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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:
Titsywoo · 12/12/2018 20:42

We're having a big meal with family on xmas eve and a day home with just us on xmas day so I've told everyone they can have whatever they like on xmas day. For xmas day lunch I'm having a cheese and cold meat board with crackers and chutneys. DH and the kids are still deciding what they want (but it can't involve hours in the kitchen!). Can't wait!

Ollivander84 · 12/12/2018 21:26

@Bowchicawowow I would still not do a Christmas dinner if I wasn't working! I couldn't be bothered with cooking that for just me

theworldistoosmall · 12/12/2018 22:01

The potluck one was a blast.
We always have loads of people here and have done the potluck stuff quite a few times. And surprisingly no one has ever turned up with a turkey or anything else from a roast.

Interested in this thread?

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Christmas Events & celebrations General food
EvaReady · 12/12/2018 22:13

We have only had the traditional Christmas dinner once since we married and never again (we were both subjected to turkey as kids - turkey is really not a treat but we assumed our parents were shit cooks, but no turkey is just shit! So every year we decide what we are going to have in Nov - the most basic was tomato pasta and the kids loved it. Last year we had an Indian Style roast dinner, most often we'll have a wing rib of beef. My sister does 3 dishes her kid's favourites!

PipGoesPop · 12/12/2018 23:29

Had no idea about Japan. Never given it any thought to be honest. Am fascinated about the KFC tradition, when did this all start and how? The plate! Grin

PinkAvocado · 12/12/2018 23:51

I am campaigning in our house to have pizza or an Indian takeaway for Christmas dinner. Or to have a traditional Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve and then a buffet on the day.

Someone always ends up stuck in the kitchen (which smells because turkey, sprouts and cabbage all stink imo) away from the family. Plus I don’t like roasts anyway and 3/4 of us don’t eat meat so I’m wanting a change!

Less time in the kitchen=more family time!

SenecaFalls · 12/12/2018 23:59

I'm American and most Americans don't eat turkey for Christmas dinner, having recently had turkey as the centerpiece for a huge meal on Thanksgiving.

This year it will be just the two of us so we are having "surf and turf", steak and lobster.

Original poster
strawberrisc · 13/12/2018 06:45

I had no idea about Japan either! I’ll be at my sister’s this year and she and her husband don’t eat much meat so I’ll probably be on the nut roast!

OP posts:
Weezol · 13/12/2018 07:01

Last time I cooked from scratch on Christmas day I did duck in plum sauce with egg fried rice.

Last couple of years it's been party food - things that go in for 20 minutes at 200 as and when.

namastayinbed · 13/12/2018 07:05

Kids are having Mac cheese, me and dh are having a naice ready meal. There will be Christmas pudding and pigs in blankets - we're not complete heathens.

brookshelley · 13/12/2018 07:07

@SenecaFalls same, American Christmas foods are not necessarily Turkey because of Thanksgiving being so near.

I actually love the sound of homemade pizza as a Christmas tradition. Maybe we'll try it next year!

CarolDanvers · 13/12/2018 07:13

We went to our favourite Syrian/Lebanese restaurant a couple of years in a row. It’s just down the road and they don’t celebrate Christmas but the food is absolutely amazing. It’s funny though, when I told some people we were doing that they were almost angry, just couldn’t get it all, why we wouldn’t be doing the Christmas dinner Roast thing. My kids had pizza every other year till last year when they suddenly decided they wanted to do The Christmas Dinner thing.

FrostyMoanyWind · 13/12/2018 07:54

Do the people who have egg and chips or pizza for Christmas dinner otherwise celebrate the day? Do you bother with decorations and presents or is it just another day as far as you are concerned?

Do you think the UK is the only country where people celebrate Christmas? Because as far as I know the U.K. is the only country where roast turkey etc is considered the traditional meal (shouldn't it be goose or something if we're really talking traditional?)

brookshelley · 13/12/2018 08:02

Do you think the UK is the only country where people celebrate Christmas? Because as far as I know the U.K. is the only country where roast turkey etc is considered the traditional meal (shouldn't it be goose or something if we're really talking traditional?

Yes I find it interesting given that turkeys are from North America. In Dickens they always talk about duck or goose. When did turkey become the default for British Christmas?

EvaReady · 13/12/2018 08:34

I find it really weird having turkey when you really don't like it. We do have presents (for the dcs) and lights for dh and the dcs - I could happily avoid the whole thing but the sake of everyone else's happiness I take part - wearing a black santa hat! Wink

nornironrock · 13/12/2018 08:47

Christmassy stuff on Christmas day, but easy and quick to clear up after....

Boxing Day, hit M&S when they open, and buy all the proper stuff at vastly reduced prices and then have it later that day. You get the benefit of paying waaaay less for it, and the excitement of not being sure what you'll have!!!!

Klobuchar · 13/12/2018 08:59

It was Dickens who made turkey popular, as that’s the bird that Scrooge buys from the poulterers on Christmas morning after his redemption.

North America has a tradition of turkey on Christmas Day too, btw.

BatsAreCool · 13/12/2018 09:05

We are having a turkey roast this year but only because DH wants it and will be cooking it Grin.

Other years I have had steak and chips or party food.

The KFC sounds great and wish I could have that instead.

brookshelley · 13/12/2018 09:07

@Klobuchar it's more mixed because we all eat turkey on Thanksgiving. Also due to ethnic diversity. Fish at Christmas is common in Italian-American families, and in the US South ham and macaroni and cheese are really common. A lot of families also do a huge breakfast rather than a big dinner.

I grew up in a very mixed metropolitan area and another common Christmas tradition is Jewish families going to Chinese restaurants.

I'd say in general having lived in US and UK for decades each, Christmas is much less of a food-based feast holiday in the US.

Bowchicawowow · 13/12/2018 09:30

Frosty of course I know that the UK isn’t the only place which celebrates, Christmas Confused What an odd comment.
Incidentally I haven’t ever said that only turkey should be eaten on Christmas Day. I think the alternative ways to celebrate are lovely. What I don’t understand though is that people eat food which I would eat on any other day of the year. That seems a bit miserable when Christmas is a time of celebration for most people.

SegmentationFault · 13/12/2018 09:45

Just because it would be 'miserable' for yoy, doesn't mean other people wouldn't enjoy it. It's really not a difficult concept.

Bowchicawowow · 13/12/2018 09:50

I get that. This forum allows discussion according to the threads people start. I am simply stating my opinion that I wouldn’t want to eat fish fingers on Christmas Day Confused

SegmentationFault · 13/12/2018 09:57

Yes, you've said that multiple times now, I think we all understand. But whether you would like it is irrelevant to whether other people would like it.

Bowchicawowow · 13/12/2018 09:59

If I have repeated myself it’s only because I have participated in the conversation as it developed. I didn’t know that wasn’t allowed.

Flashingbeacon · 13/12/2018 10:03

Not strictly the subject of the thread but I can heartily recommend a Christmas dinner in summer. We do one and people give you funny looks, but when you say they are welcome to come suddenly you have a full table.