Christmas dinner

Just like mine, too, though mine's in beech.

As for storage, I don't know where everything went before I got my Hostess.

We did once have an incident where I'd dropped my keys on top of it and a DGS had slid the lid open so they'd fallen inside. Took me a couple of frantic hours to work that one out!

That's just like mine janeainsworth !
They have various uses - to warm plates and dishes, keep food hot - don't put roast potatoes in there though as they should be served straight from the oven!
They can be used for storage too
And, of course, as recommended by Victoria Wood

They’ve become a bit of a joke though
m.youtube.com/watch?v=lNU5KVa_Tu8

fingerlaker
These are the real deal www.johnlewis.com/hostess-trolley-hl6232-mahogany/p230875565

I only have a hot plate which you plug in & it heats up and stays hot for about an hour. You unplug it & transfer it to the table and put your dishes on it to keep hot.

What is a hostess trolley? I'm in America

*Witzend, I confess, I have a spread sheet.

Monica, I keep it fairly simple, too, and don't find it a chore. I have to have my list of timings, though! All too apt to forget things otherwise, especially after rather a lot of Buck's Fizz....
We don't have Christmas dinner till at least 5, either, which makes for a much more relaxed day for the cook.

Oh yes witzend, lights always turned off for maximum drama
willa your buffet sounds lovely. I guess it’s American? I’ve just acquired my American DiL’s recipe for sweet potato casserole and am adding that to the menu this year.
I like the sound of your Brussels Sprouts to and might give them a try too

Simplify how many dishes you serve. I always buy the best turkey and gammon joint I can, which is the star of the meal and what most people want. Add stuffing and sausage meat and I then just serve roast potatoes, sprouts and roast parsnips. All cooked quite plainly and apart from a jar of cranberry sauce and gravy that is it. I do not add bread sauce, boiled or mashed potatoes, extra veg or anything else. My brussels are not cooked with almonds, or parmesan or sliced and the parsnips again are not tarted up.

Make the meal really simple, prepare it all in advance. I do the preparation while listening to the service of Nine Lessons and Carols on the radio.

DH carves the meat and serves it on plates in the kitchen and with a limited number of vegetable dishes on the table, passing round is not a problem. If it is a long table do two sets of vegs to limit all the passing around.

After 50 years and with a timer on my oven I spend very little time in the kitchen on Christmas morning. Apart from breakfast I go nowhere near it until at least 12.00am, I then wander in and out popping things in the oven now and again for the next hour and then spend half an hour bringing it all together. A large glass of your favourite tipple also helps.

I have never worried about cooking at Christmas - it is just a meal for those you love who will appreciate whatever you do; and will I am sure help. Delegate! Brussels sprouts for one, turkey for another, trimmings for another, puddings for another.

Just chill man!

janeainsworth, perennial fear of just this sort of overflow is why our Christmas pud always goes on a plate, plus a tray. I am always somewhat lavish with the flaming material - half brandy, half vodka - so that it flames really well. And I get someone to turn off the dining room lights, just before I bring it in, for best effect.

There will be 9 of us this year. I have an electric hot plate which will be plugged in on the kitchen work top. Warmed plates at one end and everyone will be able to work their way along the line of dishes. The table will be laid in advance and as soon as everyone sits down a toast! Also, not too many different dishes - turkey, stuffing, roast potatoes, roast parsnips, Brussel sprouts with chestnuts, bread sauce, gravy. (Definitely no Yorkshire puddings).

I was always stressing over what or how much food to make, when I remembered a magazine article I had saved with some EASY menu suggestions. Easy because 90% of the food can be prepared ahead of time and the menu can be tailored to one's personal recipes and taste.

Once the house is ready for company and the table is set, this delicious and easy menu will be ready too...

*Holiday punch bowl (frozen strawberries, sugar syrup, orange juice, lemon juice, ginger ale and sweet red wine)
*Appetizers - cheese tray, olives, nuts etc.

Main courses
*Salad of mixed greens with pears, dried figs, crumbled goat cheese, walnuts and raspberry dressing
*Holiday ham with cloves and orange marmalade/mustard
glaze
*Rice pilaf with dried cranberries and slivered almonds
*Sweet potato casserole
*Oven roasted Brussels sprouts drizzled with garlic, raisins, and pine nuts sauteed in olive oil and topped with crumbled bacon

Dessert: Your favorite cake

Day before.....Rinse, dry, cut and bowl the salad greens. Cover and refrigerate.

'Clove' ham and refrigerate in plastic wrap. Prepare orange marmalade dressing. Cover and refrigerate.

