Cherry coke instead of regular coke? Wow, I'm gonna have to try that!!
How did the dinner go? Hope it was fun and relaxing.
I always veer towards one pot cooking when cooking for a large group if I can... much less stressful, and something like chilli or curry can be made the day before, and allowed to cook for ages to let the spices sweeten up and mellow out, and just put with potato wedges or rice, or a baked spud.
I grew up in a house with 8 kids so am used to juggling 6 saucepans, multiple roasting trays and a steamer, and when I go home for Christmas I usually end up doing the Christmas dinner... with brothers and sisters in laws, plus nieces and nephews and the occasional unexpected guest, its a milliary operation I can tell you!!! The most we've had for Christmas dinner was 27 one year!!!! Had to do it in two sittings! It was NUTS! Not enough seats, and the dishes afterwards- well that traditionally gets left to the boys to deal with! (By the time dinner is out of the way, its officially "not my problem!!!")
Particularly nuts since our family Christmas dinner traditionally has every veg under the sun on the go, and if one of them isn't there you can be sure someone will point out "You didn't do any traditional peas this year?!!! Whyyyy? Those are my favourites!!!"
But we have:
3 types of potatoes: Roast, mash and creamy cheesey ones done in the oven.
Traditional peas, Cauliflower, Broccoli, carrots n parsnips mashed or done honey glazed in the oven, sprouts, cabbage, 2 types of stuffing- a sausagemeat one and a nutty apricotty one, leeks and swede!!
Not to mention the turkey and gammon- I do that the night before, and have it ready in portions- gammon on bottom, stuffing in middle, and turkey on top- ready to go back in the oven to reheat when i'm doing the roasties.
And then there's the starter to deal with as well- usually soup to make it ahem "easy" on me!!!
LOL
So yeah, i recommend one pot cooking if you can get away with it- stews, bean stews are great in winter, casseroles, chilli, mince n tatties, stroganof, steak, mushroom and ale stew with mash...
Oh dear me I'm hungry....