To not cook a traditional roast on Sunday?

[Lolo37]

We have friends coming for lunch on Sunday and I don't feel like spending all morning preparing a roast. Do you think they would expect a roast or is something else ok? Haven't thought of other options yet but relatively effort free would be good! What do you all think?

I don't know anybody who "expects" a roast on a Sunday. Make something easy you can bung in the oven and serve with rice/couscous and a salad.

Roasts take me ages. I don't know why. I prefer to cook one during the week than on the weekend.

Just wanted to point out that you can easily make a delicious vegan roast dinner - most of the trimmings are already vegan, or can be with a tweak. The hard part is making the nut roast!
For anyone who normally does roast potatoes in goose fat a few spoons of coconut oil (solidified, from a jar) makes them nice and crispy.

That aside OP, I don't think you should feel obliged to make a roast dinner at all. I like PPs suggestion of a 'picky lunch' where everyone can help themselves. If you want to do a hot dish a one pot curry with poppadoms, naan breads, rice and samosasas is a good lunch with friends. Far less to wash up too.

I would be expecting one because it's Sunday but if you didn't make one I'd not be fussed or find it odd.

Out of interest, I timed my time in the kitchen making a roast yesterday.

40 mins. A pressure cooked then glazed ham. Roast and mashed potatoes. 4 veg. All from scratch with fresh veg. It took 2 hours but for 1 1/3 hours I was sat in the family room with a glass of wine.

most of the trimmings are already vegan

brussel sprouts cooked in the ham water and fried with lardons
roast potatoes in goose fat
mashed spuds with butter and milk
parsnips, roasted then finished with maple syrup and butter

Mmmmmmm.

I haven't RTFT but god, save yourself hours - if a roast there must be, then chuck it in the slow cooker with some veg, go neck some wine, and stick your feet up with Judge Judy all afternoon. Maybe shove a tray of spuds in later. Et voila. If they cry over your dinner, tip it over their heads, politely open the door, and return to wine/JJ.

All these people having roast and mashed potatoes. Am I missing trick here? And no mentions of cauliflower cheese? We're all about the cauliflower (and broccoli) cheese in this family

Roast and mash are both obligatory. I don't understand cauliflower cheese with a roast. What about the gravy?? Surely cheese sauce and gravy is a no?

Oh Haint you remind me - at the risk of scandalising three fourths of MN, we have just discovered bags of frozen cauliflower cheese that you bung in the oven and roast. I am not going to lie - that stuff is magical. Well, to us grown ups. The PFB's standards are waaaaaay too high to even contemplate such freezer-vomited rubbish. Anyway, goes lovely with a Sunday roast.

Yes, you're missing a trick. One kind of spuds? Bah!

I realised DH was a keeper with his signature dish of hasselback potato topped with mash and gammon steak. Because it was many decades ago, there was even a pineapple ring with a glace cherry on top of the gammon.

ps.

@ForTheSakeOfFuck

I realise you're American but a roast cannot be done in a slow cooker. A roast needs to be.... roasted (broiled y'all).

MyNunsMet I have a veeeeeery loose definition of "roast". Also a very loose definition of "home-made". And "not really burnt". Cooking is NOT my forté.

Off topic but have just eaten my roast dinner - lovely roast pork, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, yorkshires, apple sauce, roast potatoes and creamed potatoes (well, mashed potatoes made with butter AND milk), and homemade gravy. 3 Tesco chocolate truffles for afters

Wait. People make mash without both butter and milk?

...

What kind of monsters ARE they??

Fuck I'm doing Slimming World, and some people in my class do mash without either I'd rather have the good stuff and cut down on the chocolate!

without both butter and milk?

Of course. I was dairy free for many years.

Personally I have to have food which requires gravy on it on a Sunday

madein1995 Agreed. I would far rather one tiny forkful of full-fat, full-cheese, full-calories anything than ten forkfuls of the pretend stuff. [boak]

LisaC7 Cornflakes with gravy is an excellent way to start your Sunday.

Lisa - or bread. Best if slightly stale. 5 secs in the microwave, dip it in gravy and enjoy.

My husband is a roast-a-holic! I have cut back and we now eat out once a month, a cook a roast twice a month and one Sunday we have just have a "normal" meal in the evening - Thai curry/lasagne/fish.
Today was a roast day and we've had roast lamb, roast potatoes and parsnips, cauliflower cheese with a crumb topping, kale, carrots, Yorkshire puddings and gravy and a glass of wine and it was divine! Yorkshires/gravy and caulifower cheese made from scratch so spent about 2 hours cooking this morning but worth every second!
I do feel really satisfied seeing everyone enjoy their roast!

Mash with coconut milk.

Brussels sprouts roasted with garlic cloves and sea salt.

Roast potatoes with coconut oil and rosemary.

Roast parsnips and carrots in maple syrup with a dash of balsamic.

Also mmm

Does your roast taste of coconut? I detest coconut in any form so don't quite get what this would taste like (and secretly hope no one feeds me coconut roast).

Also mmm

Maybe 'm' or 'mm' but no way 'mmm'.

My roast is in the oven and I can't wait for the oven pinger to ping! We're having roast chicken, roast potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, cauliflower & broccoli cheese, red cabbage, carrots, gravy. Plum crumble and custard for dessert.

MyNunsMet trust me it's delicious modest but we all have different tastes!

Anoise it's strange but it really doesn't end up tasting of coconut - I also dislike coconut as a fruit on its own. The potatoes taste of rosemary more than anything. However you can buy 'flavourless' coconut oil in liquid form (Asda has an own brand one). Coconut oil has a higher smoke point than both olive oil and sunflower oil. I was sceptical at first when introduced to it by my (meat eating) sister, but now it's a staple I've never had better roast potatoes.

As for the mash, it just helps it become creamier. I try to avoid margarine, so it basically does the job instead. Sometimes I roast a bulb of garlic and mash that in to get it to have a creamier consistency as well.