Traditional Christmas Dinner

jonnreeks

Will this be your traditional Irish Christmas Dinner including turkey, roast potatoes, sprouts, cranberry sauce and more.

freshpopcorn

Irish Dinner would include ham and spiced beef in some places.

Whilst pigs in blankets are more common now. A lot here would associate them with party food more so.

Bread Sauce and Gravy also popular.

We'd have bread and potato stuffing.

iniscealtra

Roast goose, potato stuffing, carrots, roast parsnips, sprouts, roast potatoes and gravy made from the giblets. A baked glazed (honey and mustard) ham with pineapple. Christmas pudding with cream. Christmas cake with tea later on. Maybe smoked salmon as a starter on thinly sliced brown bread and lemon.

Would never have had pigs in blankets at Christmas.

Always a box of biscuits and sweets around during the day.

Wine with dinner. Later on hot whiskies & maybe a baileys or a brandy.

Fiona

Turkey, ham, stuffing, croquettes, carrots & parsnips, sprouts, marrowfat peas, homemade gravy & roasties.

And an elasticated waist......

No starters, just the main course, coco pops for breakfast, a couple of roses and some champagne.

Maybe some cheese and nibbles too. Feck I am starving even writing this post out!!!!

spurious

Turkey, ham, bread (or cranberry) sauce, gravy, carrot and parsnip mash, brussels sprouts, mash and roast potatoes.

Ours is not a stuffing house, though I appreciate some like it.

Pigs in blankets only if someone had gone to marks and sparks and bought then - as nibbles.

Strumms

Turkey, ham, homemade stuffing, roast potatoes, carrots, mash, sprouts, peas, homemade Turkey gravy… delicious…

Jim_Hodge

That doesn't look like a traditional Irish Christmas dinner. More like a British one. Turkey, Ham, Mashed Potatoes (maybe some roasted but not as the sole representative of potatoes), stuffing, carrots, celery, Brussel sprouts, croquettes, bread sauce, stuffing....

Pigs in blankets are certainly not an Irish tradition.

Quitelife

Turkey & Ham , Roast Spuds , Brussell Spouts , Gravy ... Will watch Original Willy wonka i taped after our Christmas dinner

Toots

We do turkey and ham, stuffing balls, roast and creamed spuds, sprouts with bacon bits, carrot and parsnip mash, bread sauce, gravy and cranberry sauce. Haven’t done a dessert the last couple of years cos everyone is too stuffed to move so nobody ends up wanting any 🤣

beertons

Pigs in blankets. I'm sorry. They're sausage rolls. With no skins in the meat. And they're no more an item that should be served with dinner. At best, they are a snack.

NSAman

Mushroom homemade soup. Served with cream and homemade bread.

Turkey stuffed with grapes and roasted with wine, ham (soaked for 24 hours) boiled, then cloved and roasted, roast potatoes, brussel sprouts, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and thick gravy….

meat sweats are required 😀

SarahLil

Starving reading all the above, yummy

AyeGer

Prawn starter

Turkey & Ham, mash & roast potatoes, few horrible brussel sprouts, broccoli carrots, stuffing and gravy.

Mixture of deserts.

Rosahane

Charcuterie board with Prosecco as starter. Easiest with a crowd.

Turkey, Ham, bread stuffing, bread sauce, gravy, cranberry sauce (home made) and sprouts (boiled a bit then sautéed in butter, lemon and chopped almonds) Honey glazed carrots (for son in law who doesn't like sprouts) as main served with a decent Pinot Noir

Plum pudding with either cream (or custard with brandy for me) served with Sauternes.

Cheeseboard (Shropshire, Coolatin Cheddar and Mature Gouda) (because those are my favourites and I buy the cheese) with a nice vintage or LBV Port

We cook the Ham and have it for dinner on Christmas Eve with buttery mashed potatoes and braised cabbage.

On Stephens day when daughter with shellfish allergy isn't there we have a prawn cocktail for starters!

John_Rambo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121513992#Comment_121513992

That's a very Brehon Irish xmas dinner!! (with a few exceptions)

Ezeoul

Turkey, ham, sage and onion stuffing with sausage meat, roast potatoes, creamy mash potatoes, honey glazed baby carrots, sprouts with pancetta, marrowfat peas, and gravy.

Usually have dessert later, and have options of christmas pudding or mince pies, or for those who don't like them, there is cheesecake, apple tart or trifle.

Same again on New Years Day, only swap the turkey and ham for roast beef.

