Vegan Christmas dinner - menu and prep list for 3 courses

Today I want to share something a bit different, yet that might be helpful to someone out there. You might know already, but I love to organise! Especially if it involves a list and a spreadsheet...This year we are planning to host our very first Christmas dinner and we are making it fully vegan.

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Christmas plans

Normally we go away for Christmas, most often to Scotland and then fly to Latvia to see my family over the New Years. So every year December is very full-on. This year everything is of course very different, we are staying in London and spending Christmas in our new home which is also lovely and I am very much looking forward to it. We might have some people over for Christmas dinner (I say 'might' because who knows what happens with the restrictions), but I am planning anyway. We are hoping to host a dinner for my sister and a couple of our friends, one of them is vegan (I am veggie and we try to eat a lot of vegan meals at home anyway). There is a part of me that even likes the challenge of creating a fully vegan feast.

Planning

The first task was to choose recipes and dishes. I knew I wanted some sort of wellington with lots of different sides for the main course. We also agreed to make a few starters, probably vegan sausage rolls. For dessert, I want to make a cinnamon star (I am obsessed with anything with cinnamon) and Calum has requested a vegan upside-down cake I made in summer.

Vegan Chritmas Day Dinner

This is our menu for the day. Obviously hoping for tons of leftovers to eat for a few days after:)

Starters: Vegan Sausage rolls

Main: Vegan squash and mushroom wellington

Vegan Christmas Day Dinnerpotato rissoles (pre-make and freeze), maple roasted carrots and parsnips and Roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes

Extras: vegan gravy and stuffing balls

Desserts: Upside-down pineapple cake and Cinnamon Star

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Prep and shopping list

Next, I wrote what can be done before Christmas day, because the last thing I want is to spend the entire day in the kitchen. I want to actually enjoy the day! The final stage (apart from the cooking of course) was to plan everything. So I am hoping to make tons of prep before the actual dinner, so it only takes 2-3 hours on the day.

My plan for December:

• 22nd or earlier - Sausage rolls, stuffing balls, gravy & potato rissoles (freeze everything)

• 23rd - Wellington prep

• 24th - Cinnamon star & Upside-down pineapple cake

• 25th - Bake sausage rolls and stuffing balls. Cook carrots and parsnips, Brussels, potatoes, assemble and bake the wellington

And finally, this is my shopping list. There are a few things that are not on the list (like salt, pepper, olive oil etc), kitchen basics. I have this list in my notes app and I can also share it with my boyfriend. This is so helpful, we actually have a few lists on the go - shopping, home repairs etc.

Christmas shopping list:

• Vegan sausages

• Vegan puff pastry - 3 packs

• vegan mayo

• Limes

• Large butternut squash

• Chestnut mushrooms 400g

• Garlic

• Shallots

• Spinach

• Fresh thyme

• Dijon mustard

• Soy sauce

• Walnuts 60g

• Potatoes 4kg

• Sweet potatoes

• Brussels

• Tempeh 200g

• Chestnuts 200g

• Breadcrumbs

• Fresh parsley

• White flour

• Sugar white and brown

• Margarine

• Milk (vegan)

• Maple syrup

• Tinned pineapple

• Maraschino cherries

• Vanilla ice cream (vegan)

Hope this helps someone or at least gives some inspiration. Feel free to check on Instagram on the day if I have managed to deliver this ambitious plan!

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!