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?

starzig Christmas food in our house is a bit better than meat and potatoes. If that’s what you think constitutes Christmas dinner/lunch perhaps you have been doing it wrong?

I'm thinking of doing barbecue ribs, wedges, onion rings, salad and warm rolls. With maybe some sausages or breaded chicken for the DSs. They will eat bits of a roast dinner sometimes but not on Christmas Day when they're so excited. Not 100% sure yet. I'd be happy with a little Christmassy buffet but DH likes a hot meal. I'm sure there'll be plenty of chances to get a roast over Christmas. Trouble is I LOVE all the crazy extra trimmings but DH is not fussed about anything except the meat. So I either waste a load of time and money making myself 10 side dishes or I sadly eat a standard, school dinner roast on Christmas Day. I'd rather have something else to be honest!

We never have a proper Christmas dinner. It's just me, dh and Dd. I don't eat meat. In the past dh and Dd have taken it in turns to choose - normally steak, duck, etc. I've always cheated and got most things prepped. Last year we went out with fiends for a curry and will do the same again.

I enjoy cooking most of the rest of the year but in Christmas Day I just want to relax and enjoy myself. I want to have a drink without worrying about having to be able to produce a special meal to perfection. When Dd was small I wanted to spend time with her playing with her new toys and don't be in the kitchen.

So we don't do proper Christmas dinner and we've never missed it.

Definitely won’t be buying sushi! It’s a bit of a tradition (not and Xmas one) and I’ve been making it for years but since having children have rarely done it. It is the best when home made properly!

I KNOW it is absolutely NONE of my business and each family has to do what works best for them, but honestly some of the meals proposed on here make me feel a bit sad.

As for the person laughing at the notion of making memories - it largely does come down to that for me. I have wonderful memories of us all crowding into my grandparents house for traditional christmas dinner and yes we had toys to play with and no that particular dinner may not have been my favourite. But I remember the bustle and excitement of the grown ups - grandad carving the turkey etc.

My dh grew up in a house where there was none of that, he thinks he may have had turkey once but they had regular dinners it seems. He is now the biggest fan of our traditions of the full works every year. He really loves it and even though I do most of the cooking, I like to cook and it makes me happy to see him and dd and our extended family happy together and enjoying that particular meal which we only ever cook on that one day per year.

We do lots of roasts throughout the year but never the same as a christmas day dinner

I really should qualify what I said above by saying I get the special meals of beef wellington, or duck, or goose etc but I just don't get the pizzas and nuggets

One year I made Peking duck, it was lush but DS2 came home as a surprise and moaned about it.

DH is considering making boeuf bourguignon, not sure what I'm having yet (pescetarian). We've got friends with us for Christmas Day, so we're aiming at something relatively low key so we can spend time with them rather than being in the kitchen.

Before this thread I had no idea that any take away places were open on Christmas day!

Many people of different religions own restaurants

Well not everybody has Christmas so they open i think our local takeaway is opening in the evening but not doing deliveries.

@unreasonablypissedoff I couldn’t agree more. Nothing special about fish fingers, christmas dinner to me should be special. Otherwise it’s just another day.

I agree with the fish finger comment. I just don’t get why you wouldn’t want to do something special for Christmas. Doesn’t have to be a roast but something better than pizza and fish fingers.

I think the comments about fish Fingers, are like my comment about nuggets. It's my two year olds favourite, so it's special to her. I won't be having them (ok, maybe just 1 if I bother making them fresh)

We’re doing this this year OP, I’m the only one in the house that likes a full on toast so I’ve said sod it im not doing it just for me. The kids are all having pizza and chicken tenders, DH and I are having steak and chips.
I’m quite looking forward to it actually!

DS1 is a very fussy eater and has never eaten a roast. He has had chicken Christmas trees (from m&s ) for years.
DS2 loves a roast, so he, DH and I will have a mini one with enough leftover turkey for sandwiches. There'll also be a gammon cooked for Christmas Eve. As children my Mum and Dad hated turkey, so we had steak or Beef or Roast lamb. The important thing was always the nicely set table, crackers and that everyone (cook included) had a nice time.

I don't know what it is but I couldn't do Xmas without a big hearty cooked meal.

Be that nut roast and roasted veg.

Lamb shanks and colcannon mash.

Steak with blue cheese sauce, asparagus and roasted tomatoes.

Beef roast.

Chicken pot pie with mashed carrots and swede and plenty of peas

Honey glazed salmon with mash and veg

A big cheesy creamy fish pie

It doesn't bother me if its paleo, keto, veggie, vegan, traditional, untraditional, pescatarian, dairy free, etc. Etc. And many years it has been catered to one or many of those.

What does matter is the sitting down and enjoying a hearty special meal pulling crackers and playing table games and shaking boxes to guess what's in the present! What matters is fun and family!

I couldn't tell you what meat we ate what year or even if it was all veggie, I literally don't give a shit can't remember but every year has been special with family.

Until my ex isolated me from mine due to abuse etc. I didn't realise just how important that was.

He always cooked a perfect Xmas dinner. Which we ate alone in misery.

This year I will be mulling everything in site, filling things with mince meat and hanging tinsel from everything going. & if my k

Sorry that was meant to say if my kids will eat nothing but fishfingers or pizza I will use a Xmas cutter to make them festive shapes!

No you don't, or go for an easy option like a cooked from frozen stuffed rolled joint (have nice looking ones in Aldi), frozen roasted potatoes are a good compromise too for ease. If I was in your situation I would buy a couple of beef Wellingtons or similar for us and chipolatas/pigs in blankets for the kids plus veg so a proper meal but not turkey.

Should have added, our local Indian is advertising a Christmas extravaganza complete with kids entertainment upstairs whilst parents sit over their meal and drinks - no idea who the entertainer is but thought it was a nice idea I might have gone for with small kids

I invite a friend over for Christmas Eve and cook what we want. Duck usually. Christmas Day I spend on my own, eating leftovers. Wouldn’t waste time cooking turkey which is horrible even if I were feeding 20.

I should add my family are joining us boxing day, we are having cold meat and mash with pickles and bread which the kids all love.
So we have turkey, beef and I make a ham for that. That’s when we make our memories with all the family eating together and playing games.