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Original poster

Christmas dinner for people who don’t like roasts?

134 replies

crossstranger · 15/10/2025 10:20

I do like a roast but Dh and teens don’t want a roast, they don’t want vegetables.
I usually do cold meat and salad with bits for Boxing Day and they like that.
Dh suggests just a spread rather than a sit down meal.

It doesn’t surprise me that nobody wants a traditional Christmas dinner because nobody likes roasts except me and I’m not spending hours in the kitchen cooking for just me.
What would you do? And what even goes on a spread?

In previous years I’ve spent all morning preparing roast turkey while the rest of the family eat chocolate, drink and fill up on crap, just to force down a bit of turkey to please me so I need some ideas.

OP posts:
SeaAndStars · 15/10/2025 11:12

Are your family perhaps trying to save you the trouble of cooking? Perhaps they know it makes you unhappy.

Take yourself off for an amazing roast dinner somewhere nice the Sunday before Christmas. All the fun, none of the work.

On Christmas day let DH put on a spread for you all.

ComtesseDeSpair · 15/10/2025 10:49

And what even goes on a spread?

Whatever you want. If you want Christmas lunch to be a meal you wouldn’t have any other day of the year, you can cover the table in fried chicken, sushi, rock oysters, chow mein, French cheeses, a tower of Yorkshire puddings and a tureen of custard, if you want to. Let everybody pick a couple of dishes and take responsibility for preparing them, and have a ball.

Original poster
crossstranger · 15/10/2025 10:49

Hoardasurass · 15/10/2025 10:25

Then it's time for your husband and dc to sort Christmas dinner/spread while you sit with your feet up.

If I left them to it I’d have a plate of twiglets and quality street.

OP posts:
Bimblebombles · 15/10/2025 10:43

You could do a joint of beef, cook it nice and rare and you all sit down and make fancy beef sandwiches out of it - good quality bread, horseradish, whatever you want on the sandwiches. Dunk them in fancy gravy.

ridl14 · 15/10/2025 10:38

Hoardasurass · 15/10/2025 10:25

Then it's time for your husband and dc to sort Christmas dinner/spread while you sit with your feet up.

This!! I came on to suggest looking at other countries' traditional meals (we have fish and rice, meat for those who eat it, plantain, salad) but that comment above is perfect

Original poster
crossstranger · 15/10/2025 10:37

sleepandcoffee · 15/10/2025 10:35

Could you do a roast on Christmas eve ? That way there are leftovers you can have - you could even have a full roast from the leftovers while the others have meat / cheese / baguettes

That’s a good idea, I usually cook lots of meat on the day to have cold Boxing Day so I could do it all the day before and not have to spend Christmas cooking.

OP posts:
TheSandgroper · 15/10/2025 10:36

Plenty of Australians just have a bbq for Christmas. Steak, sausages, potato salad, coleslaw, tomato, lettuce. Perhaps a fruit platter. Trifle for afters.

Job’s a good’un.

sleepandcoffee · 15/10/2025 10:35

Could you do a roast on Christmas eve ? That way there are leftovers you can have - you could even have a full roast from the leftovers while the others have meat / cheese / baguettes

Hoardasurass · 15/10/2025 10:25

Then it's time for your husband and dc to sort Christmas dinner/spread while you sit with your feet up.