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Original poster

Family friends around for dinner Saturday night- can i do a roast?

164 replies

hmmmwhattoeat · 04/03/2026 21:55

I will start with the fact i love a good roast, and i know logically you can have one any time,BUT it seems odd to eat one on a Saturday night for some reason.

Apart from the fact i like a roast, another benefit it brings is that i can prepare most of it in advance so it still enables me to drop kids to and from their clubs and I know they will also eat it!! Win win

Would you think its a strange choice if you went around for an evening dinner and were served a roast dinner???

Unreasonable- you can not serve a roast for saturday night dinner
Reasonable- stop being silly thats perfectly fine

OP posts:
Bjorkdidit · 05/03/2026 04:35

It's a bit boring for a dinner party. But if, like PPs have suggested, if you do roast chicken Nandos style or middle eastern lamb with appropriate sides, that would be much better.

FloofBunny · 05/03/2026 04:29

A roast on Sat night is fine, OP! I'd be delighted - although I bet you can't beat my local Toby Carvery.

FloofBunny · 05/03/2026 04:27

Waitingfordoggo · 04/03/2026 22:02

I’d be delighted to arrive at a friend’s on any day of the week to find they had made me a roast. I mean, the Tony Carvery is open all day every day so eating a roast at any time or day is clearly acceptable (I’m sure your roasts are better than the Toby Carvery though!)

Do not impugn my Toby Carvery! You take that back! I LOVE my local one. Its roasts and all the trimmings are fabulous.

JMSA · 05/03/2026 04:27

It’s a massive yes from me.

In fact, I’d be loving life with you as my friend 😄

ApeachAndaGoodBook · 05/03/2026 04:25

Foxybyname · 05/03/2026 04:15

It's so odd isn't it?! I mean, I love a good roast, but on a Saturday evening?? It's a firm no from me but I can't really explain why!!

In this situation I would do something like a beef bourguignon - easy to prep in advance and can still have with mini roasts and steamed vegetables.

Edited

Dh made last beef bourguignon, last night, one of my favorites. Yum!

ApeachAndaGoodBook · 05/03/2026 04:22

A roast is a safe food for me, so I'd enjoy it. Especially with a lot of yorkies, gravy and horseradish.

Foxybyname · 05/03/2026 04:15

It's so odd isn't it?! I mean, I love a good roast, but on a Saturday evening?? It's a firm no from me but I can't really explain why!!

In this situation I would do something like a beef bourguignon - easy to prep in advance and can still have with mini roasts and steamed vegetables.

SexIsNotNebulous · 05/03/2026 04:02

I would be disappointed, it’s not Saturday dinner with friends food for me. I would be very happy with a bowl of pasta and some nice wine, far more so than a heavy roast.

caringcarer · 05/03/2026 04:01

I often do a roast midweek with Yorkshire puddings too and wine gravy.

CakeMeHomeIveSeenEnough · 05/03/2026 03:48

Even if someone associates a meal with a specific day of the week, I don't see why it would be a problem to occasionally have it on a different day. If someone is good enough to prepare a nice meal for me, I wouldn't be too choosy about whether it's Saturday or Sunday. If you think they like a roast, that's all that matters.

PyongyangKipperbang · 05/03/2026 03:31

vincettenoir · 04/03/2026 21:58

I think a roast always goes down well and it would be generally well-received and a good talking point.

I guess one downside is that some of your friends might be having a roast the following day. But that doesn’t seem like a biggie.

two roasts in two days?! Where? Sign me up!

Delphiniumandlupins · 05/03/2026 01:59

I'm voting for the roast. It's a meal with friends (including OP's children) not a dinner party. Most people saying no don't seem to like a roast meal anytime. A few are suggesting lamb and I know several people who dislike lamb although eat other meats.
Check with your guests if you're unsure, while checking dietary requirements.

EleanorMc67 · 05/03/2026 01:39

I'd agree with @mindutopia that you can do some variant of a roast that's lighter & more interesting - maybe a bit more spring-like?!!

