Prepep meal preperation

In article <[email hidden]>,

Broadback said:

Every Boxing Day we have a family get together when we have the
traditional Christmas meal, turkey, new potatoes, roast potatoes,
carrots, sprouts, cauliflower and peas.
This year there is a large increase in numbers, from 14 to 16 to over
20. I can just about cope with 16, but that many more no way. Any
suggestions as to what I can prepare the previous day, without spoiling
the meal,(yes I know it is Christmas day)to ease the work on Boxing Day?
Any ideas and help gratefully received.

Your question is very vague. Why exactly is four or five extra people a
big deal for you? What problems do you anticipate? You'll need to make a
larger turkey, or perhaps two or three smaller turkeys, but the work
shouldn't be much more for an extra four or five people since you're
already planning to feed 16.

You could make the turkey the day before dinner, but if you prefer to
make it they day you serve it, just start earlier and buy a larger
turkey. You also have the option of making some of your side dishes, if
not all of them, the day before and then warming them up prior to
dinner. You can certainly also begin meal preparation the day before,
such as peel all the potatoes, wash the vegetables and cut them up, and
that kind of thing.

I also don't see any reason to serve two different types of potatoes at
the same meal. Consider just serving mashed or roasted potatoes; you
don''t need both. For a turkey dinner, mashed potatoes is a better
choice than roasted potatoes.

On Sun 30 Oct 2005 05:08:54p, Stan Horwitz wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Broadback said:

Every Boxing Day we have a family get together when we have the
traditional Christmas meal, turkey, new potatoes, roast potatoes,
carrots, sprouts, cauliflower and peas. This year there is a large
increase in numbers, from 14 to 16 to over 20. I can just about cope
with 16, but that many more no way. Any suggestions as to what I can
prepare the previous day, without spoiling the meal,(yes I know it is
Christmas day)to ease the work on Boxing Day?
Any ideas and help gratefully received.

Your question is very vague. Why exactly is four or five extra people a
big deal for you? What problems do you anticipate? You'll need to make a
larger turkey, or perhaps two or three smaller turkeys, but the work
shouldn't be much more for an extra four or five people since you're
already planning to feed 16.

You could make the turkey the day before dinner, but if you prefer to
make it they day you serve it, just start earlier and buy a larger
turkey. You also have the option of making some of your side dishes, if
not all of them, the day before and then warming them up prior to
dinner. You can certainly also begin meal preparation the day before,
such as peel all the potatoes, wash the vegetables and cut them up, and
that kind of thing.

I also don't see any reason to serve two different types of potatoes at
the same meal. Consider just serving mashed or roasted potatoes; you
don''t need both. For a turkey dinner, mashed potatoes is a better
choice than roasted potatoes.

Mashed potatoes are traditional with turkey in the US, but I'm not so sure
about the UK. They're big on roasted potatoes which are often done in the
drippings with the turkey.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
_____________________________

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Meet Mr. Bailey

"Stan Horwitz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Broadback said:

Every Boxing Day we have a family get together when we have the
traditional Christmas meal, turkey, new potatoes, roast potatoes,
carrots, sprouts, cauliflower and peas.
This year there is a large increase in numbers, from 14 to 16 to over
20. I can just about cope with 16, but that many more no way. Any
suggestions as to what I can prepare the previous day, without spoiling
the meal,(yes I know it is Christmas day)to ease the work on Boxing Day?
Any ideas and help gratefully received.

Pre cook the veg and nuke in microwave on the day saves space on stove.
Gravy can be left to keep hot just like coffee in a filter machine.

On Sun, 30 Oct 2005 19:07:17 +0000, in rec.food.cooking, Broadback
<[email hidden]> banged up four bags of smack and drooled:

Quoted message said:

Every Boxing Day we have a family get together when we have the
traditional Christmas meal, turkey, new potatoes, roast potatoes,
carrots, sprouts, cauliflower and peas.
This year there is a large increase in numbers, from 14 to 16 to over
20. I can just about cope with 16, but that many more no way.

You mean you're serving over 20 people, and you aren't serving a
gluttonous gastronomical glut that includes over 15 side dishes and
salads? Dog3, take note!

rectal thermometer said:

On Sun, 30 Oct 2005 19:07:17 +0000, in rec.food.cooking, Broadback
<[email hidden]> banged up four bags of smack and drooled:

Quoted message said:

Every Boxing Day we have a family get together when we have the
traditional Christmas meal, turkey, new potatoes, roast potatoes,
carrots, sprouts, cauliflower and peas.
This year there is a large increase in numbers, from 14 to 16 to over
20. I can just about cope with 16, but that many more no way.

You mean you're serving over 20 people, and you aren't serving a
gluttonous gastronomical glut that includes over 15 side dishes and
salads? Dog3, take note!

Thank you all for your help Stan wrote "Why exactly is four or five
extra people a big deal for you?"
Ever heard of the last straw that broke the camels back? I struggle
with 16, the extra numbers would be a real problem. You see the young
males seem to compete to see who can eat most. Needless to say the
Royal Marine amongst them cannot be beaten! ;-)