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Original poster

Pizza for Christmas Dinner!

141 replies

strawberrisc · 12/12/2018 06:25

My friend and her daughter have never been into roast dinner so they’re having pizza for Christmas.

I’ve always envisaged the whole of the land gorging on Turkey, sprouts etc on 25th December which now I think about it is ridiculous. Does anyone else have a totally non-traditional Christmas dinner?

OP posts:
Bowchicawowow · 12/12/2018 18:29

I don’t disagree Heads. You can eat whatever you like but when I read about people eating pizza and fish fingers I just think I would feel miserable.

redeyetonowheregood · 12/12/2018 18:34

Lovely to read these as we were discussing this last night. I usually cook a great big meal, vegetarian but with all the trimmings etc...but this year I am just not up to it (really stressed and behind at work as had to take time off for family illness emergency) and have no notion to do it.

I told the children that I didn't think we would be having a tradition xmas dinner this year and they were delighted :-)

They have voted for pizza followed by trifle. So that may well be it.

I phoned round our local Indian restaurants but none are open. I hadn't thought to check out the Chinese takeaways. If they are open that may well be our meal sorted.

It actually feels pretty liberating. I do EVERYTHING for xmas in this house, so removing the big meal will take off quite a bit off pressure. We have no family in this country so it is just us to please.

redeyetonowheregood · 12/12/2018 18:36

Oh and the pizzas would be home made, so not completely without effort but really no trouble.

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Citylivingwithdogs · 12/12/2018 18:37

We love traditional Christmas dinner but I can completely understand cooking another type of food if you don’t like it. For me though, pizza would not feel special enough.

Ragwort · 12/12/2018 18:38

Personally I love a traditional, home cooked Christmas meal and am happy to cook it, however people should cook what they like. But I wouldn’t pander to fussy children, I just cook what I like Grin.

A good pizza is really nice, I often treat myself to a posh pizza with a glass or two of red wine when I want a nice, easy meal, I certainly don’t think it’s ‘shit you shove in the oven’ Hmm.

HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 12/12/2018 18:38

It actually feels pretty liberating.

IT REALLY IS! I note most people who said they wish they could do this state their children and partners would be annoyed not to receive a traditional meal. I would put money on these people being the ones who have to buy, prepare and cook the meal.

Order them Chinese, heck why not even eat it off paper plates so you don't have to wash up piles of dishes and welcome yourself to the stress free way of doing Christmas. A Christmas where you get to relax like every other person in the family.

WatchingTheWheels85 · 12/12/2018 18:40

We are vegan and are having a buffet of vegan junk Grin

PepperSteaks · 12/12/2018 18:45

We had curry from the take out one year. It was amazing, and the best year ever. Now we have to have stinky turkey again.

beachyhead · 12/12/2018 18:46

Fondue was the best one year.... my dd decided at the last minute she didn't want it, so she had a tin of sweet corn for Christmas lunch Grin she was happy as Larry!

HeadsDownThumbsUpEveryone · 12/12/2018 18:48

I feel like I am trying to convert the entirety of Mumsnet. PepperSteaks there is a better way you found it once do it again. Halo

Now we have to have stinky turkey again.

You don't, don't subject yourself to it, Turkey is probably the most boring meat option available. See the light and go back to curry. If this is not an option then at least find a nicer choice of meat.

Graphista · 12/12/2018 18:49

No turkey here as I'm veggie, it's only dd and I and dd doesn't like turkey anyway.

We still usually do a roast though.

Dd has gammon steak, or beef steak, plus pigs in blankets, I have nut cutlet or an individual beef Wellington thing.

I still do roast potatoes, stuffing balls, cranberry sauce, yorkies, carrots, roast parsnips & gravy (meat for dd veggie for me).

Pud is not Xmas pud as only I like it, so usually something chocolate or citrus based instead. Tarte au citron, Yule log, lemon cheesecake something like that.

Last year we basically had soup - both of us were recovering from gastro upsets.

I've friends & family that live all over the world and I love hearing of the different meals & different ways of celebrating. Many don't have Christmas Day as the main day.

Graphista · 12/12/2018 18:50

Argh not beef Wellington veggie Wellington flaming auto correct!

