BM's cooking and having Xmas dinner at home...What are your menu plans?

[Butch]

This year we're going for a corn fed chicken. I'm cooking for a party of 8 (Filipino's) so I'm adding 4 Thighs to the tray.

Also we have:

Pigs in blankets (local butchers sausages and bacon, going to make them up myself)

Cauliflower Cheese  - home made sauce, with some strong cheddar on the top for crisping up.

Roasted Vegetables - Sticking to Carrots and parsnips only this year, but I always add a whole onion which I eat for myself. (Roasted Onions are bloody delicious and sweet)

Stuffing - Paxo to the rescue.

Gravy - Going to use the chicken juices, flour, stock and vegetable water. Always a hit.

Yorkshire puddings - Filipino's love them. Don't ask me why, but they do. My Mrs loads it up with potato, some chicken and gravy and eats it.

Roast spuds - not going to do them in duck fat though, just regular oil.

Gammon Joint and Pork hocks, both cooked in an assortment of herbs. The hocks are then air fried to crisp up.

Afters:

Apple Crumble and custard. Bird's to the rescue but apart from the price of cooking apples bankrupting me, it'll go down well as it always does.

 

I know the main looks like an everyday sunday roast, but we only have roast meat once a year here, and Xmas is when we have it. 

 

Edited December 13, 2025 by Butch

[Stillearly]

Just my Dad and myself 

Seafood cocktail starter 

Turkey Crown , homemade stuffing balls ( sausage meat, garlic , bacon and onion ),  Brussels , swede and carrot mash , roast spuds , pigs in blankets 

individual Christmas puddings or Viennetta ... 

when there was more of us I used to do a huge cheeseboard ...  plus I used to make a Christmas Cake ( would make the cake in September , fruit soaked in brandy for a couple of days before baking , and then feed it brandy until I iced it in December... 🥃 ) 

 

[thegrogmonster]

Just me at my holiday shack:

Turducken, Roast pork, Roast chook, ham, roast potatoes, sweet potatoe and pumpkin, gravy, stuffing and prawns.

Trifle (made by mum), Xmas cake and pudding.

I'll be eating this for a week after Xmas. Hopefully I'll catch a couple of crabs to add to the menu.

 

 

[Nightcrawler]

I shall spend actual XMas day alone this year. Ahhhh poor old me 😁😁😁😁

Its actually out of choice.

That said, I dont particularly like Turkey and I am not going to eat it just because you are supposed to at Xmas. No Siree 

Instead,I shall could myself a couple of lamb steaks, runner beans, carrots, broccoli, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and lashings of gravy. 

It will take far longer to cook than it will to eat it, which is usually the case😁

If I still have after this feast, I shall have fresh raspberries on a bed of meringue topped with fresh cream. 

To wash it all down I will drink a whole bottle of Barefoot Merlot followed by a couple of White Russians, whilst watching Schindlers List,  then fall asleep and  into a coma. 

All that said,I did notice that COSTCO were selling large bags of instant Christmas Gruel, which was quite tempting. 

[Butch]

16 minutes ago, Nightcrawler said:

I shall spend actual XMas day alone this year. Ahhhh poor old me 😁😁😁😁

Its actually out of choice.

That said, I dont particularly like Turkey and I am not going to eat it just because you are supposed to at Xmas. No Siree 

Instead,I shall could myself a couple of lamb steaks, runner beans, carrots, broccoli, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and lashings of gravy. 

It will take far longer to cook than it will to eat it, which is usually the case😁

If I still have after this feast, I shall have fresh raspberries on a bed of meringue topped with fresh cream. 

To wash it all down I will drink a whole bottle of Barefoot Merlot followed by a couple of White Russians, whilst watching Schindlers List,  then fall asleep and  into a coma. 

All that said,I did notice that COSTCO were selling large bags of instant Christmas Gruel, which was quite tempting. 

I'm not a fan, nor ever have been of turkey tbh, so don't blame you on that one.

Still looks like an epic feast though.

Surprised you're alone, I thought the Islington and District Cottaging Association always had a Christmas lunch together, don't tell me you've been blackballed?.

