One of our Christmas guests is vegetarian and only just told us

[AnnaleeP]

Christmas this year is just me and DH and a couple of close friends. When we invited them they said they had a friend coming to stay, would it be OK for them to come too? We said yes, that was 6 weeks ago. Since then we've sorted out what they're bringing food-wise.

Tonight DH gets a text 'will there be room for a tray of vegetarian sausages to go in the oven?' Errrr if the extra guest is vegetarian the time to mention this was 6 bloody weeks ago. I'd like to be able to serve the poor lady something a bit nicer than freaking Linda McCartney sausages for Xmas lunch so now we have to rethink what we were planning on serving. Obviously the vegetables with the main meal are OK but the starter was going to be fish and meat and there's quite a lot of meat involved in the main obvs. I'll have to make veggie gravy and different roasties for her. I dunno what to do for the main. DH is trying to get some answers out of them but so far it's 'oh don't go to any trouble, she'll just have sausages' - she's not having freaking sausages! Just tell me what she wants and I'll make it! Is it me? I'm just trying to be hospitable to someone I've never met, it's bloody Xmas.

Oh and M&S do ready made veggie gravy which is handy!

I would stick to the sausages, she obviously likes them and is happy with that.

Buy some mushroom pate so Have with nice bread for starter

Bisto gravy

Sorted

Just tried to find a picture of the chestnut and cranberry ring and found this blog of the same recipe, but as a ring or a loaf. It's got some pretty pictures

thesnailgarden-myrecipes.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/chestnut-and-cranberry-festive-ring-or.html?m=1

I love cauldron veggie sausages.

I also hate putting people to any trouble.

If she's happy with veggie sausages, veg and potatoes let her have them!

Aldi also do mini breaded camemberts, which I serve as a starter with cranberry and port sauce.

My niece is vegetarian and I found plenty of things in Waitrose that I could heat up at the same time as doing the lsat bits of the Christmas lunch. It really was not a problem.

Linda McCartney sausages are actually really good with roasts... have a different texture to meat sausages so can see why she wants them. I'm veggie and I'm just not having turkey and having everything else instead. I just have my own veggie gravy (granules) made in a mug and eat the same goose fat roasties as everyone else.

Sorry I think your reaction is exactly what they were hoping to prevent by NOT telling you 6 weeks ago. It's actually rather unpleasant, as someone with particular dietary needs, to see a kind good-hearted host flapping around getting stressed trying to get something lovely prepared for your special diet at the same time as the main thing. If you could just graciously make space in the oven for the thing that she is bringing, and let her know which of the sides are veggie and which aren't (eg if sprouts have bacon tossed with them) that is all she wants and what will be the kindest and most welcoming thing to do. If it were me being your vehhie guest, then you rejecting this simplicity and making a huge song and dance over changing everything at the last minute as outlined in you op would quite spoil my Christmas as well as spoiling yours, so fgs please calm down and let her eat sausages.

Veggie pate / melon / goats cheese to start

Ready made something for main to go with the rest of what you are having. Are you near a "Cook". They do amazing "home made" stuff.

Did not know bisto red was veggie! You live and learn eh. We do have some vegetable s stuff in anyway.

So we've had a quick phone conference and it turns out the sausages were politeness. Starters are now aubergine parmagiana which we eat occasionally anyway and I can make those in advance. Is there such a thing as vegetarian pate? As we were going to have pate and crackers to keep us going until dinner.

Main course I like the idea of a veggie Wellington or something I can put together on Saturday. Will have a think about that. And everything else should be OK I reckon. Panic over! Good job we haven't already bought the food :D

Rollmeover - so there IS veggie pate? Good to know!

Most supermarkets will have a veggie pate or two. Very nice they are as well.

What mirokarikovo said.
I'm also veggie and hate going to peoples houses for that exact reason, don't want a fuss to be made. I'm also having veggie sausages for Christmas dinner!! I think they will be so grateful if you just make the sausages and they can have the veg.

miro but it's Christmas Day, the OP doesn't want to give a guest bloody sausages for Xmas lunch and I don't blame her.

It's bloody rude not to tell a host about your dietry requirements. Or if she genuinely forgot, she could have said "don't worry at all, I will bring everything I need, it will just need 20 mins in the oven". Mentioning she's bringing sausages just puts the host in a not very nice position.

Giver her what she has asked for and stop being hysterical.

Theres no way I would change my menu other than provide a veggie starter, a tin of soup 50p, she brings her sausages, job done

You are overthinking this and making yourself miserable

Waitrose sells various veggie pates.

Mushroom
Butternut squash and red pepper
Aubergine and feta

autumn a fuss wouldn't be made if the guest gives the host plenty of notice. Non vegetarians don't mind AT ALL making veggie food as long as they know a bit in advance.

Mushroom pate is very nice!

Make vege roast potatoes. Don't use same utensils for meat and veg or for meat-eater food and vege-food. Vege sausages will be fine. As a vegetarian, goat's cheese is the last thing I'd want, and I wouldn't want to cause any trouble.

Check that pudding is suitable for vegetarians - if it is it will say so.
Wine bottles are sometimes labelled suitable for veges, so it might be an idea to have some just in case. Same with cheese.

Waitrose do an ok mushroom one. Also a butternut squash one, but the mushroom one is better.

MissJSays. FFS. It's no fucking wonder people get confused when muppets like you say 'I'm vegetarian...I eat the same goose fat roasted potatoes as everyone else*. Stop saying you're vegetarian, you're not.

My eldest is veggie. She would much prefer Linda McCartney sausages to anything cooked specially. She just helps herself to the veg and hates anyone making a fuss as she feels a real pressure to eat it even if she doesn't like it. Starters she would be happy with melon.

I went round to have dinner with some family friends of DH's family and they wouldn't stop mentioning that I was veggie the whole night and made it into a really big thing - made me very uncomfortable.

Just go with what she's suggested and relax - you'll all enjoy it more!

I hated nut roasts, etc, when I was veggie and would have been happier with the sausages too.

Bit of Bisto gravy (red cardboard tub, not the glass jar), potatoes roasted in oil and a couple of yorkshires (frozen ones would do if you use fat in yours) and I'd have been quite happy. You could do it all on the same oven tray.

As for a starter, I love the sound of breaded cheese or you could even just heat some pre-packed onion bhajis or samosas, it doesn't have to be a big deal.

I changed my plans to accommodate a veggie. Turns out she would have been fine with the salmon and goose fat roaties... In face everything except turkey.

MissJ If you eat the fat from dead geese you are not vegetarian. As Annie said- just stop it.