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.

Can I suggest a great vegetarian gravy recipe that's not Bisto gravy granules (yuck and watery): vegetable or sunflower oil heated up, add few tbsps of flour to a paste, add water gradually to make a gravy consistency, then add several large tsp of marmite, heat until thickened. Add sauteed onion if you want to make an onion gravy.

ps this is not necessarily for the op but for anyone wanting to host for a veggie guest who has time.

I think the OP just sounds eager to make sure her veggie guest has a special Christmas dinner!

I wonder if the reasons that friends didn't mention the lady was vegetarian until 3 days before Xmas was precisely to try and circumvent what is happening on this thread.

apart from adding mushroom pate/melon/veg soup as starter

and m&s veggie main meal, she can have everything else you do, make sure tats in oil and veg

you are overthinking this, but prob as its your friends friend

tho i would be screwed as a veggie as hate mushrooms and all starters/mains in festive meals seem to be mushroom -slime based

I think, like a lot of veggies, part of being vegetarian is actually liking vegetables. A d Christmas is bloody brilliant for having a plate full of lovely veg.
I'd hate it if someone insisted on getting me some fancy but roast Wellington. All I want is a plate piled high in sprouts, roast parsnips, peas, veg stuffing etc. Yum

When I was a veggie I rarely ate veggies... I would have scoffed the processed food instead. I have known a lot of veggies like me.

MIL used to buy ready meal things for me (as the veggie). I know she was trying hard to be what she thought was a proper host, but it was so bewildering. I was happy with much simpler fare.

Ah llijkk - were you perhaps a teenage veggie?

I'm sure she does squoosh. But the person has said that's all she wants is veggie sausages and to come to the gathering.

I really like to cook but I also like people to be happy. Making a palaver about catering for a guest's special needs, which really aren't that special - she's only vegetarian - is risking making the guest some kind of special person at the event, which I'm sure the guest or the OP doesn't want.

Ah scrap that - just noticed you put MiL!

Whoa tough room tonight. I think you are a lovely host OP and doing your utmost to ensure the comfort of your guest. I think it's actually a bit rude of these guests to withhold the info then spring it last minute saying 'oh don't make a fuss or go to any bother I'll bring my own.' It smacks of condescension and is also a bit martyrish, it suggests the host can't possibly cope with making one extra main dish and setting aside some of the sides prepared for a vegetarian. Christmas dinner IS already a fuss and bother, it's supposed to be because it's a special occasion and good hosts want it to be equally special for everyone.

Limited, have you RTFT? OP has updated... So we've had a quick phone conference and it turns out the sausages were politeness.

Rather than 'making a meal of it', the OP is trying to be a considerate host and give all her guests a lovely Christmas meal. Quite why she's coming in for stick is beyond me.

Tesco own vegetable gravy granules (green tub) are nice, we prefer them to bisto

PavlovianLunge I did RTFT. I don't understand why the OP wants to change her entire menu to cater for one person when that person hasn't said she wants her to.

The vegetarian is not the one who's being difficult but I bet when all the meat eaters get presented with the hostess's non-meat meal on xmas day she'll get the blame.

You sound a lovely host. I make a kind of tarte tatin as a main. Just caremalise some onions and pop a round of pastry on top before baking. You could do it beforehand and even add a slice of goat cheese. Goes well with all the trimmings.

limited, I read it that the veggie dish would be as well as, not instead of meat. I don't know, and of course this is AIBU, but it just seems to me that the OP is being taken to task, when her intentions - and the likely outcome, in my opinion - are good.

Vegetarians are not exotic creatures.

Only in MN would someone be lambasted for trying to be a nice host and NOT serve someone cardboard veggie sausages to her Christmas Day guest 😂

And yes I have tasted them and they are like fucking cardboard. Despite having two vegetarians for lunch on Xmas day, as host, I'd rather not serve them cardboard sausages even if they say they like them. It's not up to the guest to tell the host what to cook.

Excuse typos!

I'm not a veggie but I often have to cook for them and quorn "chicken" fillets are actually quite nice if they are braised in the oven with gravy. I usually throw some sliced onion and peppers in too if I want to make a "chicken" casserole for them.

Quorn tastes like cardboard too 😂

In general I would absolutely agree, but the fillets are really ok. They soak up the flavour and do taste good. On their own they would be yuk.

I grew up in a household which was very meat-eating, but I never knew about goose fat roasties until years after I left home. They were always done in vegetable oil.

I personally would prefer veggie sausagea to anything else - but as she's said she doesn't, please use a protein sustitute not vegetable Wellington (because it's basically just veg in pastry). Nut roast or similar protein seasonal food would be fab. Sainsbury's and waitrose both have good options right now.

I would agree with those who say do all roasts in vegetable oil (or trex or white flora), then you don't have to keep anything separate. Do them on different shelves though.

We had a dinner guest who told us she was a vegetarian.

Just as I was putting her bowl of chicken soup in front of her. You would think someone would have thought to mention it when the invitations were extended.

That dinner party sure was fun I think she consumed all of one boiled potato, then went outside for a smoke.

Not helpful to OP, I know...

And bisto red granules in the cardboard tube - use the boiled veg water to make it.
And it is really tasty gravy, so why not just use it for everyone rather than having two types