White Russians sound good. That's actually my favourite cocktail, and they're epic when done correctly - but there's an art to making a good one, which I've not managed to master. big thumbs up on the barefoot as well.

 

[Stillearly]

27 minutes ago, Nightcrawler said:

I shall spend actual XMas day alone this year. Ahhhh poor old me 😁😁😁😁

Its actually out of choice.

That said, I dont particularly like Turkey and I am not going to eat it just because you are supposed to at Xmas. No Siree 

Instead,I shall could myself a couple of lamb steaks, runner beans, carrots, broccoli, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and lashings of gravy. 

It will take far longer to cook than it will to eat it, which is usually the case😁

If I still have after this feast, I shall have fresh raspberries on a bed of meringue topped with fresh cream. 

To wash it all down I will drink a whole bottle of Barefoot Merlot followed by a couple of White Russians, whilst watching Schindlers List,  then fall asleep and  into a coma. 

All that said,I did notice that COSTCO were selling large bags of instant Christmas Gruel, which was quite tempting. 

Sounds great  .... not sure about Schindlers List on Christmas Day .... I prefer to watch it on Ash Wednesday .. although anything's better than Mrs Browns Boys ...

 

 

Edited December 13, 2025 by Stillearly

[coxyhog]

The missus is in Korat so I'll go to the care home to see my mum then go to my local which is just over the road then go home & eat one of wifey's frozen meals all alone.

Doesn't bother me as I've always regarded Xmas as the most boring day of the year(no kids) but at least now I've got one of those dodgy firesticks so can watch a decent movie instead of the usual Xmas crap.

A week later I'm on the way to Thailand😎

[thegrogmonster]

51 minutes ago, coxyhog said:

The missus is in Korat so I'll go to the care home to see my mum then go to my local which is just over the road then go home & eat one of wifey's frozen meals all alone.

Doesn't bother me as I've always regarded Xmas as the most boring day of the year(no kids) but at least now I've got one of those dodgy firesticks so can watch a decent movie instead of the usual Xmas crap.

A week later I'm on the way to Thailand😎

Agree Xmas day plus Good Friday are the most boring days of the year because in my state of Queensland, Australia pubs do not open for drinking. Some pubs open on Xmas to do lunch and serve alcohol while you are dining but that is not my scene.
 

Eating is cheating when drinks are involved.

[Derek Dangleberries]

Christmas Day is pretty much a "Nothing Special Day" for me, always has been. I looked forward to it as a kid even though I knew that my presents were going to be school uniform and school supplies for the next term and be put away in the cupboard straight away. It didn't upset me then and doesn't now. Just a fact of life.

Last week I took a delivery from Manstons and Siamburis that included 2 x 3Kg tins of baked beans so I'll be having homemade stuffing on a bed of Heinz Baked Beans washed down with a large bottle of Laughing Bird !!

My stuffing is:-

The meat from 3 Manston Fat Boy sausages

One Manston beefburger

Two packs of chestnuts ordered from Lazada.

One large onion roughly chopped.

Only lightly seasoned with herbs because the sausage meat is tasty enough..

Mix everything together, roll into balls and bung in the airfrier .. A  Bloody Delicious recipe but simple ..

Edited December 13, 2025 by Derek Dangleberries

[Nightcrawler]

In my opinion the likes of Bernard Mathews and other turkey producers throughout the world should be made accountable for the mass genocide and slaughter  of millions of innocent  turkeys each year just for profit using Xmas and Thanksgiving as an excuse. Furthermore the excuse that those charged with their slaughter are "only following orders" 

They should be tried, convicted  and hung in a Nuremberg style court of justice

No one really likes turkey. If it was that good, we would be eating it all year round. 

I was joking about about Nuremberg by the way 😁😁

[Butch]

19 minutes ago, Nightcrawler said:

In my opinion the likes of Bernard Mathews and other turkey producers throughout the world should be made accountable for the mass genocide and slaughter  of millions of innocent  turkeys each year just for profit using Xmas and Thanksgiving as an excuse. Furthermore the excuse that those charged with their slaughter are "only following orders" 

They should be tried, convicted  and hung in a Nuremberg style court of justice

No one really likes turkey. If it was that good, we would be eating it all year round. 