Loughc

For me it's;

Turkey, Ham, Stuffing, Roast Potatoes, Mash Potatoes, Honey Roasted Carrots, Sprouts with Pancetta and Irish Bacon pieces, cranberry sauce and white sauce.

SarahLil

starters Prawn cocktail for others, vol au vents for myself maybe some picky bits if we are peckish

Turkey, ham, sage and onion stuffing with roast potatoes, creamy mash potatoes, honey glazed carrots, York cabbage and home made gravy.

Usually have some after eights after dinner dessert later, a few options millionaire shortbread, cheesecake, profiteroles and an ice cream option like HB Romantica

Same again on Stephen’s Day and New Years Day pretty much the same but maybe beef or lamb

brokenbad

No Starter

Mains - Turkey, Ham, Roast Potatoes, Sage & Onion Stuffing, Baby Carrots, Sprouts, Marrowfat Peas, Gravy

Dessert - Viennetta & Jelly (Usually an hour or so after the dinner!)

St. Stephens Day - repeat of above!

Jinglejangle69

I will never accept or understand cranberry sauce anywhere near a Christian dinner.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121514870#Comment_121514870

Goes with the turkey!

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121514084#Comment_121514084

Most so called Irish Christmas traditions are Victorian English imports.

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121514422#Comment_121514422

The modern brussels sprouts aren't the same brussels sprouts of old, I was interested to read recently.

They have been cross-bread with less nasty tasting varieties over the last 20 years or so, and are now a more mellow little fella than the angry-little-cabbage that they used to be.

I like them now but I'll par-boil and then pan-fry them with nutmeg and parmasan and chestnuts, if they are in-stock.

jumbone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121514302#Comment_121514302

You're getting outraged at something you've made up. Nobody is talking a out the American pigs in blankets which are like sausage rolls but the sausage does have a skin.

The pigs in blankets other posters are referring to are these things

which are the UK/Ireland versions.

Never seen them on a Christmas dinner here (probably because we have the ham) nor have I seen the 'chipolata' which seems to be English for sausage roll. More of a party food thing for me

Ezeoul

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121515122#Comment_121515122

The nicest sprouts I have found are tesco's frozen button sprouts. I cook them in a steamer then toss them in the pan for a few minutes with the pancetta. Or nice on their own! Nice and sweet flavoured. Might try them with chestnuts, if they have them in Aldi this year.

Rubberchikken

Turkey ham roasties mash carrots peas Brussels sprouts gravy

Afters is pudding and cream.

Ha is cooked couple.of days before in water and finished in oven.

Love Christmas dinner😋😋

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121515077#Comment_121515077

Well if the guts of 180 years doesn't count as a tradition, nothing will. Turkey wasn't the norm in the UK or Ireland until 70 years ago, so no Victorians there. And the OP's dinner isn't traditionally Irish even for 30 years.

dubstepper

Never heard of pigs in blankets until I worked in UK. I was raised in Dublin perhaps they were popular outside Dublin.

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121515260#Comment_121515260

No, they weren't popular anywhere in the country.

phormium

Real marrowfat peas are getting harder and harder to get, lots of no soak and tinned ones which are not the same thing! Aldi seem to be selling off their packs in the discounted spot for weeks now, I buy more every time I go in, I'm prepared for a siege at this stage! I have them all year round, cook a big pot at a time and freeze in portions, very handy with the old fish dinners.

Anyway Christmas dinner for our gang is always the same, Prawn & Salmon Cocktail (not everyone likes prawns so they can have salmon only), Turkey, ham, bread stuffing, sausage stuffing, cranberry sauce, bread sauce, roast potatoes, dauphinoise potatoes, mash, sprouts someway or other to make them palatable (yuk), roast veg mixture and of course marrowfat peas and a vat of gravy. Dessert is jelly trifle and a second sherry/no jelly trifle, pudding/brandy custard there too but usually not served until after second round in evening (keep the custard in a flask, very handy!)

iniscealtra

Sprouts are delicious halved and roasted. Or shredded / sliced, sautéed on the pan with smoked rashers and then add a good dash of cream. I wouldn’t put them anywhere near water.

Posy

I only heard of pigs in blankets on American TV until recently. They have no place on a Christmas dinner though.

Mine has to have at least 5 types of stuffing on the plate. I'm already getting my annual 'what if there's not enough stuffing' Christmas anxiety. 😄

DvB

Turkey, ham, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, roast carrots and parsnips (with a little red onion) sprouts, stuffing, bread sauce for me, cranberry sauce for the grandparents and gravy for the kids. Oh and marrowfat peas too!

