If you were given a chicken casserole on Christmas Day, instead of a roast....

[HuevosRancheros]

.....would you feel like you'd been cheated?

DH is veggie (so will have a quorn fillet casserole anyway), DCs are quite fussy, so I thought I'd do a casserole that can be made a couple of days before, so removing some of the 'timing stress' I seem to have when doing a roast drinking loads of Bucks Fizz during the morning has nothing to do with it, oh no
I would do a naice one, with shallots, baby mushrooms, chestnuts, port etc. And all the usual trimmings - roast potatoes and parsnips, brussels, etc. Could even push the boat out and do pigs in blankets

But my in-laws are coming too. They are lovely, I know if I asked them about it, they would say it is fine, just to be nice and keep me happy. After all, I am cooking, they wouldn't complain.

So I need an unbiased, not-afraid-to-upset-me opinion please

Thanks :)

[Lightupatnightpants]

Yes. Sorry! But I love turkey - it's my favourite meal of the whole year!

[MrsPnut]

I wouldn't be impressed (sorry), roast chicken would be absolutely fine but not a casserole.

Roast meat keeps warm for a lot longer than you think, especially if covered in tin foil and it makes the meat juicier.

[AdoraBell]

Sounds like a lovely idea to me.

I once did salmón on Christmas day for friends. They had a roast at home on Boxing day.

[Theas18]

V I'd be quite happy. With letting me know though as I'd probably have the turkey dinner at the work "do" rather that the veggie menu as I usually do.

[HarderToKidnap]

Casserole for Christmas dinner!!!! Is this real???

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

My favourite bit is the trimmings so if there were roasties and piggies then I'd be happy if you served an old tennis shoe!

My only small casserole sadness would be that I love a beef or lamb casserole and chicken casserole always seems a bit watery. Yours might be fantastic though so I'll accept your judgement on that :o

[sweetkitty]

I'm veggie too so wouldn't mind really if someone else was making it is be happy with anything

[googietheegg]

I would be v disappointed! A good roast chicken dinner would be fabulous.

[BunnyLebowski]

I wouldn't be overly impressed but I'd be too bloody grateful that someone was cooking Xmas dinner for me to complain.

It would be a different story if it were veggie food though

[CrockedPot]

I would be fed up, sorry.

[gamerchick]

We have curry for Christmas day.. ordered the night before. No slaving in the kitchen for anybody.

It really wouldn't bother me what somebody gave.

[bigTillyMint]

I don't think a chicken casserole, however fancy, would really take the place of a roast. Roast chicken, beef, pork or lamb would be fine though.

[HuevosRancheros]

Wow, I have never had so many responses so fast, must be hitting a nerve!

I definitely won't be doing turkey, did one a couple of years ago and got so fed up with the leftovers... even the smallest is too big.

So the other option is obviously roast chicken......

The casserole would definitely be chicken, as I was veggie til not long ago, so chicken is the only meat I can contemplate. And the kids don't really like chunks of meat type stew/casseroles

But as I said, it would come with all the trimmings..... :)

And it would be a superb casserole

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

Then casserole away! :o

[ErrolTheDragon]

Your casserole sounds lovely; roast turkey often really isn't.

If the other people on the thread have convinced you that you need to do a roast, how about one of those prepared breast roasts (eg M&S which has nice chestnut stuffing) - they don't take forever to cook and have the timings on them. In common with any roast, you rest them at the end for at least 20mins so that gives time to sort out the veg and pigs.

[SugarHut]

"Casserole?...." "How lovely dear...."

[BikeRunSki]

I'm veggie
I cook
We have nachos and all the sides
If anyone has a problem with that they can cook whatever they like whenever they like. They just never do.

[ouryve]

Christmas eve or boxing day - fine.

Christmas day, I'd feel sad at the lack of turkey.

[ouryve]

And turkey leftovers freeze, so you don't need to spend forever eating them.

And actually, I tell a lie, we've taken to having a salmon roast of some sort on Christmas day and buying a posh turkey half price in M&S on boxing day!

[29chapel]

NOOOOO!!! Christmas calls for turkey!

[Wallison]

I think it sounds absolutely lovely. Tbh I'd just be happy that you cooked for me but your casserole sounds genuinely tasty and I'd be more than happy for that to be served up for me.

It sounds like a lot more work than just shoving a bird in the oven though, would be my only concern!

[ShatnersEmptyCatacomb]

Casserole is never anything but so-so. Christmas dinner really needs to be something out of the ordinary and indulgent. Casserole is what busy parents make every other week in winter.

I'd be disappointed.

[Elsiequadrille]

It sounds like an extra nice casserole. It wouldn't be my first choice but I certainly wouldn't complain.

[HardFacedCareeristBitchNigel]

No, I would think "oooooo chicken casserole. Jolly good, I hate turkey"