This year, we should finally be able to reunite with relatives for the holidays. But with all the members of the extended family, that’s a lot of people at the table. To eat well without working up a sweat, here’s a guide on how to host dinner for up to 20 people, from starters to desserts.

Before dinner

If you’re hosting a large group for dinner, it’s important that everyone can eat their hot meal at the same time... and that you can enjoy the evening, too. Before everyone arrives, make sure of these important basics:

• Plan your menu according to the storage space you have.
• Set the table before guests arrive to make sure you have enough cutlery for everyone.
• Provide side tables to leave more room on the main table.
• Designate one or two people to help you serve, clear the table between courses, and do the dishes as needed during the meal.

For starters

For a large group, avoid serving a plated starter. Instead, opt for a soup that you can make in advance and that you will only have to warm up at the last minute. To facilitate the service, you can serve the soup in a large tureen on the table for everyone to take a portion, or serve it using a pitcher. 

Ideas for soups:

• Vegetarian beet soup
• Butternut squash soup from Josée di Stasio
• Jerusalem artichoke soup with toasted hazelnuts

For the main course

To have a classic Christmas meal, choose a crowd-pleasing main course: turkey. For a dozen guests, you could make a chic-looking stuffed turkey roast, but for about 20 people, we suggest you go for a whole turkey. Get a turkey weighing about 9 kg (20 lbs) for 20 people. Serve it with stuffing, a recipe that can easily be multiplied to accommodate the size of the group.

Turkey and stuffing ideas:

• Oven roasted turkey with apple and bacon sauce
• Roast turkey from Stefano Faita
• Geneviève O’Gleman’s apple and turkey stuffing

For sides

Think purées! You can easily make large quantities and simply place it as a base on the plates. There’s always traditional mashed potatoes, but since it’s Christmas, you can add a touch of refinement by incorporating roasted garlic or by using other vegetables, such as squash or sweet potatoes. Calculate about 4.5 kg of potatoes for 20 people.

As for vegetables, go for roasted vegetables that can be cooked on a baking sheet at the same time as the turkey, such as carrots, parsnips or Brussels sprouts.

Ideas for sides:

• Roasted garlic mashed potatoes
• Spiced winter squash purée
• Honey-roasted root vegetable

For dessert

The yule log is a holiday staple, but a single log won’t provide enough servings for 20 guests. At least two should be served on the table so that everyone has their fill. To make your life easier, know that there are delicious yule logs available in the frozen pastry aisle at the grocery store, such as those of Trois fois par jour or RICARDO. If you want to prepare a homemade dessert, consider small jars that are assembled in a line, or sweets that are prepared in advance, to complete the dessert table.

Dessert ideas:

• Chocolate cream layered with pears and ginger
• Lemon trifle in a glass
• Fast fudge from Geneviève O’Gleman