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Christmas

"All the trimmings"

(42 Posts)
HurdyGurdy Mon 23-Dec-19 18:15:57

I'm sure this will be slightly different for everyone/every family.

So what, when serving Christmas dinner, are YOUR "trimmings"

Ours are not exciting, but have to include pigs in blankets, Yorkshire puddings and stuffing. Unless vegetables are counted as "trimmings" smile

GillT57 Mon 23-Dec-19 18:24:17

Pigs in blankets, red cabbage, no Christmas dinner without sprouts......but we all hate bread sauce!

kittylester Mon 23-Dec-19 18:30:08

On the other hand ours must include bread sauce, stuffing, pigs in blankets, sprouts (for bubble and squeak if not for actual Christmas lunch!) and red cabbage!! No yirkshires - only with beef!!

Pantglas2 Mon 23-Dec-19 18:39:30

I’m a cranberry sauce & bread sauce with turkey girl - both home made. Pigs in blankets assembled by my own fair hands and sage & onion stuffing balls from Saxo but added butter, chopped sage & onion to enhance!

Greenfinch Mon 23-Dec-19 18:41:14

Have nevert thought of red cabbage but must have parsnips.

Curlywhirly Mon 23-Dec-19 18:54:56

Pigs in blankets, my own chestnut stuffing (really easy recipe and everybody requests it, have given recipe to various friends who all love it), sage and onion stuffing, cauliflower cheese (I know, it doesn't really belong on a Christmas dinner, but DS requests it), parsnips, cranberry sauce.

GillT57 Mon 23-Dec-19 18:56:46

Oh yes, parsnips drizzled in maple syrup and roasted. Red cabbage with apples and a splash of port, and stir in some redcurrant jelly. Nice cold the next day too.

mumofmadboys Mon 23-Dec-19 18:57:17

Can we have your chestnut stuffing recipe Curly if you have time, please?

mrswoo Mon 23-Dec-19 19:02:14

There’s got to be home made bread sauce. It’s even delicious cold with left overs on Boxing Day. In fact, I have been known to have a turkey sandwich spread with bread sauce grin

oldgimmer1 Mon 23-Dec-19 19:03:12

Cranberry sauce.
Bread sauce.
Yorkshires.
Pigs in blankets.
Red Cabbage.
Cauliflower cheese.
Parsnips in honey.

No sprouts!

phoenix Mon 23-Dec-19 19:06:33

Hate the phrase "all the trimmings"

But...... We have pigs in blankets, bread sauce, 2 types of stuffing (chestnut and pork, sage and onion)

We also have veg, but they are NOT counted as "trimmings"

And as for Yorkshire puddings with turkey, well, I'm reaching for the smelling salts!

(Although, while a member of a now defunct forum, a member posted that they always had
Mr Brains fagotts as a side dish with their Christmas dinner tchshock

Curlywhirly Mon 23-Dec-19 19:16:42

Mumofmadboys, certainly!

I onion, finely chopped, 225g pork sausagemeat, 225g chestnut puree, 25g fresh white breadcrumbs, 1 tbs chopped parsley, salt and pepper.

Fry onion until soft, then leave to cool. Add sausagemeat, chestnut puree, breadcrumbs and parsley, mix well, add salt and pepper. That's it - simples!

You can use to stuff the turkey, or (as I do) put it in a loaf tin, and cook alongside the turkey for about 45mins/60 mins.

Note: I get my chestnut puree from either Sainsbury's or Morrisons (am sure you can get it at most supermarkets - it used to come in a tin, but now it is in pouches). I also double up the recipe, as 1 portion is not enough for my lot!

EllanVannin Mon 23-Dec-19 19:21:01

I've had trouble finding parsley and thyme stuffing which I like in turkey and it smells heavenly when stuffed inside the bird.
I do have bread sauce/apple sauce ( which I know is for pork )
and my favourites, mushy peas ( the soaked kind ) with a few grains of sugar while cooking.Sprouts and carrots and turnip, makes good fry-up next day.

Rich gravy. chipolatas ( not pigs in blankets ) parsnips.
Christmas pud---if there's room, with home made white sauce ( dash of sherry in the sauce ) Bless me belly smile

Nortsat46 Mon 23-Dec-19 19:28:44

Sage, onion and bacon stuffing (my mother’s recipe),
pigs in blankets,
brussel sprouts, roast potatoes
and far too much gravy...

It’s our favourite combination and one I return to every Christmas...

MissAdventure Mon 23-Dec-19 19:30:21

I don't do any trimmings.
I do have cranberry though.

GrandmaMoira Mon 23-Dec-19 19:33:23

EllenVannin - My mother always made white sauce with Christmas pudding. I've never heard of anyone else having it. Once my mother died, my DF and DH said they wanted custard instead. Is white sauce a northern thing? I was brought up in the south but my DM was northern.

BBbevan Mon 23-Dec-19 19:36:49

Turkey
Red cabbage,
Sprouts with chestnuts
Roasted parsnips and carrots
Hasselback potatoes
Cranberry sauce
Gravy
Never Yorkshire pudding, only with beef

BBbevan Mon 23-Dec-19 19:37:52

Sorry forgot sage and onion stuffing and pigs in blankets

MiniMoon Mon 23-Dec-19 19:37:57

We have the following:

Sage and onion stuffing
Forcemeat stuffing (must have lemon zest) or,
Pigs in blankets
Cranberry sauce
Bread sauce

And no Christmas dinner would be complete without roast parsnips.

CanadianGran Mon 23-Dec-19 19:43:14

I have never heard of bread sauce before and had to look it up. What does it go on?

We have basic mashed potatoes, corn and carrots, stuffing and a green bean salad. A bit boring, but if I detour from the regular menu, somebody will moan about it! My family likes to know that the dinner will be a menu they can count on to be the same. tchsmile

sodapop Mon 23-Dec-19 19:49:15

Same as Minimoon but there has to be lashings of gravy.

Curlywhirly Mon 23-Dec-19 19:53:56

GrandmaMoira, northern girl here, yes we do tend to have Christmas pudding with white sauce rather than custard.

Witzend Mon 23-Dec-19 19:59:35

Loads of crispy roast potatoes, loads of homemade pigs in blankets.
Carrots and sprouts lightly cooked au naturel
Roast parsnips
Homemade stuffing, 2 kinds.
Cranberry sauce.
Lots of proper gravy.
That's it. Quite enough for my lot, and for me to manage on the day without getting into a major sweaty tizz in the kitchen.

Purpledaffodil Mon 23-Dec-19 20:30:36

Canadiangran Bread sauce is milk infused with onion stuck with cloves and then thickened with fresh white breadcrumbs. Double cream is added to taste. Apparently using breadcrumbs to thicken sauce is an Olde English method! It honestly tastes much better than it sounds.
My brother lives on Vancouver Island, but as naturalised Canadians, they stick to the Christmas dinners of their child hood.
I’m intrigued by your green bean salad. Is it cold?

Purpledaffodil Mon 23-Dec-19 20:32:16

Forgot to say bread sauce is usually only with poultry and you can buy it in packets here, but it’s just not the same.