I'm a big fan of Diana Henry's recipes. What about this if lamb is ok with everyone? You could do sides as per the photo (buttered minted new potatoes & green beans, maybe with some toasted almonds).

Or tabbouleh is easy to make slightly ahead & you could do roasted cherry tomatoes with it? (Baked for 45 mins with oil, a splash of balsamic, a few chilli flakes & a crushed clone or two of garlic.)

https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/recipe/roast-lamb-with-pistachio-feta-lemon-stuffing

Parrlorwarrior · 05/03/2026 01:36

TreatyPie · 05/03/2026 00:36

Nope roasts are boring as hell and for Sundays.
Do cottage pie

Oh yes, good old exciting cottage pie!

Franjipanl8r · 05/03/2026 01:35

Can’t you think of anything else? You could do basically all the same ingredients but swap the potatoes for rice and make a creamy chicken sauce instead of a gravy. It’s even less work than a roast but at least it’s something different.

A chicken and tarragon sauce with chicken thighs and drumsticks, then the veg and rice to go with it.

Parrlorwarrior · 05/03/2026 01:35

strawlight · 05/03/2026 01:16

I’m on the fence and I’d have to ask what the guests thought. It’d be a bit much for me on an evening.

How about doing pulled pork with stuffing, apple sauce & baguettes, or roast lamb with flatbreads, yogurt & pomegranate. We’ve done both of those for guests and they went down well. Or a big chilli with all the sides.

Edited

I loathe chilli. It’s weird because I actually like chillis in curries. If someone had done a chilli I would really struggle to eat it.

Growlybear83 · 05/03/2026 01:27

A roast wouldn’t be something I would expect for dinner on a Saturday night. There are few meals I loathe more than roast dinners and I would be really disappointed if someone served me a roast, which is why I have always avoided lunch invitations on Sundays. There are so many other meals you could make in advance.

Parrlorwarrior · 05/03/2026 01:24

I often do a roast on a Saturday. My family love a roast dinner and Saturday is usually the best day to see them all. I cook for 12 and we have either lamb or chicken and a side of salmon. I always do Yorkshire puddings, which have to be gluten free, mounds of roast potatoes and a good selection of vegetables. Pudding is fruit crumble and custard.

strawlight · 05/03/2026 01:16

I’m on the fence and I’d have to ask what the guests thought. It’d be a bit much for me on an evening.

How about doing pulled pork with stuffing, apple sauce & baguettes, or roast lamb with flatbreads, yogurt & pomegranate. We’ve done both of those for guests and they went down well. Or a big chilli with all the sides.

MeganM3 · 05/03/2026 00:45

Not sure. It’s too heavy for an evening meal for me, I think. I like a roast on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Something similar perhaps? Roasted chicken with some fancy type potatoes and veg? With something a bit more exotically flavoured to start with? And something light for dessert.

TreatyPie · 05/03/2026 00:36

Nope roasts are boring as hell and for Sundays.
Do cottage pie

DiscoBeat · 04/03/2026 23:37

I don't know why it has to be a Sunday. Totally up to you. But as others have said some people are very fixed on having a roast on Sundays so with that and time constraints I'd probably play safe and go for a slow cooked oven dish.

MintyChops · 04/03/2026 23:29

I’d be thrilled!!

Cesarina · 04/03/2026 23:20

hmmmwhattoeat · 04/03/2026 21:55

I will start with the fact i love a good roast, and i know logically you can have one any time,BUT it seems odd to eat one on a Saturday night for some reason.

Apart from the fact i like a roast, another benefit it brings is that i can prepare most of it in advance so it still enables me to drop kids to and from their clubs and I know they will also eat it!! Win win

Would you think its a strange choice if you went around for an evening dinner and were served a roast dinner???

Unreasonable- you can not serve a roast for saturday night dinner
Reasonable- stop being silly thats perfectly fine

@hmmmwhattoeat
What time should I arrive please?

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 04/03/2026 23:03

I’ve often made a non-Sunday roast for guests - it’s always been popular. And TBH I find a roast very easy, very little faff.

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