To ask if anyone else has NEVER cooked Christmas dinner

[OrtolanLBunting]

Or lunch depending on when you have the main meal.

I'm well into middle age but have never done it. Am happy to peel veg, set the table, clear away and wash up every single thing.

But cook it - never! wouldn't know where to start. And don't go saying it's just a Sunday roast cos I've never done one of those either.

Anyone else?

I never have and I'm 50 next year!
My DH or my Mum makes them. I help by drinking wine, peeling spuds and providing entertainment to the cooks.

I tend to take a back seat at the Christmas Dinner, but I do help DH with the prep etc.

He very, VERY rarely cooks week to week, but comes into his own on Christmas Day.

Have never done one completely on my own, DH and I have always done it together.

Never done it as dh does all the cooking every day always has

I do internally wince at great big adults still letting their elderly parents entirely host Christmas. Step up you should be doing it for them now.

Nope, never.

Way back in my 30s my dad - trying to encourage me - said it's the same as roasting a chicken. I've never done that either.

Can't, don't, won't cook.

Me! DH does most of the cooking and always does Xmas Dinner when we host. I have cooked roast potatoes in the past, not sure I'd even remember how to do them now. He says it's easy, a roast is one of the easiest things to cook, maybe I should ask him to teach me.

Me! I’m 52 and would not have the faintest idea. I’ve never even cooked a roast dinner.

My husband is the cook in our house.

Depending on how many people there are, it's just a big roast dinner.

Cooked a fair few of those.

I’ve never done one solo as my mum and I cook together. I prep all the veg and we generally split it over the day along with drinking lots of Sherry! My husband and dad do all the washing up and generally are our assistants!

No, only have done a semi one. No-one else is good at cooking so I do a stuffed chicken and all the actruments then collapse afterwards. I'm pescetarian. Absolutely hate handling meat.

I have never cooked any form of meat, being a lifelong vegetarian.

If OP means have I cooked a meal on 25 December then the answer is yes. Homemade pizzas were always a favourite when the DC were younger.

For those who won't cook (it is won't not can't unless you have a disability) do other people cook for you or do you just eat ready meals?

In fairness I find cooking a roast more difficult in terms of timings because there are a lot of elements that have to be ready all at the same time.

Me, I am in my forties and have never cooked Christmas dinner. Either my Mum hosts or my sibling. My sibling and their partner are chefs and the partner especially loves to cook Christmas dinner.

I live further away and don't have room for everyone to stay over so it would mean people driving home. Whereas my sibling is within walking distance of my parents. DH and I can either drive home or stay over. I also have a tiny kitchen which would make doing Christmas dinner difficult.

I am sure that I could do it if I wanted to but I hardly ever cook a roast dinner. Neither DH or I are particularly keen on them and there is always too much for two.

For those who won't cook (it is won't not can't unless you have a disability)

Don't be silly. I also can't whistle or swim. I don't have a disability but I haven't learnt how, therefore I can't.

I haven't because I don't like any of the typical Christmas foods.
I don't like roast dinners at all.
(I can just about tolerate roast potatoes if I really have to)
My husband cooks one - I usually have something different because I physically cannot eat food I don't like.
Christmas Dinner is the part of Christmas I have zero interest in. I would happily eat a sandwich instead.

If you can read you can learn to cook.

You've not met my nearly 91yo mother, I see. We won't be spending Christmas with her as we live a long way apart and she's going to my brother's, but if we did stay with her I guarantee she would want to do the whole thing herself. Not over-elaborate, but a full roast - turkey crown, bought roast potatoes, gravy, stuffing pack from the butcher, sprouts etc, followed by pudding. When I stay with her, I am constantly saying 'Can I do anything?' and finding she's already done it all. I am occasionally allowed to prepare some sprouts. She is a phenomenon.

Me too, there's something not right when a 50 something is letting a 70 something cook xmas dinner instead of the other way round.

Xmas dinner isn't difficult. If you can read, you can cook a xmas dinner - just follow the cooking instructions.

Nope, that’s my partners’ job! I’ve done bits when I worked in a restaurant but never the whole thing by myself. I bake Christmas treats, he cooks the dinner.

I have never cooked Christmas dinner for various reasons. This may change this year.

@tescocreditcard but I don't want to cook one. I don't like the food and I find cooking boring.
If I had to "host" a Christmas dinner then I would do something like pasta bake and garlic bread or fish and chips because that's what I like.
If I am going to the effort of cooking then it will be food I actually like.

Mid 60s ..never have. Or will.

Wince all you like but you know nothing about individual family dynamics, abilities or what actually happens on the day or on the run up.

No, I haven't.

My DH is an amazing cook, as are a couple of my DSs. I can cook a roast (and do so occasionally) but I cook the other 6 days of the week. DH loves to do it, so he does the Sunday Roast, and the Christmas roast if we are hosting - and I do the other meals/starters/puddings etc

If we are with my parents for Christmas, then it's a combination of my mother, brother and DH!