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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Boxing Day food

120 replies

wintersdawn · 16/12/2014 22:50

Help settle an argument please. Would you cook a full roast beef dinner on Boxing Day?

My DH family does this and in the past I've accepted it as the years it's been with them I've cooked Christmas Day and we've gone to the inlaws on Boxing Day and she's done a roast beef then. However this year we are hosting both days and I've just commented whilst planning the food needed for the two days how nice it'll be not to have two roasts in a row as we can do cold meat and chips on Boxing Day this year.

Needless to say DH has just thrown an almighty strop at the suggestion and can not understand why I would possibly not want to continue what his mum does!

I can't be the only one who finds this odd?.

OP posts:
LadyLuck10 · 16/12/2014 23:19

Boxing Day is for leftovers and relaxing. Tell him to sort out the food if he feels otherwise.

frankie001 · 16/12/2014 23:22

My family do roast pork and beef on boxing day. I prefer it to the turkey on Christmas day!

Summerisle1 · 17/12/2014 01:05

I second whoever said that it is THE LAW that Boxing Day is for the glorious leftovers. Best meal over Christmas is the cold meat, bubble, cheeses, nibbles, cake, chocolate and the like that you forage for on Boxing Day. Doing a roast dinner would be unlawful.

Momunnymoproblems · 17/12/2014 01:34

Boxing Day is for Turkey, ham, stuffing and cranberry toasties! I look forward to those all year Grin

zukiecat · 17/12/2014 01:43

There are no leftovers in my house, I buy just enough to feed us on Christmas Day, and we never, ever eat turkey, if finances allow we have beef on the 25th and if they don't allow, then we just have chicken.

I do agree that your husband should do the cooking but I'd love to have a roast two days running!

It's usually back to normal food here on Boxing Day, and something inexpensive like beans on toast for my DDs.

Threeplus1 · 17/12/2014 02:03

Definitely only leftovers!

CheeseBuster · 17/12/2014 02:41

Wouldn't it be cheaper to spend an extra £5 on xmas meal and then have leftovers boxing day zukie?

StarbuckGalactica · 17/12/2014 02:54

Leftovers, end of discussion.

LucidCamel · 17/12/2014 02:55

I am going to be cooking for the next three weeks continuously for assorted extended family who will be coming and going at different times with dietary needs ranging from bottomless carnivore teenagers to vegan in laws to toddlers. MIL and I have constructed an excel spreadsheet with shopping lists and timetables, and have been working on this for weeks, clearing freezer space, booking delivery slots etc.

I say all this for context, because I had to go and check what our excel spreadsheet says to be sure I was remembering right.

Dinner on boxing day is "leftovers".

LaRaclette · 17/12/2014 04:36

Sorry if I'm going out on a limb, but why is it such a big deal to have another roast if you are entertaining this year whereas they usually entertain you? You only have to stick a piece of meat in the oven for a set amount of time, let it rest and get DH to carve (the only vaguely tricky bit). You could recycle some veg if you can't be bothered to make too many more, and do something easy like dauphinoise potatoes instead of roast. How hard can it be? It's probably as easy as making a curry.

Or you could always save time and buy ready prepared veg/dauphinoise from one of the supermarkets and just stick it in your own dishes. Or even buy ready made beef wellingtons, which would be even easier.

I would be embarrassed to just serve leftovers to my invited guests for the whole of the next TBH. It's not worth falling out with the family over

madwomanbackintheattic · 17/12/2014 05:01

Christmas pot pie.

All leftovers (turkey, roasties, pigs in blankets, sprouts, carrots, parsnips, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, absolutely everything) get chopped up and mixed up in a huge pie dish, and you put a pastry lid on. Preferably frozen pastry out of a box.

You can have mash with it.

But christmas pie is the law on Boxing Day here.

The only new ingredient is extra gravy if you need it.

Beef? Nope.

Mehitabel6 · 17/12/2014 06:10

Leftovers. I love the Boxing Day meal of cold turkey, gammon, stuffing, cold veg, salads, chutney etc with jacket potatoes. One of the best meals of Christmas. I really wouldn't want another roast after just having had the biggest one if the year!
Do it your way! Apart from anything else it is really easy.
If DH is having a strop tell him that he can have his roast, but he needs to do it, you are not going in the kitchen- it is all his. Simple.

Mehitabel6 · 17/12/2014 06:15

Why are you assuming OP has to do it while DH carves, LaRaclette - if it is only 'sticking a bit of meat in the oven' he can do it.
What do you do with the left overs if you are 'embarrassed to serve them'?
Given the choice I prefer the leftovers to the Christmas dinner!

hoppus · 17/12/2014 06:16

Boxing day is for snacky easy food, sandwiches with leftover turkey, etc. If you are cooking it you get to choose imo!

Mehitabel6 · 17/12/2014 06:17

He could actually do it if it wasn't simple- there is no reason why a woman can cook and a man is incapable!

MrsGeorgeMichael · 17/12/2014 06:21

Are we the only ones who deliberately cook extra on Christmas day to make sure there is plenty of leftovers? :) Chips or Roast potatoes will be the only thing cooked on Boxing Day - yeah! I always think Boxing Day tastes better than Christmas Day!

Agree with others. If he wants to serve Roast Beef well then he cooks it. I would be going out during prep time and rock up when it is due to be served. Unless of course he does the cooking the rest of the time but it sounds as if he doesn't!

drinkyourmilk · 17/12/2014 06:22

We have turkey and gammon christmas day. On boxing day we stick a joint of beef in and have that with leftovers (bubble and squeak) from the previous day.

violetbunny · 17/12/2014 06:22

Leftovers or he cooks. How old is he - twelve? Confused

fidgetywidget · 17/12/2014 06:29

Boxing day meal was always my favourite (it even trumped roast Turkey dinner!)
It usually consisted of cold meat (turkey, ham, sausagemeat), various types of salads, pickles, cheese & warm crusty bread. I do get bored of roast dinner if I have it too often though.
I think if you're hosting it's your choice of menu, Xmas leftovers are not embarrassing as long as they don't go to waste.
If my dh desperately wanted a second roast he could bloomin-well cook it! (Though I'd probably also have to write him a timetable, he's yet another one who is perfectly capable but claims he "can't" cook)

Chottie · 17/12/2014 06:35

Definitely left over with salads and saute potatoes. We usually have turkey soup too.

Mehitabel6 · 17/12/2014 06:37

You are not the only one MrsGeorgeMichael - the first year we went out for Christmas Dinner I was really upset not to have leftovers so that on any other occasion I have cooked a turkey so that we can have my Boxing Day meal!
I then go in to turkey pie, turkey curry etc ending up with turkey soup.
I am still astounded about the comment about being embarrassed to serve leftovers to guests!

PiperIsTerrysChoclateOrange · 17/12/2014 06:38

Boxing Day is for leftover and crap.

LaRaclette · 17/12/2014 06:39

Mehitabel 6 - we have a roast goose, so there are very few leftovers anyway, but I also like to treat my dogs and cats at Christmas and they are more than happy to help out!

I don't think there's anything wrong in recycling a few veg or anything else that is left over, but I wouldn't just serve leftovers and nothing else - maybe OP should serve individual steaks if the rest of the family wants beef and she doesn't fancy another roast.

Mehitabel6 · 17/12/2014 06:43

Why should OP serve it- is her DH incapable?

Mehitabel6 · 17/12/2014 06:44

There is excuse if you don't have enough. I just make sure that I have enough so that I don't miss my favourite meal of the year.