To ask what you think of this xmas dinner

[Shereturnsforonemore]

Ok here goes
microwave pulled pork
frozen Brussels
frozen roast potatoes
frozen yorkshire pudding
ah bisto

Christmas pudding ( ready made) with tin custard.

drinks were a selection of beer vodka rose wine cider and soft drinks and fruit shoots

What would your reaction be ?

yanbu sounds nice
yabu yuk

Sorry I can't get over this bit

how nice this year was as there was no pressure to finish it all as it had zero effort.

"Oh Jane thank fuck you made no effort, so pleased I don't have to finish this pile of frozen oddities"

Honestly tho OP, as long as everyone had a good time who cares what the rest of us mere normals thought

As a guest I would take what was offered and be grateful about it - except for the brussels sprouts as I can't stand them!
As for whether it's frozen or fresh or whatever - my daughter and son in law served up a lovely dinner all pre-prepared and ready to shove in the oven. All delicious and enjoyed but we all had loads more fun watching the grandkids opening their presents and playing with them.
It can be so difficult to be cooking when you want to watch what is going on elsewhere - been there and done that myself. My step daughter was the same with her Mil who has early onset dementia so wanted to be able to sit with her and take her with them when they dropped into their neighbours for drinks. They all agreed - not the same but still delicious and if it makes life easier - well why not?

I would really enjoy such a meal.

Maybe you could have told your guests (if you didn't) in advance that you're not a domestic goddess, and it would not be a cooked-from-scratch traditional Christmas dinner. But people should accept a dinner graciously -or not accept the invitation at all.

I sympathize entirely as I have always had motor co-ordination difficulties that make it extremely difficult for me to cook a traditional dinner for a large number of guests. It's not only cooking the individual items; it's co-ordinating them so that they are ready and served at the right time. I am extremely anxious and fearful of people being harsh with me and blaming me for my inadequacies in this direction, and indeed suffer the same sort and level of anxiety about this that some people do about high-stakes exams.

Ungrateful OP. I strongly suggest you stay at home for all future Christmas dinners and make it yourself

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Read the thread. OP made the dinner herself.

Yabu
you were invited and hosted. Surely the company matters more than the food and the drinks selection.

Ok apologies have read the thread.
if this is what you served, I would be more than happy with that and grateful for the invite.

Follow the instructions, adjust as required, serve with tasty gravy.

Oh, and don’t behave like a patronising snob.

Microwave meat and frozen veg won't suddenly taste delicious just because you followed the instructions on the pack. What's this tasty gravy? Gravy granules? And it's not snobbish. At Christmas lots of supermarkets sell potatoes, Brussels, carrots and parsnips for 19p a pack? Cheaper and tastier than frozen. I swear the UK is the only country in the world where cooking is seen as a class issue and those who want to eat decent, real food are considered snobs.

You're really missing out. Honestly a roast is one of the easiest things to cook, and I'm not a good cook. I even learnt to do Yorkshires a couple of years ago and if I can, you can.

I love a good roast but if someone had served me a nice pasta bake or steak and chips or something for Christmas dinner I wouldn’t have cared. It’s not the type of meal I object, to it’s the amount of cheap processed food being served. Meat cooked in a microwave?! That makes me feel a little queasy.

I also managed to sit and play games and laugh with my family and serve up a home cooked meal. These aren’t mutually exclusive.

This!!!

Why do people get so stressed about cooking Christmas dinner?? There is no skill involved, the oven does all the work! If you don’t want to spend all morning in the kitchen then just do a bit of prep beforehand. It doesn’t take long to chop some veg and rub some butter on a Turkey. Trickiest thing is getting the timing right but if you work it out in advance then even that doesn’t require any brain power on the day.

When I first started cooking roasts I sat down and worked out all the timings and wrote them down. I stuck the timeline inside a kitchen cupboard. As I cooked more I’d alter the timings as I learned more. Now a good few years in I can just do it off the top of my head.

It’s not the type of meal I object, to it’s the amount of cheap processed food being served

Agree. I'd rather have really nicely cooked pasta and a homemade sauce than a third rate roast dinner.

I am baffled about the home made custard and Xmas pudding, I only know one family who would make their own and the husband is an amazing chef but I can't see why it is worth the effort of homemade. We always buy tesco finest Xmas puddings or something similar, custard is always in cartons. Also I never make Yorkshire puddings, aunt Bessie's frozen ones as the kids prefer them.

I don't find Xmas dinner particularly difficult, I am a crap cook but always cook the turkey the day before and either buy a crown or a rolled one so really easy to do. Peel, cut and par boil potatoes the day before. Veg I buy prepared or peeled veg. Makes it dead easy.

If I wasn't making it and it was being given to me I would completely appreciate it. HRTFT but that is my answer. YANBU.

I admit I usually do use a roux, so a load of olive oil heated, then flour slowly sifted in whilst stirring like mad. Once all the flour is in and cooked in the oil with no lumps (which takes about an hour as add the flour 1tsp at a time) I add a load of vegetable stock water, including some from boiling onions earlier. Also a glass of red wine, marmite, and tomato purée. If I remember I also purée the onions and add them. Allow to simmer for at least an hour, adding more stock water if needed to thin it down. Sometimes I also chuck in at the last minute the melted butter from where I’ve been simmering the carrots in butter and rosemary. The one without a roux is one my mum has promised to teach me this new year as it’s just as tasty but apparently a lot less work - if she actually shares it this year shall I share it here?!

Mmm, lovely gravy with roast potatoes done in olive oil, steamed broccoli and cabbage (or whatever side veg you prefer), and a quorn roast (or veggie roast of your choice) - vegetarians don’t have to miss out! Do the carrots in oil instead of butter and the whole meal is even vegan!

@MotherOfPuffling if you chuck butter in at the end why not make your roux with butter? Easier than olive oil . Or if vegan use non dairy spread?

@Benjispruce4 I prefer the flavour with olive oil, but my grandma used to use butter and swore by it 😊 I started using the oil because of family members with dairy intolerances (childhood issues which were outgrown in the end), but really like it.

Sounds utterly grim.

I think people who say such things must eat terrible bland food. The oven does the work? Does the oven source good food and prepare it and season and flavour it and know when its ready? Does the oven get eveything hot at the same time? What kind of dull meal are you making if it all fits on one oven and you think theure is no skill involved?

Always so many comments like that, and they are all such rubbish.

I enjoy preparing Christmas dinner. For me it’s the extras that make it special so I make cranberry sauce, bread sauce and stuffing. But I agree, it’s very easy, just takes a bit of planning and organising a few days before.

EG cranberry sauce- tip packet of fresh cranberries into a pan, add sugar , water and orange zest. Bubble and stir. Add any booze such cherry brandy or Cointreau or ginger wine. Done.