Xmas Dinner

A question about : Xmas Dinner

Hi

We are hosting Christmas dinner this year, and I was wondering what you all do with regard to serving the dinner. Do you plate everyone's dinner in the kitchen and give it to them at the dining table. Or do you put everything in serving bowls etc and put it on the table for guests to help themselves?

The reason being, my husband likes his plated up - so it's all hot and he doesn't need to add anything other than bread sauce/cranberry sauce etc. Whereas my father in law likes to help himself from the table (although that's not strictly true - he likes someone else to plate his dinner up from the main table so he can just tell them what he wants )

So..... my thoughts are plate everyone's dinner up (small portions) and then put extras of everything in serving bowls on the table for anyone to add additional food if they wish to.

Is that a good compromise?

Best answers:

• I'd want it plated up.
• Are you talking about a buffet table?
  For Christmas dinner I'd expect everyone to know each other well enough that you could just ask which they would prefer when they arrive.
  ("Different strokes for different folks" is possible?)
• No, I mean the main Christmas dinner - turkey, roasties, sprouts etc
  FIL has often said he prefers the dinner in serving bowls - but he never dishes his own dinner up, everyone does it for him!
  Husband on the other hand likes it plated up. Me - I'm not fussed!
• Definitely if you are not used to doing Christmas it gets a a bit manic with everything on the table. Plate up smaller dinners and put everything else back in the cooling oven. Then as people want seconds either get them to bring their plates to kitchen to help themselves or put dish on table of the leftovers. Try not to have too much of the boring bits leftover in our house they all want extra potatoes and gravy and meat but hardly any veg.
• meatstuffs, sausage stuffing, pigs in blankets plated, the rest in dishes. I usually walk around the table "silver serving" some food to help the lazy ones.
• We have 15+ for xmas dinner. We serve ourselves in the kitchen from the pans and there is extra spuds, pigs in blankets and suace along with gravy are on the table.
• I hate having my food plated up for me, my family never ever plate up. However, for formal larger meals my grandparents would put meat on the plate (to ensure there was enough) and the rest was then chosen from serving dishes.
  I think when we were a little younger the veg was silver served but teens+ should be able to get their own veg.
  I'd never plate up a roast dinner for anyone other than my boyfriend (who I live with), I find it a bit rude and intrusive. Good luck!
• I plate up but put out extra veg & potatoes in serving dishes for those that want them. I offer more meat but leave that keeping warm in the kitchen.
• Well over the years I have tried both plating up and people serving themselves and have found plating up to be the easiest and fastest so that everyone's food remains hot.
  It does depend on how many you are cooking for. The least I have cooked for is 12 and the most 16. It is difficult having serving dishes for large amounts that have to be passed along the table as it means by the time everyone has helped themselves food is getting cold.
  We have some meat eaters and some vegetarian so we know how many plates want meat, how many want the veggie option. Everyone likes roast potatoes, Yorkshire puds, stuffing. Non veggies with sausage meat and then I just ask if everyone wants the different veg.
  Have also tried putting veg, potatoes etc in a hostess trolley and people helping themselves from that but that takes too long too
• We always serve ourselves from the table and have never had a problem with the food going cold - warmed plates and bowls may help but everything seems to hold its heat until all have been served their meat and beyond. This is what is normal in our house, I probably havent had my food plated up for me since I was 4 or 5.
• Thank you for your replies everyone.
  It's a funny one, there certainly seems to be differing opinions! Strange how when dining in a top restaurant you would certainly expect your food plated up, but in a less formal environment some would want to eat more buffet/Harvester restaurant style. British dining etiquette at it's best
  Appreciate the input guys - thank you
• Self serve. Warm the plates first (and the serving dishes) and encourage the people who are served first with meat to start taking veggies etc. That way, nothing goes cold and everyone gets to decide for themselves how much of different things they want.
  We always have meals this way and I've never had a problem with things going cold. Obviously if you don't warm the plates then you are more likely to have issues.
• I'd hate to have my food plated up for me and would hate to do it for someone else. I want to choose what I want and how much, and I'd want my guests to feel free to do the same. I'd feel like I was back at school.
  Warm your serving dishes and plates, and food wont go cold.
• Almost always self serve in our house for any kind of roast - certainly will be on Christmas day. Warm your dishes and plates through and you'll be fine!
• We had xmas on Saturday. 6 adults, 1 child. Had everything on the breakfast bar and hob for people to help themselves to. Gravy and sauces on the table. Hot plates and those tea light dish warmer things kept everything piping hot.