What alternatives have you had for your Christmas dinner?

We did a finger buffet last year. We cooked and sliced the meats (gammon, turkey, chicken and beef) and the stuffing, on Christmas Eve, then just threw the last bits together on the table (baps cut and buttered, cheese/pate opened and covered, meats were too etc).

It was great as we could just crack on and get what we wanted as and when we felt like it. The only additions we had to make that day were the cups of tea/coffee/hot chocolate etc.

I love a traditional turkey dinner - but thoroughly resent being effectively 'told' (via tradition) that I 'should' prepare and eat it on a specific date. I'd rather try and nab a bargain turkey on Boxing Day, stick it in the freezer and then cook it whenever I want!
So … for the past few years, we've had a seafood feast. It's luxurious, requires little prep and though filling, isn't too heavy. Think smoked salmon, brown shrimp, prawns, shell-on crevettes, langoustines, dressed crab, crayfish tails, fresh anchovies, salmon mousse, mackerel and whatever other seafoody things most supermarkets get in for Xmas. Accompanied by buttered new potatoes, really naice crusty bread, aioli, a green salad. We'd very rarely buy that stuff at other times - and a lot of it simply isn't available unless you have a fishmonger (who does?) or a very 'posh' supermarket close by so it really does feel like a treat.

We have had a few non-traditional Xmas dinners. Mix of people who don't like/aren't keen/bothered about a proper Xmas lunch, or parts of. The one that (I think) went down particularly well was a Moroccan meal instead. Consisted of two main tagines - one meat, one veggie - and about 6 side dishes. Everyone enjoyed it, but I must say it made me more stressed than I think a roast would've! Lots of dishes to time, although certain vegetable dishes could be prepared the day before. Well worth it I think, despite a mini-breakdown when the lid of one of the mains got stuck solid!

I’d miss the leftovers which is frankly the best bit...

Definitely agree with that Peridot! I do miss the leftovers probably more than I miss the traditional roast when I don't have it. In fact I'm probably the only one who would prefer to have the usual Xmas turkey roast. As lovely as the alternatives that we have had are, I would personally prefer the whole she-bang if I'm honest. Very fond memories of the turkey stew & dumplings my mother always used to make with the leftovers, and I always made it too.

We've had alternatives much more often than we've had a traditional turkey.
We used to go out with the family for a Chinese meal on Christmas Day when our kids were small. Too much hassle for us to cook and too many problems getting everyone to MIL and FIL house. It was excellent. MIL is a great cook and loves to feed us all but I could tell she was relieved at not having to cater.
Lamb curry is a regular.

We do Christmas Day by ourselves now and usually have rack of lamb. Family come on Boxing Day and we usually have curry.
No one has ever complained about the lack of tradition.

We had 'foot long hotdogs' at Disneyworld Florida for our Christmas dinner.
15 years on our children still say it was the best Christmas dinner ever.

We've had fondue a couple of times, feels Christmassy but very little preparation

I love Christmas dinner because I enjoy a roast and it feels traditional. Having said that a lot of the alternative meals mentioned here feel really special and celebratory, which is all that really counts.

My mum and I have a tradition. We never eat the same meat again. So after a few years we ran out of conventional, all the birds, all the game... we moved onto kangaroo, ostrich, crocodile, buffalo, moose, camel etc. Makes xmas a laugh as we always get asked what we're having this year. I remember one year we had Aberdeen Angus steak dinner.
Last year we had turkey and hated it with a passion so we'll be back to weird and wonderful again this year.

@HerondaleDucks so have you decided what's left to have this year yet? Sounds like a great tradition! Any disasters where you felt you'd made a mistake and wished you'd chosen something else, or has it always turned out well?

Like a PP, we have our big roast (2-3 meats, 6+ veggie dishes, yorkies, pigs in blankets, stuffing) on Christmas Eve. Then on Christmas day DH makes his amazing bubble and squeak and we have that with meat and gravy. DD doesn't like roast dinner so last year she had pasta and pesto!

Crusty rolls filled with cheese and marmite eaten on the beach while the dog ran round like a lunatic. Years ago but one of the best

Although I do cook a turkey crown, that's mainly for sandwiches after Christmas Day. For Christmas lunch I have a few dishes I make - sometimes roast lamb / pheasant/ duck/goose, sometimes a pork dish I've developed from another recipe. I like the sort of meals where the bulk can be prepared the day before and just bunged in the oven on Christmas Day. I tend to do a meal that goes with the usual trimmings as one or two of our guests like the tradition of a roast. I usually make a good soup to start and though dessert usually includes Christmas pudding, it tends to be accompanied by a homemade ice cream, rather than custard.
I am determined though, that one year I'm going to order in a huge Indian or Chinese takeaway the night before and have that for lunch.

One year we had a Chinese - didn’t feel right and have never repeated it
I always do a roast with lots of veg but never turkey
Last year was lamb and chicken

We regularly have Venison casserole with chesnuts. And one year we even watched 'Bambi' whilst eating the casserole.
Our in laws never came back. Mission accomplished!

Would love to do the seafood feast - sounds amazing to me- but wouldn’t suit DH and MIL.
As I say we’re doing afternoon tea. Plan is to still do a piece of roast pork with cracking and have in sandwiches with stuffing and apple sauce when family arrive around 11.
3.30 Afternoon tea- champagne/ tea. Sandwiches- hm egg mayo and smoked salmon.
Mini Sausage rolls and Brie/ cranberry tartlets (stolen from this thread- fab idea!)
Scones with jam and clotted cream. Made festive- maybe cranberry scones and naice jam.
Mince pies/ Christmas cake with Wensleydale/ Chocolate stollen bites/ mini Yule logs
Fall over

We had goose instead of turkey the other year and it was much nicer I thought. I know a family who have a takeaway on Xmas day and then go out for Xmas dinner on boxing day when it's much cheaper.

A curry in a beach bar in Goa

BBQ (even though we are in the UK ) - had to ask around friends and family to get enough charcoal because no one sells it at Christmas.

We never have Christmas dinner we have an all day buffet of luxury foods that we don't normally have along with some old favourites.

In our last house the oven was too small for my DH to make the feast he normally lays on, so for four glorious years we had Christmas lunch at a local Indian restaurant.

You could have curry or traditional turkey, so we'd have curry (I'm not a fan of turkey anyway). Starter, main, rice naan and a desert all for £28 each, and the kids were half price. It was such a bargain.

We moved house last year and now have a bigger oven, but I miss the curry actually. It was heaven not to have to cook, or wash up and have the day just to potter and enjoy.

@Sparklingbrook that's exactly what we do

I'm very jealous reading some of the replies.

We usually spend Xmas day with DH's family. Traditional roast with just about every additional extra that you could think of. End result - cold food by the time everything is on the table, and it's been passed around to everyone. Followed by lots of clearing up/washing up. 😡 Personally, I would prefer that everyone does their own roast Xmas eve, then we all just have a buffet, and a more relaxing time on Xmas day. Maybe one day 🤞🤞🤞

One year we had egg, chips and bread and butter. With Champagne.
It was lush.

I feel like having fajitas this year.