Thinking of ditching Christmas dinner?

[ACoverIsNotTheBook]

This year by a stroke of luck we’re not hosting anyone else for Xmas dinner so it’ll be just me, dh and the 2 dc’s. Ds is a grazer and will not look in the direction of a big meal (any meal actually lol)

I’ve never been that fussed on Xmas dinner 🙈 it’s always such a fuss prepping and cooking on the day, time being taken away from what I want to be doing which is playing with the dc and drinking Christmas cocktails lol. We always eat far too much and are bloated and sleepy by 5pm which is usually when a lot of our friends/family like to have get togethers.
So this year I’ve been thinking of making a lovely breakfast, then for dinner serving fondue, crudités and crusty bread etc and a really gorgeous dessert which we never usually get to eat 🤣
Anyone else do this or thinking about doing it? I’ll definitely do a mini Xmas roast the week or so before so dh and dd don’t miss out, but the more I think about it the more I’m sure it’ll be bliss to not have to cook on the day!

Do it! Last Christmas I bought the large pigs in blankets (ie full sized sausages instead of cocktail size) and had that instead of roasting a bigger piece of meat. Took so much less time. This year I’m thinking about doing Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve and having festive picky bits on the actual day. Haven’t decided yet!

We've done a buffet for the last few years which has basically gone on from lunch through to evening. It's great! Then the roast dinner on Boxing Day.

The kids have decided they want Christmas dinner on the day this year (and we're alone for a change) so we're mixing it up again!

I do nothing for Xmas haven't done for years. I just want to flake out and watch TV. Anyway that meal sounds great to me.

We had our Xmas dinner on Xmas eve last year. Meant the festivities started that little bit earlier. I didn't have to spend hours cooking and cleaning up. I could just relax and enjoy the day. We had the leftovers with cheese/pickles/etc for our meal on Xmas day and more room for delicious puddings. It worked so well. Def doing it again this year

We started having our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve a few years ago, so Christmas Day is croissants, salmon, eggs etc for brunch and turkey sandwiches/ leftovers/cake later in the day once all the Quality Street’s been eaten - makes Christmas Day much less stressful and, as you say, you actually have time to spend with your family and not stuck in the kitchen.

Yay glad to hear all good stories! It feels like a weight has been lifted! I don’t even like turkey so why it’s taken me this long to ditch it 🤣 plus more room for dessert
Plus we head off to a hotel/spa for a few days on Boxing Day so I’ll not be heading off feeling overstuffed and overindulged and will be able to enjoy that too :)
Anyone any other ideas on what I could serve along with the fondue? Pigs in blankets?

Where in the country are you? Booths do an amazing selection of salads which we love.

Another one here who is having Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve this year! I love Christmas dinner but it does take over a large part of the day. And it means no lunchtime pub visit! So we're experimenting with switching things around this year.

I'm also seriously thinking of having it on Christmas Eve or at night on Christmas Day rather than lunchtime. I always feel that DH and I spend most of Christmas Day either prepping food or clearing up after it. I much prefer the more relaxed Boxing Day when I go to my mum's and she cooks

I haven't bothered with Christmas dinner for years , we get nice bits in and chill for the holiday.
We need the break to be honest so I'm not creating more work for us in the little time off we have.
We love it , it's so much more relaxing .

Dd 6 asked for a packed lunch for Christmas dinner this year. Thinking about what she’s going to eat at Christmas in August 🤔 she’s her mother’s daughter 😁

Go for it.
I have had over the years
microwaved 'dinner' first year on my own
canteen food - skiing in eastern europe
indian meal - at the local fabulous indian restaurant
cheese and crackers - not recommended but was right for me that day
and various traditional: ranging from mediocre to brilliant, usually depending on company rather than food standard

My in laws do this the years they don't come to us. They do bacon sandwiches and watch tv. They always enjoy it.

Last year me and my partner decided to do just a buffet style lunch as our DD is more interested in playing and eating chocolate. It went down a treat and found that our DD ate more than she would eating a Xmas roast, and I found we spent more time as a family rather than one ore both of us stuck in the kitchen.

I will be doing it again this year as I will more than likely be working Christmas day. We are not hosting so it will just be us 3 and our dog. We will probably do a roast boxing day instead.

Afternoon tea - make it an indulgent one. We did this last year and it prevented us being in the kitchen for hours. It was great.

I cook the majority of Christmas dinner on christmas eve and reheat on xmas day it saves so much time!
I think having a buffet style meal sounds lovely. I know people who've served turkey sandwiches and pigs in blankets on xmas day. I thought that was an amazing idea!

We went to the local (to PILS) Indian restaurant last Xmas Day and will be doing it again this year.

It was a hit with the family as no prep beforehand or washing up afterwards, so we were able to relax.

Plus it also meant we could go straight home afterwards, rather than go to the PILS house, so we could spend the rest of the day to ourselves.

