......to buy ready prepared food this Xmas?!

Certainly don't feel guilty. Just do what is best for you.

Sounds great to me.
I share the cooking with my dd and gd. So I am ok.

Clenentine Your planned Christmas sounds almost identical to mine. I’ve got 8 adults, one teenager and a VERY loud 4 month old baby. I too am delegating starters and puddings. I will probably have to part cook veg (not sprouts!) on Christmas Eve as I only have standard cooker now since we down sized, not a large range cooker as I used to have.

Yes agree, make it as easy as possible, also I'd say skip the starter altogether, who needs that with everything else.
Over twenty years of cooking for ten, I dropped the starter and everyone enjoyed the main event so much more when their appetite was still sharp.

10 for C dinner. One nut allergy , one alcohol allergy, one with religious food needs, one strict vegetarian,. But no starters ever, lots made ahead and frozen (thank you Mary Berry Christmas recipe book) but ready made where possible and other folks bringing stuff. As others have said it’s all about family gathering. Do what’s best for you.

I’m not hosting this year but doing something for potentially 12 on Boxing Day. Currently browsing through M&S and Morrison’s brochures for readymade! Definitely the way forward ??

There would seem to be some martyrs on this thread.
Why is Christmas dinner seen by some as the ultimate test of domestic goddessness?
Do we really want to be slaving in the kitchen for three days? Are we afraid of being seen as failures if we take shortcuts?
Perhaps our mothers’ generation felt the necessity of reinventing the wheel, but surely there is a happy medium?
Do you pluck your own turkeys?
Will the world end if the pudding comes from Aldi instead of the back of the fridge where of course you put it when you made it last year?
PS if you haven’t made your pudding yet, you are too late as it needs time to mature.
I don’t want to channel my inner Mrs Breton, but to enjoy my family’s company over the Christmas period. ? .

Same here. Having a buffet lunch.
Dd and myself hate cooking Christmas dinner, so that’s what we decided to do.
I wouldn’t mind so much cooking, but she won’t have any pre prepared veg or gravy, which makes everything hard work. She is a bit of a martyr I’m afraid.

I don’t see anything wrong with ready prepared but I am curious as to why you have a starter and cauliflower cheese (or yorkshire pudding come to that) - most people I know struggle to eat the traditional meal let alone any extras.

You must have a huge oven? I think you are amazing to cook for 11-13 people - even a professional chef would have help for that number.

I didn't know cauliflower cheese had anything to do with xmas dinner? Where is that a tradition?

I make almost everything from scratch - but, I am coeliac and find the ready made gluten free stuff pretty disgusting. Even so, I do as much as I possibly can well in advance and freeze it. If I didn't have dietary problems I might make my own mincemeat and bread sauce (so very much nicer) but almost everything else would be ready made.

You're an absolute saint to do all that! So whatever short cuts you choose to take is entirely up to you. You are more than justified.
My Christmas is nothing like yours. But I shall use anything which helps me cope with it.

have you asked anyone to help, you may be surprised that someone will probably help you! Its a lot to cook for and is often a thankless task- and the washing up!

Leave out the starter there is so much other food. All veg prepared the day before, omit the cauliflower cheese too complicated! Cranberry sauce in the freezer weeks before as are all stuffings. Turkey crowns so carving is easy. However you do it there comes a point where it is hard work so you need one or two volunteers to dish up. I'm lucky don't have to do it now but did for 38 years.

Forgot to say we don't do starter & pigs in blankets a rent homemade either. We used to end up with even more company for tea.....there a so many if us now it would be standing room only. I do a very simple tea for my parents & youngest child. Last year everyone else left before then.

I'll be cooking for 11. My house is tiny. I'm a rubbish cook.
I do Aunt Bessies roasties & parsnips. I prep all veg on Xmas eve. Beef goes in slow cooker overnight. Turkey cooked Christmas eve night & pork Christmas day morning. I still spend a lot of time in the kitchen but bf will be staying & he's a good cook (unlike ex hubby who didn't even help clear up or build toys & play with our daughter while I was busy.) Now that my DD10 goes to her dad's for a few days on Boxing day I try to spend more of Xmas day playing with her, instead of being in the kitchen. And I visit my oldest daughter & her kids on Xmas Eve.
I see nothing wrong with a few shortcuts in the kitchen to make the day run more smoothly & be less hard work for you.

Do whatever makes your life easier - and most importantly DON'T APOLOGISE. Don't say a thing, just keep stumm and put all the food in front of them. They will enjoy it and, if anyone does say anything, just tell them that they can host Christmas themselves next year!!

I hate Christmas for this very reason, its so tiring and stressful. Last year I ordered everything from Cook, it was great I just had to time everything with precision. Although I did fall alseep immediately after dinne!!

SonIL loves to cook so we are now treated to a full Yorkshire roast dinner early evening. I do the soup and desserts.

On Christmas morning everyone (except SonIL, who likes peace to cook) comes to our house for Present exchange and Brunch.

At New Year it is our turn. Soup, Giant steak pie and smaller veggie version, with veggies and selection of desserts. I do the Pies, Sik does the veggies.

All the time. The only thing I cook
From Scratch is the turkey. As for starters Carrot and beetroot soup is lovely and very Christmassy looking. Get an m&s Xmas
Pudding. It’s your Xmas to. If you can
Afford to buy a three tier steamer for you veg
This will
Cut down on pan juggling.

Aunt Bessie also does a very nice carrot and neep mash

I honestly think the food is the least important part of the day. People will not remember what the food tasted like (especially if you add wine to the mix), they will remember the atmosphere and the fun of all being together. Christmas is about family and enjoying each others company.

I am lucky. Having brought up five children I now have Christmas dinner cooked for me every year. My daughter loves to do it, so who am I to argue? Looking back to when the family was young, and there were scarcely any convenience foods, I wonder how we coped. I would certainly take advantage of it if I was doing the cooking.
The trouble with buying everything, especially from M and S, is the cost. I don’t know if that could be a problem for some of you super-hostesses. I know that one of my neighbours had got herself into the position of hosting Christmas every year. As the numbers increased, so did the expense. It had become a real problem, but she never plucked up the courage to change the status quo and ask for contributions.
Have any of you been in this situation, where you felt too uncomfortable or mean to ask?

Definitely what I do, except I do manage to roast my own potatoes ( how skilled am I). Last year I also bought two turkey crowns to cater for the 12 people, like you cold starter and the pudding takes a few minutes in the microwave. I thought the meal was excellent and nobody dared to say otherwise! As a postscript, as soon as lunch was over, so was I and I left absolutely everything else to everyone else. HAPPY CHRISTMAS ?

Don't worry too much about the housework, either. With all the decorations, wrapping paper, presents etc. no one will notice.