Rice Pilaf - Prepare brown, wild and white rice separately according to your favorite recipe (i.e. minced celery, onions, carrots,mushrooms etc.) and combine all three rices the day before. Toss in slivered almonds, dried cranberries, minced parsley and chopped scallions (green onions). Cover and refrigerate

Sweet potato casserole - (sweet potatoes with brown sugar and butter) They can be prepared and frozen days ahead. Remove from freezer the day before to defrost.

Brussels sprouts - Day before: Parboil sprouts, split and arrange on a baking sheet (cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate). Fry up the bacon until it's crisp. Let cool, crumble and refrigerate. On the day, drizzle with olive oil/bacon/raisin mixture and roast. Spoon into a serving dish.

Cake - make ahead and freeze layers. Prepare icing the day before and frost the morning of.

Once dishes are ready, you can use warm oven to keep (covered) food hot and ready to serve.

??

I too have a 45 year old hostess trolley much loved and much laughed at.
I find the stressful bit clearing mains and getting dessert served in an orderly fashion. So last year grandad did some ‘Grandad Bags’ for the children given after the mains. (Just really silly cheap bits and pieces). Much laughter much amusement and desserts were forgotten about for a little while and were very civilised. And everyone was then actually ready for a dessert. Will do again this year,

Not completely on topic but I have just sat down after doing a buffet lunch for 40 friends. We made use of the oldest GS, he’s 13. We put everything in serving dishes in the kitchen and handed them through the kitchen window to the GSto put them on the table in the conservatory. Various friends were watching the process and we could hear them commenting ‘oh how useful, wish I had one of those’. It took them ages to realise that half of them were referring to the convenient window in between the kitchen and conservatory and the other half were referring to the very practical 13 year old GS!

I think our most memorable dinner was 2007 and concerned the pudding.
It’s always brought to the table in an atmosphere of hushed excitement and anticipation, the blue flames licking its rounded form.
That year, I rather overestimated the brandy, and some sloshed out over the tablecloth as I set it down. Flames shot across the table.
Cue lots of swearing and excited cries of ‘tablecloth on fire!!’ as everyone fell about laughing.
Fortunately because alcohol burns at a low temperature, it didn’t ignite the tablecloth and there weren’t even any scorch marks.
But that year will always be remembered as the time Mother set fire to the tablecloth
OP you’ll be fine!

I am pretty shocked at the number of people who have queues waiting to help themselves from food on the side. I had no idea. As we have a very small, round table, meat is served on plates and the vegetables go in dishes on the table.

I will never understand why I left my hostess trolley in England thinking I woukdnt need it here. 4 years ago I was at my daughter's house and there were 14 for Christmas dinner. She made sure everyone was sitting at the table and brought the dishes of food one by one handing them to me first. I took what I wanted and passed to the person my my right and took the next dish and so on. By the time all the dishes were at the table my daughter and son in law were seated next to me ready to fill their plates. Everyone got their food while it was still hot and no lunging for dishes the other side of the table.

Sounds as though you have it sussed Loulou.
I never have a big family to feed, but today we had a pre- Christmas meal with a part of the family we won’t see at Christmas. We were four adults and one small child. It went well.
My biggest problem is lack of oven and hob space. I had to cook the pigs in blankets and stuffing early on and keep them warm whilst the roasted veg were cooking. Then there were the plates to warm. For serving dishes I used flat or shallow metal trays, which heat quickly, and take up little room in the dishwasher. On the hob I could not do the gravy till one of the rings was free. We managed ok, but I could not cope with ten people.

When everyone comes to us we are 20. We have a big table anyway that can dear 12 friendly people and then we use 'auntie sally's gateleg table's for the children. Using the hot trolley and lots of bowls we manage. I feel the secret is hot gravy on everything!!

I usually have 10 people for Xmas Dinner & I actually like that first few minutes where everyone is trying to fill their plates. We do the little ones first & then it is a free for all as my sons compete to get the crispiest spuds & I love the brown meat on the turkey. I use heated stands with tea lights so food stays hot. It is all part of the fun. Then there is the bit with my boys competing for the last spud! I always have a few extras in the kitchen anyway.
I think we all have these little family traditions & it is handed down.
Love it!
Just sit back & let them serve themselves.

In days gone by I often had 15 to feed. One memorable Christmas Day I had cooked all the food and everything was ready but I took a panic attack because I couldn’t
remember who wanted what! When my absence was finally noted my husband came and gave me a large gin and sent me through to the dining room. He and my daughter served up.
Since then I’ve found it much easier to lay all on kitchen surface and let them come in twos to help themselves. Works beautifully.

My hostess heated tray was a wedding present 45 years ago! It doesn't get used very often now but at Christmas it is very useful.

I would stack the plates and serving dishes on your kitchen worktops and let everyone help themselves buffet style, they can alwyans get up and go back for more if needed and no one will be reaching over the table, and you will have plenty of room for your wine too - Happy Christmas xx