Pure. Bliss.

We had M&S £10 Sirloin steaks last year. I did triple cooked chips with them, as well as, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions.

We'd picked out hotel chocolate, chocolates and other treats, that we each wanted. Usually on the day that we went to Manchester Christmas markets on. The adults had homemade cocktails. The children mocktails.

I want to be organised this year and have a go at making our own, Nutella, baileys and orange truffles. As well as other stuff.

I usually do a beef slow cooker stew on Christmas Eve. I buy in bake-your-own crusty rolls and a jar of pickled cabbage.

We don't have many people to visit, so Christmas is home based.

I'd murder DP if he tried to get away without at least a 'good' Sunday Roast at Christmas (whatever meat is reduced to clear on Christmas Eve, a fuckton of potatoes, shed load of different vegetables including sprouts, stuffing, bread sauce, gravy, etc).

He'd probably consider murdering me if I said no pigs in blankets, chilli cheese straws (his main Christmas Eve occupation) and random packets of shit.

We compromise. We get both. I'm happy with the real food and leftovers, he's happy grazing on shit.

Mind you, he should be used to it - every Sunday, he tries to say 'we' don't need a proper dinner. And every bloody Sunday, I point out that it sets me up for the week and that isn't changing (especially as it's the only day I am guaranteed to have fresh vegetables, as he 'forgets' to buy or cook them during the week. He works part time, I work fulltime, so he usually deals with catering).

If you both agree, fine. But if one actually wants a proper dinner, it's really depressing to be stuck there with an everyday snack.

Last year, after pulling out our ancient tatty decorations, doing all the prep, buying a token present for everybody and cooking the token dishes for two Christmas dinners (dual nationality) and facing the cleanup, I asked the rest of the family if they were even interested in doing it again.
The consensus was “no”. What a relief! It’s going to save so much meaningless fuss.
We’re not religious, no close relatives, DC1 wants to be with friends and our youngest is 13. She’s getting a week in England in early December to fill up on festive cheer and on the day it will be cash in an envelope, chilling with snacks, lasagne and a salad.

I can not wait.

Twice I've been abroad, twice I've done an Indian restaurants with friends, but the reality is nothing beats a traditional Xmas.

This year I am hosting, we have at least nine extra past us. We will wake up on Xmas morning and I'll have rhe wood burner going and Michael buble singing Xmas songs on the stereo. We will open our pressies which will be round the tree, in our pjs, whilst drinking champagne, and before we gather round for bacon sandwiches, and then we will all sit down for a full Xmas meal, Turkey, gammon, roast potatoes, crackers, we will wear our Xmas hats, and drink too much. Before playing silly games like charades or drinking games, and then serving turkey sandwiches,

When it comes to it, nothing beats a traditional Xmas.😍

We have the full roast on christmas eve and then on boxing day it is bubble and squeak made with the left overs ...... and lots of puddings!

I'm fed up of spending half of Christmas Day cooking, so this year we're likely to have a buffet. My DS is likely to be getting a Nintendo Switch so I want to be with him enjoying that rather than prepping food. I need to stick to my guns as I always end up bowing to pressure I feel from elderly PILs.

I also cooked this super easy slow cooked ham on Christmas Eve and we loved it, so that will be our hot Christmas roast.

www.myfussyeater.com/the-easiest-slow-cooker-christmas-ham-gammon-red-cabbage-salad/

For Christmas Eve every year, we lay out a "platter" dinner. Basically a whole load of nice nibble things on the middle of the table for people to choose for themselves. All ready to eat, mostly cold but occasionally a few sausage rolls or similar. The list below is the kind of things we enjoy - we don't have it all every year, but a good spread to all graze on, and also that we'll enjoy the leftovers in the next few days.

Things like cooked and cured meats - whatever we see that's nice like decent cooked ham, proper corned beef, various salamis, Parma ham, braseola etc.

Seafood like Smoked salmon, cooked prawns, crab claws, squid rings

Salad stuff - bowl of leaves, bowls of cherry tomatoes and olives, plate of carrot and red/yellow pepper sticks

Hummus, tapenade, sour cream dip, salsa... kinds of dips and some salad dressing, Marie Rose sauce for the seafood

Breadsticks, lovely fresh crusty bread, nice crackers

Open up the Christmas cheeses - a soft Brie or Camembert, a blue (e.g. Stilton or shropshire or cashel), a good mature cheddar, and another hard cheese at least. Basically, wander through our local cheese mongers a couple of days ahead and choose what's good.

Maybe some slices of quiche, sausage rolls, nice Spanish omelette sliced up...

Usually I have a bowl of fresh fruit ready for dessert. And something else nice as dessert.

Sorry, I meant to say that this is a really special dinner for us - lots of things we all enjoy but don't have that often, and eaten at a relaxed pace where we can chat and relax with no pressures to get somewhere else (unlike almost every other day).

That's why it might suit your wants.