If you were given a chicken casserole on Christmas Day, instead of a roast....

[HuevosRancheros]

.....would you feel like you'd been cheated?

DH is veggie (so will have a quorn fillet casserole anyway), DCs are quite fussy, so I thought I'd do a casserole that can be made a couple of days before, so removing some of the 'timing stress' I seem to have when doing a roast drinking loads of Bucks Fizz during the morning has nothing to do with it, oh no
I would do a naice one, with shallots, baby mushrooms, chestnuts, port etc. And all the usual trimmings - roast potatoes and parsnips, brussels, etc. Could even push the boat out and do pigs in blankets

But my in-laws are coming too. They are lovely, I know if I asked them about it, they would say it is fine, just to be nice and keep me happy. After all, I am cooking, they wouldn't complain.

So I need an unbiased, not-afraid-to-upset-me opinion please

Thanks :)

To me it would be a bit like "we are not having Easter eggs, how about a packet of Haribo?". But worse, because I can take or leave chocolate, but I love Christmas dinner!

Roast potatoes with casserole ?

I agree with those who say that surely shoving a large chicken in the oven with some streaky bacon on top and M&S ready made stuffing down its neck is much easier than a casserole anyway.

Oh no, not casserole.

Is a shallot naice? I'd cook that midweek with the chicken dinner leftovers

I reckon people expect a roast of some sort, though I know not all do turkey. (I'd do goose if I could, but my DM is oddly phobic about any 'funny' meat. Beef, turkey, chicken, pork okay. Goose, venison, any game meat really, not okay.)

This is a total no-no. And I love chicken casserole. But for Christmas Day? No way. Please don't.

No sorry, I would think it was a bit rubbish. Although to be fair, the one you've described sounds alright.

And yes, DP and I will be cooking for 9.

Fu

Fuck

Fucking h

...ell; I should have written DH! Just wipe out a major life event....

Can I come to yours please?
Roast dinners are vastly overrated imo.

And actually my phone did something really odd there. I didn't accidentally post three times.

Can I come? Sounds great. We had spag bol for Christmas dinner last year. Why do you have to do things just because society expects you to?

I can't believe all the people dissing chicken casserole - esp as described by the OP. (my DH is funny about chicken so its something I never get to make and it can be sooo good)

I don't see how it will be any easier to do casserole instead of a whole bird, if you are doing all your usual side dishes. It's getting all the side dishes and gravy ready at the same time that is the hardest part. And even that is not too tricky with a bit of planning.

I've nothing against chicken casserole Errol, just not on Christmas day! As someone else said, it's a Christmas Eve/Boxing Day meal, not a main event Christmas Day one.

Why don't you buy one of those prepared turkey breasts that come in a foil tray?

I never get Christmas Dinner. Both dc have ASD with sensory issues and wouldn't eat it and there's no point doing it for just me .

I'd be happy that someone else was cooking! For the past few years i've done xmas dinner on xmas eve and have had cooked breakfast then selection boxes for the rest of the day on xmas day. I have a pretty open house and anyone who wants to come is welcome but no moaning about lack of 'proper' dinner. It's great, the washing up can wait till boxing day and i can concenrate on important things like getting drunk

I would eat it and probably enjoy it but be slightly gutted too.

Like the time I went to Germany for Xmas and had trad German Xmas eve meal of sausages. The sweets and cake and schnapps softened the blow.

I have turkey and trimmings at my work do so I don't mind not having turkey on Xmas day at all. But I do love a roast on Xmas day.

I'd just be happy that someone else was doing the cooking, but I'm not overly excited about roast dinners anyway! It does sound lovely, but there are some die-hard-roast-dinner-eaters out there .

I'd be gutted OP (sorry).

I'm a bit puzzled by this as an "easy" option though if you are planning to do all the trimmings anyway - it's surely getting all the trimmings ready at the same time that makes it stressy rather than roasting the actual bird?

Sparkly, my dd1 has pizza for Christmas dinner like she does almost every day , Luckily dd2 will now eat a roast so we will have Christmas dinner this year.

'Sparkle'

I'd be disappointed in all honesty, although I wouldn't say anything of course. I can't find your other thread about crackers sorry!

We never have toast turkey anyway. If you want something that can be made a couple of days before, so removing some of the 'timing stress', why not do what we do:

We usually have Guards of Honour, which I truss up, stuff and freeze at any time after half term. I also prepare Sheep in Slankets (lamb chipolatas wrapped in pastrami) and freeze them raw.

Xmas Eve everything comes out of the freezer, and the only things that need preparing are gravy, roasties and greens.