bird in a bird a few years ago that the butcher made up for us. I think it was a large chicken, a duck and a pheasant. I like a goose, but I find them a pain to carve. They look like they should have more meat on them than they have.

BubbleChog

After a very difficult last few months I'm actually going to be spending Christmas in Atlanta with my TAS. We decided we deserved a christmas present to each other. We're having sushi on the day itself apparently.

However Next Sunday I'm cooking my Traditional Christmas blowout for my friends - it's really so I don't have to buy any presents

Roast Capon (x2), Sage and Onion Stuffing, Sausagemeat and Thyme Stuffing, Pigs in Blankets, Roast Potatoes, Maple Roast Parsnips, Cheesy Parsnips, Mustard Mashed Swede, Carrots, Sweet potato Souffle, Brocoli, Brussel Sprouts with bacon and chestnuts, Bread Sauce and gravy

Lemon Cheese cake or Chestnut Cheesecake or Cranberry Bakewell tart

Coffee and Chocolates

Leslie

A nice leg of lamb. Buy local though - don't get the lamb from New Zealand. It is made entirely of poo.

MrEmjoy

American or English?

English in our house growing up would be, :

Turkey
Roast Potatoes
Mash Potatoes
Chipolatas wrapped in bacon
Sprouts
Parsnips
Roasted Carrot, sometimes
Rutabaga (Sweed) and Carrot mashed
Stuffing, balled or in the bird, or sometimes just baked whole.
Yorkshire Puddings as well.
Gravy.

Not extravagant, quite "English" and by that I mean almost bland in comparison to what I'd cook today. But it's nice to have that sense of tradition/home each year.

I've never had Christmas dinner cooked for me in the US so I've never had it the US way, I'm guessing it's almost the same but with ham. I've also never had a Ham in the traditional US fashion.

If it's just me and my Mrs and the little one, it will be all of the above minus the meat. We may do a Roast before Christmas when FIL and SMIL come up and then another one MIL an SFIL come up near new years.

So Between thanks giving and new year I have about 4 Christmas dinners

Poor waist line.

Leslie

Pork roast with fat.

Leslie

Lasagna.

Leslie

Cornish game hens with wild rice.

tonrob

I could make a suggestion....

ChocolateBabz

We will be having Turkey at the in-laws. If no-one wants turkey or ham how about a steak pie ?

Tarkak9

seems its a Thanksgiving thread in disguise.....

Leslie

We'll be doing this until mid-January.