Vegetarians invited themselves for Christmas- got beef ordered!

[EdenFlower]

So, my vegetarian relatives and asked if they can join us for Christmas? I have it planned- joint of beef on order, I've perfected my roast potatoes and like them cooked in beef dripping, likewise the yorkshire pudding, my sprout recipe is cooked with pancetta, starter is parma ham and figs...and so on! Grrr! Now everything will need to adapted to be veggie because I'm not doing two versions of everything. It was already adapted to be gluten free for MIL but now two more special diet guests is a push.

Would it be rude to ask them to bring their own veggie options with them- nut roast and vegetarian gravy or whatever it is they eat?

@ILoveShula

What *@CarrotSticks19* said. I'd not invite myself somewhere for a meal, without offering to bring my own if they weren't vegetarians

An offer is no problem but I’d prefer to just host and cater for everyone

I might ask what you like or suggest stuff and see what the reaction was

Don't adapt the menu you have planned and are looking forward to. Reverse the situation. If you put yourselves forwards to have Christmas dinner in their house, would you expect them to change their menu and start cooking everything with meat to suit you? Of course you wouldn't. So don't do the same in routine. A very cheery "I'd love to have you but I'm not sure about vegetarian cooking so please feel free to bring your own and I will make a space for you at our table". Please don't change your meal. It sounds delicious. Last year I had a vegan guest. I made double of everything, special gravy, special potatoes, no milk or butter in anything, vegan roast etc The works. Half way through Christmas dinner they decided that my goose fat roast potatoes looked nice and that they might have them. Ended up hoovering up the lot, plus the sausage rolls, meat juice gravy and the rest of their special vegan food. And this person was a vegan for five years at that point. I will never change my menu again. I know this is an extreme example but I am still frosty over it 😂

I'd be mortified if someone changed their whole Christmas meal plan to accommodate mine and my families dietary requirements

'Sides will be, cauliflower cheese, carrot and swede mash, sprouts in a creamy garlic sauce, roast potatoes, pigs in blankets (which they can just not have as they don't eat pretend meat). I might change the starter to halloumi salad with chilli sauce.'
@EdenFlower Got a space at your table for little ol' me?😅😅

@ILoveShula

What *@CarrotSticks19* said. I'd not invite myself somewhere for a meal, without offering to bring my own if they weren't vegetarians

Probably just as well seeing as you don't seem to like anything- would love to know what you consider 'normal food' ! what would you have as a replacement for the beef?

I often make this chestnut and mushroom loaf as a veggie alternative to a roast. Make lots as it is popular with meat eaters as an extra side! You can prepare the day before baking.

www.merchant-gourmet.com/recipes/recipe/chestnut-roast/

There are lots of other really good recipes on that site too.

I would stick to your starter of figs and parma ham. Just replace the ham with a salty cheese like feta or a soft cream cheese sprinkled with za'atar to complement the figs. I would add some wild rocket as a garnish to both starters and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and chopped walnuts to make it look Christmassy and a bit less like cheese plonked on a plate. You could use cookie cutters to shape the cheese into stars or Christmas trees, if you wanted.

Or you could go crazy and assemble this for everyone:
cafedelites.com/antipasto-cheese-ball-christmas-tree/

Personally, I wouldn't be giving up beef dripping potatoes and Yorkshire puddings! Can't you just split the potatoes between 2 trays, one with oil, one with dripping? You can make and freeze Yorkshire puddings, they only take a few minutes to reheat. Maybe have toad in the hole for supper one night and make some veggie ones in advance?

You can always add precooked pancetta to the sprouts at the end.

I think yabu. A roast isn’t hard to make veggie unless you are actively trying hard for it not to be. Cook the yorkshires and potato’s in normal oil and separate the spouts before you add the pancetta.

Pretend meat

[quote Stovetopespresso]@dotsandco because one day that could be you, feeling at a loose end and Christmas and asking for love and friendship?[/quote]
If it was me I’d definitely bring my own food and generous gifts for the host not expect them to put themselves out.