I was joking about about Nuremberg by the way 😁😁

My favourite game with the wife, or in fact any pattaya bargirl willing to accept a sub par barfine is "hunt the turkey".

Rules are simple:

You gobble, I shoot.

 

Edited December 13, 2025 by Butch

[Derek Dangleberries]

1 hour ago, Nightcrawler said:

In my opinion the likes of Bernard Mathews and other turkey producers throughout the world should be made accountable for the mass genocide and slaughter  of millions of innocent  turkeys each year just for profit using Xmas and Thanksgiving as an excuse.

Those aren't real turkeys mate !!

They can't be real turkeys because REAL turkeys have a neck, organs and edible intestines that are provided in a bag inside the turkey !!

These massed produced turkeys are hollow inside and have more hormones pumped into them than an East German Shot Putter ...

[Toy Boy]

I've got two Butterball ready-cooked turkey breasts on order from Siamburi's, one for the day and the other for a future meal. I've been using these for years and they're perfect for just a few people. I'll warm one of those up in the oven for 90 minutes or so, though you can also slice it and warm the meat up in a microwave if you prefer. No need for the usual 'dry meat' anxiety from overcooking the turkey as they're already roasted to perfection by the professionals. Then roasties, peas, sprouts, carrots, stuffing (good old Paxo sage & onion, none of the fancy Christmas stuff), Morrisons 'The Best' beef dripping Yorkshires and lashings of gravy. Plus some bread to mop up the gravy and a bottle of Breton Fils Rose champagne. Everything bought and cooked here in sunny Pattaya, and eaten al fresco on the patio. A Thai friend will be joining us this year. After guzzling that lot, we'll get a Bolt cab down to the bars at Rompho and wish everyone there a Merry Christmas. Here's the GF looking forward to last year's meal:

[Derek Dangleberries]

42 minutes ago, Toy Boy said:

I've got two Butterball ready-cooked turkey breasts on order from Siamburi's, one for the day and the other for a future meal. I've been using these for years and they're perfect for just a few people. I'll warm one of those up in the oven for 90 minutes or so, though you can also slice it and warm the meat up in a microwave if you prefer. No need for the usual 'dry meat' anxiety from overcooking the turkey as they're already roasted to perfection by the professionals.

I agree, they are tasty !!

I was tempted to order one myself but wasn't worth it only for me !!

(I deleted a paragraph here because it was a TF)

EDIT = I read a post on fb saying they had sold out and that only Crowns were left but they are still for sale on the website ..

 

Edited December 14, 2025 by Derek Dangleberries

[Glasseye]

I'm a Grinch (for several reasons that I won't go into...). I don't celebrate xmas and for sure Always stay home on NYE.

 

But.... I will probably shell out a few bucks for a real nice steak (probably rib eye). Along with a nice pile of buttered brown rice and some kind of veggie.

I may also hunt down some well made xmas type cookies.

I think a few Sangsom & diets will be in order.

[Glasseye]

16 minutes ago, Derek Dangleberries said:

I agree, they are tasty !!

I was tempted to order one myself but wasn't worth it only for me !!

I yearn for the Government to repeal the Act banning the sale of Turkey legs. It is yet another pointless Act to help Thai farmers that hasn't worked but remains forgotten ..

EDIT = I read a post on fb saying they had sold out and that only Crowns were left but they are still for sale on the website ..

 

I saw some Butterball's in my local for 3,800 baht recently. They are for sure the best turkeys around. But hell will freeze over before I pay that much.

 

* My Dad invented the netting that goes around the Butterball. A packaging and marketing product that resulted in million$$$ of sales. The original company (Swift & Co.). Huge meat packing company out of Chicago. I think at the time the turkeys where actually processed and packaged somewhere in Texas back then.

[Phantom51red]

In the uk[its been years] or on the boat at work would always have a big slap up dinner,here in thailand i never bother, tried xmas dinner once in jomtien at a popular restaurant on beach rd cant remember the name but it was not enjoyable at all.

So nah its not a thai holiday either so just be another ordinary day really doing the same old shit.

