More exciting than boiled, but not too exotic 🙄

[WinkyisbackontheButterBeer]

I am so bored of boiled veg and want something more exciting but dh and Df are somewhat...... basic.

I will be doing roast potatoes and parsnips, braised red cabbage, swede and carrot mash but what else can I do that is interesting without scaring dh and df?
Thanks

Sprouts

The red cabbage is a step too far for my family!
Swede and carrot mash, Brussels and parsnips are the best we can manage as a group :-)
Can you go off piste on anything else?

Core the sprouts n fry them in a wok with pancetta or chorizo and chestnuts :)

Try shreaded Brussel sprouts, cooked in butter with chopped cooked chestnuts.

Roasted asparagus or stir fried leeks.

snap! Must be a good idea :)

Leeks braised in cheese sauce

Steam the carrots. Cut into long diagonal rounds and add fennel whilst cooking. Lovely!!

Thank you all. One will eat the cabbage and one the swede. Neither both.

Always end up doing boiled carrots as the non swede eater will eat carrots but not much else. The fennel idea sounds nice but maybe too out there!!
I do like the sprout options so will definitely add one of those. Thank you
Honestly, my 3 yo is easier. They are so bloody fussy.

Asparagus and leaks are 👽

Fried sprouts with Parmesan!!

I second (third) the sprouts fried with pancetta
Cauliflower cheese
Creamed spinach
Creamed/cheesy leeks
I love any thing creamed or cheesy

leeks in creamy white or cheese sauce, so delicious

Honey roast your carrots and parsnips.

Par boil the sprouts then fry off in butter with pancetta.

Braise the red cabbage in apple juice with spices.

That's all a Xmas dinner needs, veg wise.

Olive oil in the pan. Heat. Add leeks and white/red cabbage and sauté off with freshly cracked black pepper.

This is always an audience winner in our house with fil, mil and her dh. They pile it on. These are the people who will not eat curries, spiced anything and the most exotic thing they eat is a pizza 🙄

Jamie Oliver's creamed corn has been an unlikely hit for years in our house

Some nice ideas on here. My family will wonder what's going on if I present them with anything other than the normal boiled veg that we usually have.

Rather than boiling the carrots, roast them with parsnips. Bit of honey or maple syrup drizzled over, add butter, lemon and thyme. Yum.

Parsnips in honey and brown sugar. My dad makes the best and they end up with an almost caramel layer that cracks as you bite into them. I never ask exactly how much sugar is in them

Try wrapping the asparagus in Parma ham with a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar and roasting briefly. My family fight over these.

We do green beans sautéed with chopped shallots and glazed in balsamic vinegar

Even if DH and DF don't want to eat an extra veg, why can't you do one that YOU would enjoy?

I do courgettes, sliced and laid in a baking dish, some lemon juice sprinkled over the top, and covered with some buttery breadcrumbs that have a good handful of grated parmesan mixed into them. DD hates courgettes, and DH will eat 1 small spoonful but basically they are for me (admittedly I usually have them on nights when I am eating alone - but sometimes as part of a family meal - alongside other veg that they will eat).

Green beans with some bacon and cream is one DM used to do for special occasions.

A mixed stirfry of veg - onion and garlic, carrots, mushrooms, maybe things like courgettes and peppers, broccoli florets or cauliflower florets etc?

Cauliflower cheese, or cauliflower covered in garlic-y (butter-y) breadcrumbs and baked for a few minutes.

Steamed broccoli with slivers of ginger.

Some cherry tomatoes roasted for 15 minutes (drizzle of olive oil, some dried oregano, maybe some diced garlic).....nom nom

As long as there is veg that they will eat on the table, doesn't mean that you can't have something else exciting for you as well. Just do enough for you and a taste each for them - you might find they try it and want it again another time.

Thank you all. There are some lovely ideas here. I will definitely be trying some of them out.
BiddyBop for anything else I would but the faff of doing lots of doing separate boring veg alongside the more exciting is just a bit much on Christmas Day. That’s why I’d like a nice compromise and less leftover food.

Ok, with the aim of less work on the day but nice and dealing with potential leftovers, here's one I use a lot generally.

Mediterranean roasted veg.

Dice, to the same size, a bunch of veg.

Size: I tend to do roughly 1cm dice for roasting, but larger (3cm ish) for summer BBQing.

The mix starts with onions (red is nice) and whole cloves of garlic.
Then it's whatever you have and enjoy.
Usually I have peppers (red and yellow, I think green are too bitter), courgettes, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes. Aubergines are nice too but none of us are great fans (I'll eat them, the others hate them). Things like green beans or sugar snap peas are ok too.

Seasoning:
Salt and pepper, dried herbs like oregano, basil, thyme, and/or rosemary.

A decent splodge (terribly scientific accurate measurement) of balsamic vinegar and a larger splodge of olive oil.

They can be diced up to a couple of days before roasting, and stored in a ziplock bag/plastic tub, or frozen before cooking.

Roast for about 20-30 minutes.

Any leftovers can also be frozen and used another time with a plain tomato sauce and pasta (with cooked sausages, bacon, chicken etc if desired). Or just effectively as a ratatouille-like side dish reheated.

So you could make them now and freeze uncooked, take out Christmas morning to thaw (or 24th), chuck into a roasting tin while turkey rests, enjoy with dinner, and any leftovers frozen again for a nice easy dinner one night that you don't need to feed the fusspots gentlemen in your life.

If I freeze them still raw on a tray, and them scoop into a bag, they are much easier to take out a handful or 2 for a single portion and thaw quickly (or even cook slightly longer straight Fromm freezer).