I’m genuinely amazed by this. Why so much meat?

It's not 'so much' meat. It's turkey and pigs and blankets. Then there is sage and onion stuffing which may or may not have pork sausagemeat in it, (usually not) but will almost definitely have been basted with some of the turkey juices to make it moist and full of flavour.

Sometimes I usually put chestnuts and a bit of pancetta in with the sprouts. The potatoes are usually cooked in goose fat, but even if I used olive oil I'd probably still baste them with some of the fat from the turkey. And the gravy is ALWAYS freshly made with stock and the meat juices. I'd no sooner bung a jug of Bisto gravy granule gloop on the table on Christmas Day than I would serve up a tray of oven chips.

All pretty standard stuff I'd have thought, for a reasonably discerning cook making a decent roast.

It's not rude to ask them to bring a nutroast and veg gravy, because everyone knows Christmas is a busy time and usually people are happy to contribute. But I think it is rude not to adapt your other things - sprouts, potatoes etc. To me it's more because I think Christmas is about sharing a meal and making people welcome, so if pretty much everything is separate it feels unwelcoming.

It has to be said that my sympathy with OP being reluctant to cook for vegetarians is only growing with every reply from a vegetarian sneering about someone's suggestion of vegetarian food (often without being explicit about what they would prefer)! I think between you you've ruled out every option of things that would go with typical Xmas veg, seem nice enough to be festive, have protein in and aren't fake meat I can think of!

Of course you don't all like the same things but if you aren't offering to bring your own then you put up with it graciously in the same way a meat eater who isn't that kern on beef / turkey usually does at Christmas in someone else's house surely. Not look down on people for assuming a nut roast ticks all the boxes.

@JumperandJacket

Have never heard of veggies bringing their own food and asking them to do so would be very rude.

It's really not hard to adapt things- potatoes etc in olive oil, take some sprouts out before you add the pancetta etc. Not like you don't have time. I'd far rather do this than have them bring their own food and sit there eating something completely different to everyone else.

Thing is, the OP didn’t invite them, they’ve invited themselves to a pre-planned meal that doesn’t meet their dietary requirements. If I did that, I’d expect to bring at least some of my own food.

My IL’s prepare some Thanksgiving side dishes in ways that my family dislikes, for example. But they and other family members enjoy them so we bring some sides of our own (enough to share if anyone else wants some) that suit our tastes. Problem solved.

@YouJustFoldItIn

I’m genuinely amazed by this. Why so much meat?

It's not 'so much' meat. It's turkey and pigs and blankets. Then there is sage and onion stuffing which may or may not have pork sausagemeat in it, (usually not) but will almost definitely have been basted with some of the turkey juices to make it moist and full of flavour.

Sometimes I usually put chestnuts and a bit of pancetta in with the sprouts. The potatoes are usually cooked in goose fat, but even if I used olive oil I'd probably still baste them with some of the fat from the turkey. And the gravy is ALWAYS freshly made with stock and the meat juices. I'd no sooner bung a jug of Bisto gravy granule gloop on the table on Christmas Day than I would serve up a tray of oven chips.

All pretty standard stuff I'd have thought, for a reasonably discerning cook making a decent roast.

You said only three things in your Christmas dinner don’t have meat in them! That doesn’t sound like a decent roast, or a discerning cook.

Maybe one of your resolutions should be to experiment more with different flavours?

@EdenFlower some good advice here, we have have mixed household of vegans, veggies and carnivores! A few thoughts:

Yorkies and spuds will do just as well in high smoke point veggie oil such as rapeseed.

not bloody beetroot that's for sure.

Right. So nothing fancy or complicated, no beetroot, no nut roast, no mushrooms, no goats cheese, no risotto and you aren't much keen on squash.

I just have normal food that doesn't have animals in it.

Yes we understand that bit. We are just waiting for you to give us a clue as to what your idea of 'normal' food is.

