Christmas dinner police

[Namechangesecretsignature]

Can’t sleep and endlessly reading MN. Oh how I loathe the Christmas dinner police. Policing what “should” be on a Christmas dinner, calling it Christmas lunch (urgh), all the formalities and “musts”. Reminds me of my ex DP who was aghast for about 4 years straight that no one in my family liked turkey so we had beef for Xmas. His mother called my mother to clarify it was true (after a drink) and I’d go round to theirs over the Christmas period and the whole (large) family would be saying things like “I can’t believe you don’t have turkey on Christmas dinner.” “It’s not Christmas dinner without” “without turkey it’s tasteless” (????) “you must buy a turkey and a ham for Xmas even if it doesn’t get ate its tradtition” from the same people who buy 3 turkeys (Xmas day, New Year’s Day redo, then another on Easter(!!!!))

anyway I digress, I loathe it!

I don't get it either and I'm English. We never had/have it with roasts or for Christmas. I think it tastes bland and it's a weird concept (to me).

I serve Yorkshire puddings as a starter with any roast including turkey, though I think beef gravy is the best. Saves having to think what to have as a starter and doesn’t pile your main course plate up. And you can fill them with gravy. If there are spare ones people are welcome to have with their main course.

Pigs in blankets toads in the hole would be absolutely amazing, @AquaForce!

I am sadly utterly unable to make decent yorkshires and toad in the hole - it doesn’t seem to matter what recipe I use, or how carefully I get the tin screaming hit before putting the batter in, it never puffs up like my mum’s used to. I am a disappointment to myself.

I say breakfast lunch dinner/tea. Interchangeable. I'm Scottish

I have a takeaway at Christmas as does my mum and since my brother split up with his last partner he comes to my mums for a takeaway too on Christmas day

No fuss. No waste. Sometimes my mum and I used to get the takeaway on Christmas eve and have pizza potatoes and veg for our Christmas dinner.

OK, so you don't like turkey. Now we know that, what are we supposed to go with this gem of useless information?

Dinner is the main meal of the day at whatever time you eat it. There's far too much ignorant, snobbish nonsense about the way we refer to our meals. We're all too lucky to have good food on the table. End of discussion.

Good point! I love this stuff

We all pretend to like turkey in our family but no one is brave enough to suggest we cook something different.

Thank god for my sister's slow cooked glazed ham which is to die for.

We call it lunch and have Yorkshire puds.

We would secretly all like to dispense with the big Xmas roast all together and just have a nice buffet of really high quality cold meats and cheeses and breads that we can graze on all day but again no one will be brave enough to actually do it.

I did successfully suggest to everyone this year that we don't do gifts - everyone agreed readily and I'm so happy about it!

Stuff it?

Sorry, I’ll get my coat.

I’m having a home made nut roast, home made mushroom wellington, roast potatoes, parsnips, carrots, brussels, cabbage/leek, cauli, broccoli, peas, swede, yorkshire pud, mustard, horseradish, cranberry sauce, redcurrant sauce, mint sauce. I’ve never tried bread sauce but think I have enough sauces. Oh and chestnuts. I think that is it. Pud and ice cream in the evening.

Yes we are - but I live below the line and I certainly don't take anything for granted. I can't afford to spend loads on food just because it's Christmas

This is brilliant 😂

the worst part about my ex is that he wasn’t even eating with us! He’d eat with his turkey obsessed family then we’d join later in the day. So he never had to endure our beef dinner just made it a talking point later in the day. Same goes for sausage stuffing!

You absolutely can! It actually doesn’t matter so much about the temp of the oil initially. The trick is just DO NOT open the door until they’re done and risen.

Gorgeous!

Irish here so it will be both turkey and ham on the day. I love turkey but (I think) I cook it well so it’s not dry and stuff it with a gorgeous homemade stuffing. Ham will be in a honey and mustard glaze. I love the leftovers sandwiches. And St Stephen’s (Boxing Day) is left over turkey and ham with salads, chutneys and fried up left over mash (yes I’m a philistine but we have mash, roast and croquettes on the day). It’s the only time of year I’d cook turkey so we enjoy it

And yes we have Yorkshire’s too. Mainly for the kids who associate a roast dinner irregardless of the meat with Yorkshire puddings. They’ll be Aunt Bessie’s finest. I made beautiful homemade ones before and they asked why they didn’t taste the same so reverted back to the frozen ones. DH has family in Yorkshire and they eat them with any dinner once there’s gravy so as far as I’m concerned they have their place

@CharlieEffie

I always find it so strange when people are so impassioned by things that dont effect them...why do your inlaws care what you eat?!

My MIL is sticking her oar in atm telling DH that we must have a fresh turkey. She's not even coming to us this year! We had a bad experience with an expensive bronze organic free range turkey a few years ago - it was awful - a few days later I bought a cheap Lidl frozen one and redid the Christmas meal and it was much nicer (not dry or bland). DH does keep telling her why and not to bring it up with me.

@Namechangesecretsignature Forgot to mention 2 different stuffings. From a box, but still….

Save me a place at the table, won't ya? 😋

Because it's Christmas!!!

I am from the south.

Christmas dinner. School dinner. Dinner ladies.

All of these are these are things that happen at lunchtime that are dinner.

There are people who don't like Yorkshire puds? 😲 I'm sorry, I just can't compute. 😕

Not up before December 1st and must be down by January 6th. Rules is rules.

As has been proved on this thread, there are no rules! Who knew?

We have Christmas dinner at dinner time. At school we (and my DC) had dinner ladies but the schools' called it lunch. South and South West.

There are Yorkshire people on here who have 'lunch'. But my Northern family have dinner then tea, but my Southern family have lunch then dinner/supper, so assumed that was pretty much the case all over. We're not posh BTW

As none of my family are nearby, it's just me and Boyfriend this year. We're having king prawn stir-fry and chow mein.
Christmas food should be flexible - the Japanese have a tradition of eating KFC on the day!

I also hate those 'types' who INSIST on trying to have a roast every Sunday. Just because they had it as kids 30 or 40 years, doesn't mean your going to get it now rolls eyes. These ridiculous close minded people get my goat in more ways, but best I end my rant now before it gets too heated.

We sometimes have a Sunday roast because my lot all love it. After Christmas DS wants us to find a nice pub to have one. I occasionally will do a roast for a mid week dinner but it's a bit of a faff