[Glasseye]

2 hours ago, Phantom51red said:

In the uk[its been years] or on the boat at work would always have a big slap up dinner,here in thailand i never bother, tried xmas dinner once in jomtien at a popular restaurant on beach rd cant remember the name but it was not enjoyable at all.

So nah its not a thai holiday either so just be another ordinary day really doing the same old shit.

 

When I was still employed I tried to work every holiday. Holiday pay (or I would take comp time) was what enabled me to take long trips to LOS every year.

[Stillearly]

2 hours ago, Phantom51red said:

In the uk[its been years] or on the boat at work would always have a big slap up dinner,here in thailand i never bother, tried xmas dinner once in jomtien at a popular restaurant on beach rd cant remember the name but it was not enjoyable at all.

So nah its not a thai holiday either so just be another ordinary day really doing the same old shit.

I've only had Christmas in Thailand three or four times , but I never felt the need to have a traditional lunch or dinner , mostly just went to a nice restaurant and had seafood 

But then I've never had a Sunday Roast in Thailand either , seems too heavy to eat in that heat 

[coxyhog]

My last Xmas in Thailand was 1988.

We went to an Xmas BBQ when I worked in Uvalde TX in 1993.The meat was venison,wild boar & wild turkey - all of which had been hunted by the guys at the company.

All were delicious but wild turkey is outstanding!

[coxyhog]

51 minutes ago, coxyhog said:

My last Xmas in Thailand was 1988.

We went to an Xmas BBQ when I worked in Uvalde TX in 1993.The meat was venison,wild boar & wild turkey - all of which had been hunted by the guys at the company.

All were delicious but wild turkey is outstanding!

& at the start of the hunting season they had a big fair where companies vie to process the hunters meat - it's illegal to sell commercially.

So lots of stalls with tasters,me & the missus had a lovely meal just walking round picking up these tasters.

[maipenrai]

2 hours ago, Stillearly said:

I've only had Christmas in Thailand three or four times , but I never felt the need to have a traditional lunch or dinner , mostly just went to a nice restaurant and had seafood 

But then I've never had a Sunday Roast in Thailand either , seems too heavy to eat in that heat 

I feel much the same way - I used to go for Xmas dinner in a pub in Pattaya and checked it out this year but the price has jumped to 700b now, although buffet style so you can eat all you want but I find I just can't eat that much anymore - I mean, I can but I will pay for it later and same goes for the Sunday roasts - I'd have to go and lie down for a few hours afterwards...

[Derek Dangleberries]

49 minutes ago, maipenrai said:

I used to go for Xmas dinner in a pub in Pattaya and checked it out this year but the price has jumped to 700b now, although buffet style so you can eat all you want but I find I just can't eat that much anymore

And it is also the cost of drinking with your meal and the lack of choice!

In Pattaya the choice of Wine and Port in supermarkets far exceeds what you'd be offered in a bar or restaurant so even not taking price into consideration it is another reason to enjoy it at home.

Drinking a large tumbler of Port and ice is great when you are preparing veggie and cooking .. !!!

 

[Glasseye]

Fcuk all of it. Make a nice dinner, drink a couple, and go to bed.  

[coxyhog]

The best Xmas's I ever had were in RAF Germany,great nosh & booze in the mess which usually ended in a bunfight.

Then NYE my two best mates,who were Jocks,took me out first footing,with a bottle of Grouse each knocking on doors in the married quarters.I think we were supposed to have a lump of coal as well but we didn't bother with that.

After that the early Xmas's in Oman were great,superb food & lots of free vino.Until everything got Omanised & it quietened down a bit.

Even in Saudi when I was working for BAe the food was stupendous,but alas no booze.

Just got this from Google....

First-footing is a Scottish/Northern English New Year's tradition where the first person to cross a household's threshold after midnight brings good luck for the year, ideally a tall, dark-haired man bearing gifts like coal, shortbread, salt, and whisky to symbolize prosperity, warmth, and good cheer. The "first-footer" leaves the house before midnight and returns after midnight to knock, bringing good fortune, while fair-haired visitors were historically seen as unlucky. 

Guess I was unlucky then....😂

Edited December 14, 2025 by coxyhog