I'd probably make or buy something proteiny and have it with lots of veg.

I'll ask again - what's the protein?

The veg might include squash but I'd pick a more interesting one. What do you consider more interesting? And how would you go about incorporating protein into your interesting vegetables? If you don't want carby foods then that discounts most things that are predominantly potatoes, bread, pizza, pasta, pastry and rice, so what do you eat?

@EdenFlower, I like food but the "vegetarian food" (i.e. food that omnivores think that veges like) is not great. If you had a vegetarian round, you could give them eggs chips and peas or something, although probably not for the christmas meal

I eat all sorts of things. Mainly salads, leafy veg, eggs, cheese, ...
I do't go a bundle on things like rice, pasta, pastry, bread, cereal, biscuits, cake etc. They just seem pointless and I'd rather not eat them.

What would I have to replace roast beef? Not eaten beef or gravy since I was a child so it's not really something I'd think about. Probably something that was quite dense and proteiny. Not some sort of veg pie because it wouldn't have the satisfying density of meat.

Bofski14 I laughed at your guest who scoffed the lot despite being vegan for 5 years. I had the same experience with a dedicated vegan who came round to mine and eat 2 roast chickens that were cooling on the side. They then proceeded to work their way through the fridge, studiously ignoring anything remotely vegetarian or vegan.
I have a large fridge.

@EdenFlower

Surely if you are a vegetarian and you are visiting relatives who you know usually cook a traditional roast on Christmas day then you don't expect the host to provide two options just for you?

It's only really one alternative option for the meat though isn't it? And arguably the gravy if you aren't willing to buy them a readymade one. The fact that your starter/sides also include meat isn't really necessary and very easily adapted.

So yes, in the situation you describe, if I was invited then I'd expect to be catered for like everyone else. It would be very rude to ask them to bring their own food, they might as well stay at home.

Your Christmas Food sounds delicious! No wonder they asked themselves around!
I would be honest - if you enjoy their company then ask them but ask them to bring a vege option!

They’ve invited themselves??

They need to bring their own main course; make sure you’re clear with them so they’re not sulking on Christmas Day.

The nerve of them!

@bofski, that sounds like the tiger who came to tea

@chesirecat99

I often make this chestnut and mushroom loaf as a veggie alternative to a roast. Make lots as it is popular with meat eaters as an extra side! You can prepare the day before baking.

www.merchant-gourmet.com/recipes/recipe/chestnut-roast/

There are lots of other really good recipes on that site too.

I would stick to your starter of figs and parma ham. Just replace the ham with a salty cheese like feta or a soft cream cheese sprinkled with za'atar to complement the figs. I would add some wild rocket as a garnish to both starters and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and chopped walnuts to make it look Christmassy and a bit less like cheese plonked on a plate. You could use cookie cutters to shape the cheese into stars or Christmas trees, if you wanted.

Or you could go crazy and assemble this for everyone:
cafedelites.com/antipasto-cheese-ball-christmas-tree/

Personally, I wouldn't be giving up beef dripping potatoes and Yorkshire puddings! Can't you just split the potatoes between 2 trays, one with oil, one with dripping? You can make and freeze Yorkshire puddings, they only take a few minutes to reheat. Maybe have toad in the hole for supper one night and make some veggie ones in advance?

You can always add precooked pancetta to the sprouts at the end.

I would ditch the starter and make galette of figs and goat’s cheese* with thyme, lemon zest and hazelnuts that was in the Times today. Looked yummy.

*sorry I like it!

My big Christmas success for veggies was parsnip and gruyere soufflé with fresh chestnuts but I’m not inviting veggies again.

I don’t know if it is helpful or not but Lidl have lots of vegan options for Christmas in their frozen food compartments. Things like nut roast rings.

Why don’t you just order a Cook vegetarian main? They are much nicer than a Tesco nut roast or whatever. This is what we do with my vegan mother in law, she doesn’t expect us to go to lots of trouble making an alternative but cook is handmade and usually pretty nice