To not cook a proper Christmas dinner?

[littlemisssunshine81]

Christmas Day is just me, DH and DC. DC are all under 5 and would probably appreciate fish fingers way more than a roast with stuffing etc. Last year I cooked the whole shebang then was annoyed as it was a lot of effort that wasn’t really eaten by DC and then DH and I spent the rest of the week trying to eat it all so as not to waste it. Just all seems a bit daft to me so this year I’m quite tempted to do a nice steak for me and DH and let the kids have whatever they want. Unreasonable?

Of course you should cook what you want and enjoy, personally I love the traditional turkey meal and don’t find cooking it a hassle and all our family enjoys eating it, but if it doesn’t suit you then don’t do it.

DD hates roasts, so I am doing lasagne - therefore no food stress.

No guests though, so that's easy.

And there was me thinking everyone did a traditional dinner every year . I do love a proper Xmas roast and I love the whole setting up the table with crackers and napkins etc (not that we EVER) use napkins the other 364 days of the year...DH has actually requested sushi of all things which I’m not averse to but it’s also a lot of work!

One year my dh and I were on our own as my dps were away and his were at another of their dc. We have no dc. We had steak with all the trimmings and when finishedloaded our new dishwasher (1st christmas with one) and then went for a lie down. Total bliss

In Australia, that’s a bbq and is a perfectly valid Christmas dinner option. Me, I hear you ask? I took my charcoal Weber kettle to England with me and cooked my turkey on that.

I really could not be faffed making sushi for anyone! Far more work than a roast. Make life easy for yourself, buy some shop sushi and then cook something hassle free.

Not at all. Have an amazing day with your family

Op I'm with the others who say cook what you want

After all a turkey dinner is only traditional here, around the world Christmas dinner varies wildly from country to country

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/news/world/what-christmas-dinner-looks-like-around-the-world-a6768231.html%3famp

Also do you have a spar shop or Eurospar, they have refrigerated meals that you can get a Christmas style turkey meal with all the trimmings, I think Saintsbury's do too...why not buy a few of those in, then cook what you want for Christmas day, but you have them as a back up to throw in microwave if you and dh fancy a traditional Christmas dinner...best of both worlds

As one who has to make sushi every year as DS's birthday meal, sushi is less faff than some posters seem to think. I'd certainly count it less faff than doing a full, traditional Christmas dinner. No basting, no careful timings, no making stuffing or bread sauce or cranberry sauce or peeling spuds, prepping sprouts and carrots and making gravy.

Select fish and other ingredients in run up to Christmas. Freeze fish. Move to fridge on Christmas Eve. On the day, cook and season rice, cut fish to desired shapes, assemble sushi. In fact, given we have to travel on boxing day, sushi is looking quite attractive as Christmas dinner right now.

DH doesn't like turkey and I'm a vegetarian so we don't do the full spread either! We do like making an effort and making lunch a bit of an occasion. And there have to be roast potatoes, obviously. DD doesn't care. She'll just want to wear a sparkly dress and pull crackers.

For the last two years we've had saltimboca for Christmas lunch. This year we're having peppered steak cooked in Guiness with roast potatoes, mushrooms and something else, don't know yet. Pudding is something light. Last year was Christmas Pudding Ice Cream - may do that again this year. I can make it this weekend, beat the rush!

We aren't in the UK and there are some things we can't get here so we have always had to adapt, and actually it is really nice doing something different every year. I did make a Christmas cake several years in a row but i'm the only one who really likes it and i'd be polishing it off at Easter

As a pp we also dress nicely for Christmas Day, even if it is just a fancy new jumper or something, and trousers/skirt with elasticated waists are a must.

Cook, eat whatever you like. I think it’s nice to make it a special occasion though.

I've never cooked a Christmas dinner or hosted Christmas (handy hint for those who want to follow suit - live in a small house and stay single.) For most of my adult life, I've spent it with my parents but we have usually gone out for Christmas dinner.

I think everyone should do whatever suits them and their immediate family. But if you are the one who usually cooks and you don't want the faff of a big traditional dinner, but other family members are whining for it, point out that they will need to do the bulk of the preparation if that's what they want.

Oh and I have yet to meet a child (except vegetarians) who doesn’t love pigs in blankets. Just give your dc some of those with the usual vegetables?

Makes total sense and I’ve considered it myself but cba making them a separate meal to the adults. I have three under tens and the only time they ever appreciated Christmas dinner was when they were toddlers and ate everything. Now they’re older they push things around on their plate during a chorus of endless complaints.

I completely get what you mean if the kids don't like it but I'd feel odd dishing them up fish fingers. Can't you juts give them the parts of the roast dinner that they do like, and just do loads less than last year so you're not eating it for days.

At what age would you stop doing something different for them?

Definitely have the food you want to cook! My fiancé and I do our own Christmas the week before, before we go to our own families and we love just making all our favourite food. I think last year it was “festive” Thai curry and then lots of nibbles later. Cheese and crackers are my favourite bit of Christmas anyway!

When my DC were smaller we always just had a chicken or some lamb...now they're older and demand turkey because that's traditional. We don't over-cook either so when I read on MN about "all the leftovers" I've never understood what they meant!

I did steak for Christmas a few years ago- with all homemade coleslaw, onions rings, chips. DD was only 1 so she had a variation of what we had. It was the best Christmas dinner as neither of us are a fan of roasts

My in laws would have a heart attack if they didn’t get their traditional roast Xmas dinner but on the year they don’t come to us, I make an Italian feast that I know everyone loves - bruschetta, lasagna, garlic bread & a salad.

YANBU!

This year will be my first year ever not having a traditional Christmas dinner on Christmas day and I'm looking forward to it!

We've decided to go out for a wider family meal couple of days beforehand (a third- a half the price of Christmas day + we can go in the evening, which we prefer). I've also stopped eating animal products so cooking different things on Christmas day wasn't that appealing. We're all just going to have what we fancy...tbd.

We went out on Christmas day last year - it was expensive, too much food for me at lunchtime and we don't like day-time drinking that much (but believe me we do like to drink) so didn't want to repeat that. I've also got completely fed up with hosting. We'll still pay for the family meal but this is a step towards losing the obligation to host/pay for Christmas dinner every year for people who, to be frank, we would rather not be spending longer than an hour on Christmas day with.

DH & DC may have a very simple version of a traditional dinner (aunt B
Bessie's roast potatoes, Bisto gravy, roasted chicken breast etc more like a mid-week roast with some cranberry sauce and a chipolata!) on the day, if that's what they fancy, but we won't have to cook x,y,and z because so and so MUST have it on Christmas day (despite the fact that they have never hosted us or paid for our Christmas meal out! My people pleasing days are over!).

I've considered this before but then I thought that it's a tradition I love and if I don't do it then I'll lose it.
I tend to cook food the kids prefer pretty much every other day of the year so if they only eat pigs in blankets and carrots so be it.