Forzaitalia · 12/12/2018 18:56

Not exactly a different food but a different routine. My sister usually hosts Xmas as she has the bigger house, but she’s renovating her house, so we thought we’d all go out instead, until we saw the cost of Xmas dinner out - £60 - £128 per person! Then we saw on Martin Lewis Show it was suggested to go out for lunch on Xmas eve instead as it’s normal prices, so that’s what we’re doing. Then on Xmas day I am doing a buffet (gammon, baked pots etc) and everyone is coming to mine in the afternoon to open prezzies and stuff ourselves silly. Much less stressful and if it works out, it will be done every year!

GinaJabowski · 12/12/2018 19:02

Growing up we always had Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve & then turkey sandwiches & leftovers on Christmas Day! When I eventually moved out & in with my DP I found it bizarre that people actually had Christmas dinner on Christmas Day Shock

RB68 · 12/12/2018 19:04

We like to change things up but we also like turkey. This year its beef I just need to go and get some - hopefully locally reared specialist stuff which is magical and tastes like beef ought to - cost around 20 quid for 4 of us. Then we will have all the trimmings

We have MIL with us and she is quite traditional so we stick with a roast at the moment but before having her over every christmas (elderly no other rellies she could go to alive still) we did proper chinese home cooked was amazing and we are all looking forward to having a go at that again one day.

This may be the last one with us here at ours as she is getting very frail, not sure how that will work - probably a weekend visit to her and organise somewhere for her to go for a lunch on the day down there (London) she is lucky to live where she does as there is quite a bit of provision etc. Its quite tricky as she doesn't like us cooking in her kitchen so even when we go and stay we have to eat out except for brekkie

Blacktoffeecat · 12/12/2018 19:06

We’re having a Christmas afternoon tea this year.
Doing hot roast pork sandwiches for lunch and will probably have leftover meat with roast potatoes and veg on Boxing Day.

TroysMammy · 12/12/2018 19:08

I know of 2 older ladies who share a Chinese takeaway on Christmas Day.

Trippedupagain · 12/12/2018 19:12

I'm so glad to have seen this thread! This year both (grown up) DC will be working part of Christmas Day, both shift workers in different lines of work, so I'm just getting in loads of stuff we all like to eat and have a sort of buffet at various times during the day, depending on what we feel like doing. I just can't be bothered with cooking a huge meal that no one feels like eating before going to work. Neither of them can drink and both will be exhausted, so we are just going to play it by ear. I might bake some nice things, but mainly I will just be very grateful for seeing them both and having Christmas together, just the four of us.

DoubleNegativePanda · 12/12/2018 19:22

Several times we have done homemade pizza on Christmas. I didn't grow up with a big Christmas dinner tradition, except for some reason several times we had a big spiral ham and my mom made potato salad. We're weirdos. We just eat what we feel like eating Grin

ragged · 12/12/2018 19:23

Always. We go to supermarket the night before & buy what we like. DC like pizzas & I like veg stirfries. We cancel formal sit down eating together & graze a lot. DH will make himself a tea with meat, veg & roasties.

1moreRep · 12/12/2018 19:25

can i ask for suggestions as to what to take to work for tea on christmas (10 hour shift) and no one will be making xmas dinner - i had a takeaway last year and it was so depressing

theworldistoosmall · 12/12/2018 19:26

Bowchicawowow - yup still decorate and do presents.
We just have a very relaxed day without someone spending time in the kitchen or doing any of the prep. Plus everyone gets to eat what they want.
Win/win.

OvO · 12/12/2018 19:28

We’re having an Indian takeaway again.

We rarely get a takeaway so it’s definitely a treat, plus we buy ALL the food and have a proper feast. Our local place is amazing.

I usually buy the stuff for a full Christmas dinner in the days after Christmas when it’s reduced to 50p and we do a traditional meal then but it feels more relaxed (as I’m not stressing about making stuff perfect, not that my family would ever complain if I messed up the meal/timings anyway!).

As long as everyone has something they like to eat it doesn’t matter what it is!

Dogswithteddies · 12/12/2018 20:14

My kids really like Mexican food and we all find roasts a bit dull. So one year we did Mexican food( a staple in our house) but with the meat being a leg of lamb. It was an amazing spread but kids still refer to when we had burritos for Christmas with scorn! You can't win!

ComeTheFuck0nBridget · 12/12/2018 20:14

I love Christmas dinner/a roast in general but I don't mind not having one on Christmas Day. DH and I like to go on holiday over Christmas though, so maybe that's why?

People saying that pizza isn't special enough, how often do you have roast dinners? We tend to have one a week so not very special as such really! It's a nice tradition but they can be a bit of a faff. To each their own!