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 do it every year because I love doing it, if I hated cooking I'd get pre bought stuff, ask DH to do it or go out. If you hate or are bad at cooking why spend hours doing something you hate on a day that's supposed to be enjoyable? My DM hates cooking, always has and could not be more relieved that the Christmas dinner is no longer her responsibility. My parents are not in the best health so may not be able to come to us this year and if that happens I'll be cooking the Christmas Dinner at their house!

I was 52 when I cooked Christmas dinner for the 1st time....5 years ago. Never ever washed up afterwards either.

I never have. I'm 33. My dad has always done it, and he's the kind of person who HAS to be the host, and can't just sit and let other people do it. Honestly, the meddling isn't worth it. He would drive us mad if any of us hosted. He would pick fault at whatever we cooked, which would upset us just because we hadn't done it the same as he would (neither is right or wrong). It's easier to let him get on with it.

I am CAPABLE of making it, though. Me and DP have just had a random Christmas Dinner because we felt like it before now, in the summer sometimes!

Unlike a lot of people on here I’ve never had a Christmas dinner with 15/20/30 people. Most I’ve ever sat down to dinner with is 6 I think. Our family is small and we’re not into hosting big gatherings.

Ive never hosted or been to a dinner party in my 54 years on the planet.

Your age doesn't affect your will to give it a try if it's something you really would like to do :)

I recommend either watching some good tutorials for recipes (I'm a Gordon Ramsay fan personally) on YouTube and copying those well in advance to get some confidence. Jamie Oliver is better if you're on a budget, Phil Vickery or John Torode if you want fairly straightforward, James Martin or Gino de Campo if you want something less traditional. There are smaller names that are just as good, I'm just calling out some well known reliable ones.

I'd say invite a trusted friend or family member for assistance, but in my experience I've had them get pushy, shove me out of the way, take over - and I learned nothing, gained no confidence... That's just my experience though, it can be a double edged sword if you don't have a good friend willing to help you learn (as well as a chance for being social until you feel confident you can do it before you solo!)

An even better friend is a nice Bucks Fizz, some smoked Salmon and bagels while other people do the Christmas dinner! ( I appreciate that a hostess trolley would be very handy, but, can't cook/Won't cook a roast dinner. I do most other cooking and all the meal planning/ buying the rest of the year! )

I wish.

But, it’s not difficult. I have a system. I start the turkey hard and high for 1 hour, and then reduce the heat for the remainder of the cooking time. (8kg bird). Before the turkey goes in, while the oven is up high, I do my Yorkshire puddings and set aside.
Turkey is done by noon and then I spend a couple of hours preparing sides.

What really REALLY pisses me off is that all the washing up falls to me too. I’m not usually the martyr type but I usually spend about 5 hours in the kitchen on Christmas Day.

I much MUCH prefer Boxing Day.

Anyone who doesnt know how to cook a roast can still learn just watch whats going on incase one day you have to do it yourself.

I’m in my 30’s and never cooked on Christmas Day. My dh and fli do all the cooking.

I have made a roast with all the trimmings though ( pigs in blankets, cauliflower cheese etc ) so I’d know how to cook it all.

@girlfriend44 why would anyone "have to do it yourself" ?
Knowledge of how to cook a roast is not compulsory or vital in life. Plenty of other meals to cook.

Then why don't they offer to cook it? They are capable adults surely.

If I go to the effort of hosting I’d quite like my guests to have a nice time and enjoy the food. Nothing wrong with pasta or fish and chips but anyone can eat them anytime.

I'm 30 wth one child and haven't yet because we alternate between my parents and my in laws each year for Christmas. I honestly think my mil would be devastated if we wanted to host Christmas day and invite her over for lunch instead.

Exactly the same here. DP rarely, if ever, cooks but cooks Christmas dinner every year and does it beautifully. I have done it on occasion before we got together or when he was poorly

My adult DCs want to do it, but one moved less than a year ago, and one is moving in just before Christmas. I think next year will be the first year they do it from scratch.

They all however do lots towards a Christmas meal... a roast is one of my favourite meals to be honest, and I can do it standing on my head. They tend to make the canapes, cocktails, and then desserts for afters, we just all muck in really.

Everyone who talks about a mountain of washing/clearing up after... how?! we just all pitch in and clear up as we go along, then all that's left is plates and serving dishes and the massive gravy jug of course!

I never have. My Mum and DP are the cooks in our family. I could do it if I had to but I absolutely hate cooking and they both enjoy it and are really good at it (and my Mum isn't elderly). We host year about but they divide up what needs to be done so it doesn't all fall on one person - we live 2 minutes away so it works pretty well. I do all the desserts, usually a mix of home made and bought stuff. There's usually 6-10 people there on the day.

Nope, never have and never intend to. I'm a veggie, I don't like cooking, I don't like Xmas dinner/roast, and it's my birthday on Xmas day. So I'm buggered if I'm going to spend my birthday doing something I don't like in order to eat something I don't like! My DC get Xmas dinner with their grandparents on Xmas day or boxing day depending, I've tried to stop DM from going all out with it but she says she genuinely wants to and she gets disappointed if we try to suggest not bothering with the whole turkey thing.

I have but not recently as DP is just much better at it than me. He is a fantastic cook and I am, well, functional at best.

No, I did do Xmas dinner one year when it was just me and DD, but I only made the mash, gravy (bistro) and some veg. Everything else came curtesy of M&S.

My bloody sister in law. Never even offered. Which means I have had to do it every year for the last 15 years.

If you’ve not done it, then maybe it might be nice to offer to do it for the person that’s always done it for you. They won’t ask you to, but it will be appreciated more than you will ever know.

Never.

From the year I moved out of my parents to moving in with my husband we've gone to my PILs for Christmas Day.

I absolutely could cook Christmas dinner if I wanted to, but I don't!

Agree. I find it really…. Off

Don’t get having Yorkshire puddings on Christmas Day - they go with beef.

You sound pretty proud of your inability to do normal things that eight or nine year olds can manage. Why is that?

@ohdamnitjanet you can also eat a roast anytime.
If it's meant to be an "enjoyable meal" then for me a roast ISN'T enjoyable at all. I don't like it.
I am unlikely to ever be "the host" though - so no one will have to suffer the horror of a delicious pasta bake or fish n chips 😱
(excellent user name 🫦)