Standing rib roast (Day 2 is French Onion Soup from the Rib Stock)
Yorkshire Puddings
Marrow to spread on toasts
Brussel Sprouts (pancetta, parmesan cheese, etc. style)
Other randomness
We’re having company, so I like to get an idea of what I’m going to do early on. If it’s just us, it’s not a big deal.
Hot Damn!
Are you into middle aged, boring, very average looking white guys?
I’ve decided to try a duck this year. It will be the first time I’ve ever roasted a whole one, and it’s got me a bit nervous. There is such a difference between crispy skin, yummy moist meat, and rubbery skin, greasy stringy meat, and even “good” restaurants seem to screw it up sometimes.
Oysters, Chateaubriand, buche de Noel.
Break it down, roast the legs then score and pan sear the breasts.
You’ll be much happier.
Uhm … no, sorry. My door is open to hot Polish and Latvian babes (natural blondes and redheads) between the ages of 18 and 30, though…! 
But a whole crispy duck is so pretty. 
Probably the old favorite, steak and crab legs. My wife and I moved to California 26 years ago before we were married, and decided our first Christmas that we would grill out in the back yard, because we could*. We’ve mostly done that ever since on Christmas, though Thanksgiving still rates the traditional turkey.
*seriously, if you haven’t lived in a cold weather state, you can’t even imagine how crazy it was to us that we were cooking steaks outside on Christmans.
I may make escargots to eat before the roast. If I so much as mention them to the SO, she’ll insist I make some.
Christmas Dinner is a pretty fixed affair in the UK, akin to your Thanksgiving, which means:
A starter, probably involving prawns or smoked salmon.
Christmas Crackers, with paper hats, bad jokes and useless toys.
A big roast turkey (or goose if you’re feeling all Downton Abbey)
Pigs in Blankets (cocktail sausages wrapped in bacon)
Chestnut stuffing
Roast potatoes
Cranberry sauce
Sprouts, which nobody likes but feel compelled to have at least one.
Roasted veg (parsnips, carrots etc)
What ever other veg you fancy
Christmas (aka Plum) Pudding, doused in flaming brandy and served with brandy butter, cream, warm custard or ice cream.
Then everyone adjourns to watch the Queen’s speech on TV. Still wearing paper hats.
Or not so useless. I have a folding comb/brush similar to this that I keep in my backpack. It’s lost a few tines from the brush side over the years, but it’s come in handy on occasion. Pretty useful ‘toy’. The crackers I’ve bought from Costco have been nice, too. They’ve been ‘grown up’ things, like a nice little measuring tape/key fob. (There was one thing in particular that is more useful; but strangely, I can’t remember what it is!) I need to go to Costco for the roast (they have good meat there), but I’m sure they’ve been sold out of the crackers for weeks.
There’s posh. My mum used to spike her crackers - she’d buy cheap ones and then by decent toys/gifts and push them inside.
Sold out of crackers!? Forefend! Couldn’t happen here, every shop is groaning under the weight of them.
They’re not as popular here as they should be. I’m sure I could run over to Rite-Aid and get some, or else there are other places where I’ve noticed them in the past. But they have the sort of toys you used to be able to get out of a box of Cracker Jacks, or like you get in those little plastic capsules out of a gumball machine. The ones at Costco have things that can actually be used by adults. I don’t know the UK equivalent of Costco (or maybe you have them there? They’re spreading like a quasi-wholesale amoeba!) but it seems they stock seasonal things well beforehand, and they don’t order more if they run out. So if you snooze, you lose. I’m sure I’ve… snost and lost?
Our friend who is coming to dinner has brought plum puddings in the past. Lovely things, and very tasty with a hard sauce. I don’t think she’s making one this year, though.
I stopped by Costco last night. Got a 5-pound, USDA Prime, three-rib roast with some very attractive marbling. Looks good. (It had better be, for $80!)
We’ll have baked potatoes to go with it, and something green. Haven’t decided what green thing yet. Maybe asparagus, just because it would be a nice change from Brussels sprouts. I’ll go to the store this weekend to pick up some snails, and I’ll see what they have.
I normally cook the Yorkshire pudding in the roasting pan. I’m thinking maybe this time I’ll use a muffin tin. And not make so much. I always make to much Yorkshire pudding.
I’m changing the desert from the Kahlua flan to this beauty.
Almost always, prime rib (since we have turkey for Thanksgiving).
However, this year, we can’t get together on the day (among other things, one of my nephews visiting from Colorado is spending Christmas with my brother’s inlaws), so technically it’s pizza (and it’s on the 28th). As for Christmas Day itself, I’ll probably have what I usually make for myself for reasonably special occasions - slow-cooker tri-tip pot roast with mixed vegetables.
Wot? No bread sauce!?!
wtf is bread sauce?