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?

Just get a nice bought-in vegetarian meal like this one:
www.cookfood.net/products/Vegetarian-Christmas-Lunch-for-2/

I'm not going to be doing two lots of roasties or puddings, I'm happy to cook with a vegetable oil instead.

Looking for an easy homemade vegetarian main dish- although will ask what they fancy.

Not thought of dessert yet- needs to be gluten free- usually do meringues.

Not thought of dessert yet- needs to be gluten free- usually do meringues.

Meringues are veggie.

So you don't want them to come. You don't want to 'be rude' by suggesting that they don't. And you don't want to ask them to bring their own food.

If you want to make yourself a martyr, carry on. Then post here to moan about it afterwards. This one is totally on you.

OP, what's wrong with Bisto gravy? You sound like a snob.

Prep and make the nutroast before . Make 2 types of Brussels and buy ready made roast pots and gravy for them
I have 1 pescatarian and 1 vegetarian child Christmas food gets adapted sure but not worse i still make.for us what I usually do

I think it is rude to ask them to bring their own food! I’d never do that and would far rather make something simple for them, make a veggie gravy in advance, and put it in the freezer, (or buy a nice ready made one) put a separate small tin of roasties in the oven.
Job done. It’s not as if you’ve only got a week to go.

I'm the same but the OP sounds as if she already has a VERY VERY FULL cooking schedule and not everyone is happy or confident to just throw in a whole extra range of dishes. We don't know her budget or what her fridge/oven/worktop space is like, whether she works full time etc.

If she'd invited them I'd agree, but given that they've asked if they can come, I think it's reasonable to ask them to help out by bringing their own food. My SIL eats like a 5 year old (a very limited range of very plain, bland nursery foods, no onions garlic, wine, herbs or spice and nothing 'foreign' which is pretty much the polar opposite of the way I cook) so I've asked her to bring her own many times, when there have been a lot of us to cater for and I've had my hands full.

this nutroast we prep the day before and just cook on the day

I'm a vegetarian and I wouldn't be offended or find it even mildly rude. I never like the thought of putting people out with my dietary requirements. Also not a fan of nut roasts so my dinner is usually everything but the meat. I've happily brought a giant cauliflower and broccoli cheese as the veggie centrepiece/ side for everyone else then eaten whatever else was vegetarian.

@Phoebesgift

OP, what's wrong with Bisto gravy? You sound like a snob.

‘Not her style’, apparently.

@YouJustFoldItIn

Compared to a range of flavours and textures.

The range of textures will come from the foods themselves. Roast potatoes, veg in various forms, meat, stuffing...none of that is affected by which fat you choose to use. The flavours can vary depending on the type of fat, but nothing I MEAN NOTHING will give a better flavour than using beef dripping or goose fat for a classic roast meat dinner. Olive oil or some other type of non-animal fat is fine, I use them often, but they are not going to add a great deal to the flavour and texture profile of anything on a Christmas roast turkey meal.

Avoiding beef dripping is certainly not going to help a rost dinner be 'less bland.' And using no fat at all but just steaming/boiling/baking everything , even less so.

Everything having the same flavour - beef dripping - will make a meal bland.

@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?

What do they like to eat?

As a vegetarian I can honestly say I would rather have cheese on toast on christmas day than anything (xmas pudding, xmas cake, anything that is in a normal or xmas roast dinner) that you're planning on serving. The meat, yorkshire puds, gravy, boiled veg - repulsive every last thing. I gave up roast dinners years before I gave up meat.

I don't like figs!

IMHO it is reasonable to say to a vegetarian that you are cooking a complex meal for meat eaters and that they are welcome to a baked potato or ready-meal / pizza, but you simply haven;t got the time, energy or headspace for multiple complex meals.

I get that many others might disagree with me!

Can you do a veggie casserole in a slow cooker? It can be kept well away from all the meat and not take up oven/hob/microwave space which is always at a premium. Plus it sorts itself out whilst you concentrate on your food.

I would say it's ruder to ask them to bring their own than to serve shop bought! You can get some lovely gourmet Wellington dishes

Maybe say, "we're having beef as it's already ordered, is there anything you would particularly like?" If they say "X" just buy one. If they offer to bring something then all good

OP, what's wrong with Bisto gravy? You sound like a snob.

Bisto gravy browning instead of flour, but using the meat juices and stock? Asbolutely nothing wrong with that IMHO.

Bisto gravy granules? On Christmas Day? No. It's not snobbery. It's just having standards. Instant gravy granules are the gravy equivalent of a pot noodle. Cheap, quick, a bit dirty. Who eats Pot Noodle for Christmas Dinner?

@CarrotSticks19

I will tell them if it happens again *@PurpleDaisies*, hopefully it doesnt. I genuinly thought it would be better to not know, as the eating had passed and as I said it doesnt change anything. Sorry

I think PurpleDaisies believes you cooked the chips yourself in beef fat and concealed it from your inlaws. Whereas it is clear from your post that you all ordered them at a restaurant thinking they were vegetarian and only later did you realise why they tasted so good. You did nothing wrong.

It’s all gone very Hyacinth’s Candlelight suppers

Everything having the same flavour - beef dripping - will make a meal bland.

Go on then. How many different types and flavours of fat will you be using to cook your roast potatoes and Yorkshire puds?

You did nothing wrong.

Except laugh about it regularly. That’s not the sign of a nice person, in fact it’s the sign of a cunt.

ugh. Who cooks in beef dripping. Sounds disgusting. What is this? The Middle Ages?
Perhaps take this as an opportunity to improve your cooking?

I think PurpleDaisies believes you cooked the chips yourself in beef fat and concealed it from your inlaws. Whereas it is clear from your post that you all ordered them at a restaurant thinking they were vegetarian and only later did you realise why they tasted so good. You did nothing wrong.

Rubbish. I’ve already said I would forgive an honest mistake. I would want to know.

Finding it funny was what was most objectionable.

I think if I were in your shoes OP I would prepare something in advance that could be frozen and then reheated on the day. That way you can make something nice but not stressful and not risk offending your guests or making them feel unwelcome.

I would also adapt sides where I could but if there are things that you really like a certain way I think it’s fine if you’ve made an effort with their main.

I’m veggie and would be a bit sad if the person I went to for Christmas didn’t cater for me at all but expected me to bring it all myself (admittedly might be different depending on the circumstances of them inviting themselves). I would be very happy so long as I had something to eat (and veggie gravy). I would probably cry if it was macaroni cheese though…

Not that Yorkshire puddings even have a place on a Christmas dinner plate, but that's a moot point.

Vegetarian / aspiring vegan here. Would not expect to be catered for and yes, would actually offer to bring my own, especially if I was the one asking to join an already planned meal.

@scottishnames

Everyone Please stop going on about nut roasts. That's NOT what most vegetarians like. Nor do many of us like 'welingtons' - stuff encased in soggy pastry. Pastry doesn't make anything festive; it's just a fatty, stodgy filler.

Vegetarians LIKE vegetables. If you want to add fat - eg to roast potatoes - then a good quality olive oil is - to very many of us - a much greater treat than dripping would be to you. and lighter, and healthier, and more ecological ...

the only vegetarian food I like are curries, noodles…you know stuff that has been perfected over generations 😎