Dessert will be baileys cheesecake or Christmas pudding with vanilla ice cream or baileys whipped cream.

No starter, can't do starter and dessert

Ezeoul

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121515682#Comment_121515682

5 types of stuffing? Does it not all end up mixed in together?

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121515380#Comment_121515380

I'd need 18" plates for all that, and you'd be waiting for a while till I finish my mains as I eat tasty dinners very slowly! I'll pass on the soaked peas though.

tscul32

SIL is bringing a charcuterie/smoked salmon/melon board for starters, at least an hour before mains. Then turkey, glazed ham, roasties and mash, roast parsnips, steamed carrots, sweetcorn, shredded Sprouts with bacon, cream and parmesan.

Dessert this year will be toblerone cheesecake and lemon meringue pie with homemade ice creams. Also homemade mince pies, biscuits and Christmas cake. It's a whole day affair and we'll still be picking (and drinking wine) at 10pm.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121515748#Comment_121515748

Well technically the whole dinner gets mixed in together in my belly 😂

freshpopcorn

I'd say pigs and blankets only took off in the mid 2000's but more so as party food.

I don't think cranberry Sauce is very popular in Ireland either in my experience.

Similar with this big fry on Christmas morning. I've never really heard of this until the supermarkets started having it in their brochures.

We have Just Roll Cinnamon Swirls when the dinner is cooking.

BorneTobyWilde

Roast Spudtatoes a must

Cork Lass

Goose, glazed ham, spiced beef, stuffing made with sausage meat, apple and chestnuts. Roast potatoes (using the fat from the goose), sprouts fried with pancetta and chestnuts, roasted veg, potato croquettes, red cabbage and Sunday peas. Gravy made from goose giblets.

Starter is always prawn cocktail and dessert would be ice cream, meringue and cream or a slice of winter berry tart (shop bought).

phormium

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121515916#Comment_121515916

Ah that's just the selection 😁 not everyone eats everything on the list, I usually just plate up the turkey/ham/stuffing/gravy and the rest goes on the table for everyone to help themselves to whatever bits they like. Personally I eat a very small plateful as usually concentrate on the meat/stuffing/bread sauce plus the peas which everyone loves believe it or not. I eat fast as can't stand cool food, has to be hot! Bought a new cordless hotplate for the table this year to help with that.

SarahLil

I always heat my plates before serving food

We have never done the big Christmas fry up Christmas morning there is always too much going on in the kitchen but never say never, we have an air fryer could easily rustle up some sausages and rashers in a couple of minutes. I have to say though I couldn’t do my Christmas roast potatoes in the air fryer I love roasties from the oven

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121515270#Comment_121515270

I have an absolute hatred for any food the English put stupid twee names on. They might taste nice I don't know but I will never warm to "pigs in blankets, bubble and squeak or toad in a hole"

I assume the recent invasion of bacon wrapped sausage in Ireland is coming from all the M&S and Tesco ads.

Sigma101

My kids will be having the traditional Irish starter

BK5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121515916#Comment_121515916

We bought extra large plates a few years ago for Christmas dinner and they were the best idea yet. You avoid having a huge pile up on the plate and can actually enjoy the dinner more when you can load up your fork the way you like it.

StrawbsM

I’m salivating.

Starters - prawn cocktail

Main - Turkey, ham, sausage meat stuffing, roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, mashed carrots and parsnips, brussel sprouts, marrowfat peas, pigs in blankets, aunt Bessie’s Yorkshire puds, gravy & cranberry sauce

Dessert - lemon posset with shortbread, trifle or some chocolate dessert.

Later that night and the next day the salad replaces the veg and the piccalilli is lashed on.

sprucemoose

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121515191#Comment_121515191

nah chipolata is a type of sausage, not a sausage roll

Loughc

So did everyone’s dinner turn out as they hoped?

Tried anything new that worked?

BK5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121553005#Comment_121553005

Dinner turned out really well, Christmas day and Stephen's day. I usually fixate on any element of the dinner that didn't turn out well but this year all good.

Going to to do the whole thing tomorrow for us - minus the turkey though.

DvB

Ours was timed to perfection in the end ( a first) but tasted better on st Stephens day for some reason.

Tried nothing new other than using 2 types of stuffing, a tray of it and stuffing balls too, both very tasty.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121553108#Comment_121553108

Mine tasted even nicer on Stephen’s day too. I think it was because there was no stress only needed to cook fresh mash the next day.