Boxing Day ideas for meaties coming to a veggie house

[Heruka]

Having a load of family on Boxing Day. First year we have a big enough house to accommodate them all but some made clear they couldn’t do a non meaty Xmas dinner which i do understand, so we are all going to a different family member on Xmas day then us on Boxing Day.

I want to make something lovely and show them that veggie life is not as appalling as they think, but possibly I am putting too much pressure on myself and it’s not my job to teach them that?!! I’ve offered to bring our veggie main on Xmas so will bring a butternut squash/feta/nut wellington that we’ve done before.

Anyway, what should I make for them coming to us. I’m also conscious that the Boxing Day vibes are different and folk may not want a massive meal, so planning to have lots of lovely snacks and drinks while we lounge about, but I’m a bit stuck for the meal. I thought of doing really fancy cheese platter, soups and croissants kinda thing, and make a sticky toffee pudding, or I could do a more elaborate main meal to impress - any ideas?

Especially would like to hear from any meat eaters who would feel similar to my relatives who are fairly horrified by being separated from meat for 8 hours or so

This is my favourite recipe ever and would make a great Boxing Day main course (if you make it first thing in the morning then it happily cooks away while host). I’d serve with buttery mashed potatoes, and butter sautéed leeks and shredded savoy cabbage.

I totally realize this might be a bit heavy for Boxing Day (and only really works if your family like mushrooms!)

Would help if I posted the link 🤦🏻
smittenkitchen.com/2009/01/mushroom-bourguignon/

I think soup, snacks, breads, cheeses and snacky bits are great for boxing day. Good luck

We always have jacket potatoes and nice cheese, some salads and leftovers on Boxing Day. Possibly my favourite Christmas meal.

Oh Herbiverous that looks totally amazing and I am definitely saving that to make for myself!! My DH and kids are not big mushroom fans sadly but something like this would be what me, mum and sister would adore. We always had mushroom soup for Xmas day starter.

I am thinking simple but tasty like crackers etc or you jacket potato idea lilyfire, but I can’t help the nagging feeling that I am being judged and need to defend myself! (There is also a lot of judgement about the kids being veggie but that is another thread…)

Are you wanting it to be Christmas themed, or are you planning to cook something new, and possibly different from fresh?

Because isn't it mostly the expectation that Boxing Day at least is leftovers and Christmas snacky things like cheese, party food, bread, fruit, nuts, crisps, olives, chocolates and maybe pork pies for the meat eaters?

I'd go with the cheeseboard, bread, soup etc, and maybe add a nice quiche, say cheese and broccoli, because there's no such thing as too much cheese. Then also things like onion bhajis and samosas if you're doing a buffet. You know, normal food that everyone eats?

We are going to family on boxing day for a buffet..just picky bits and as an ex veggie I would not pander to meat eaters.

am putting too much pressure on myself and it’s not my job to teach them that?!!

fairly horrified by being separated from meat for 8 hours or so

I eat meat and would prefer the traditional roast Christmas dinner. It’s once a year, a special meal. I cook meat free several times a week. I have no issues with vegetables, nuts and pulses but don’t eat fake meat products, including quorn. Cook whatever you like on Boxing Day that you would normally choose to eat on a special occasion. It’s a family time to enjoy company and share food but do try to avoid adopting a position of moral superiority.

If its boxing day, just get some nice snacks in- people will probably have leftovers at home for dinner so won't need loads. Being veggie makes it fairly easy to be honest because you could do cheese, crackers, chutneys, crisps, dips, biscuits and cakes. I would avoid meat replacement stuff as that's the thing that would drive comments, everything else people probably eat all of the time anyway!

Cross posted, definitely keep it simple and just do a buffet like most people would. If they're the type of person who's going to make an issue because it's a broccoli quiche instead of pork pie and the samosas are vegetable and not meat, then there's no helping them TBH.

No-one should be eating meat every day or even every day, so there's no reason to take issue with a normal Boxing Day buffet that just happens to not have any meat in it.

If you are comfortable with cooking meat I would do a lot of pigs in blankets and serve as part of a buffet style selection including cold cut deli meats, Indian snacks, cheese board, olives etc and nice bread. When I've done this in the past I did a massive bowl of roast potatoes for the adults and chips for the kids. Always went down well. People in my family like to graze on Boxing Day !

every meal or even every day that is.

Will you not make anything meat for them?

I'd do a buffet.

Mini filo tarts with brie and cranberry, a tomato and mozzarella salad, but shaped like a candy cane, good focaccia, crudités, curried eggs, pickles, a green salad and possibly something like a tabbouleh. Easy enough to prep ahead.

I don’t really know what everyone eats Barbara, the last few hrs we have dotted around so many family members at Xmas and have never done our own so I came to see what MN think.

I could make a quiche, as part of a bit of a spread, that’s a good idea and easy. I wouldn’t provide meat and don’t want it in my house. I suppose that’s my query, I want to help them understand that a meal without meat isn’t a terrifying prospect and enjoyable, but maybe I couldn’t do that, nor is it my job?

I like your plan of soup, nice bread and cheese. It'd be welcome after the heavy meal at Xmas. I'm an omnivore but not necessarily wedded to meat at every meal. People are odd though, there are loads of non meat options that they probably every day.

Oooh love these ideas June, especially the candy cane salad, my kids will love!!

What would you normally eat for Boxing Day? I'm a meat eater but would happily eat whatever was provided for me if I was invited to someone else's house and wouldn't expect them to go to loads of trouble.
I think a cheese platter or soup sounds great for Boxing Day. Throw in some crusty bread and I'm happy
Don't put yourself under too much pressure, I'm sure they will be happy with whatever you offer.

Yes pink like I said I do understand the Xmas day thing and being attached to your favourite meal. I don’t feel morally superior about the meat but I do feel defensive about being judged for not eating meat I guess. They think we are weirdos I think and 10yrs ago they wouldn’t have entertained staying at ours. When we used to go for meals they would serve us potatoes and carrots and that’s it, as a passive aggressive punishment I think!! So that’s the baggage, more than me thinking I am better than them not eating meat. I just think I am a more respectful human

@Morgan12

Will you not make anything meat for them?

No.

There’s some lovely ideas here. I’d cook a buffet with lovely treats on that you’d usually do - there are so many nice veggie finger food options and party snacks ( if you don’t want to make your own). Things like baked cheeses are good ( if veggie cheeses) and Asian cuisine nibbles like samosas and gyozas with chilli dips could be nice. Lots of fresh salads.

No one should be asking if you are providing meat. Completely ridiculous. If people can’t go a day without meat they can eat a turkey sandwich when they get home. They will literally have had one of the most meat-heavy meals if they year the day before.

I do understand what you mean about the pressure to almost prove a non-meat based feast will be okay, though. Don’t be hard on yourself - sounds like you are very generous to be hosting.

@ JuneOsborne
That candy cane salad idea is genius.

There is a really lovely faux gras pate I got the recipe for off here which is rich and lovely on crusty bread. But cheese is often a good go-to for people who eat lots of meat!

I'd do a buffet and keep it simple, or even retro. Some hot and some cold.

A soup, a rice dish, sandwiches, chees and fruit board with crackers, brie and mango chutney filo parcels, spinach and cream cheese filo parcels, mushroom vol-au-vents (bake the cases and add condensed mushroom soup) a 'hedgehog' of cheese and pineapple on cocktail sticks, salad, vegi chili, selection of breads, some pickles. For really retro do deviled eggs too.

Other hot food you could add part way through, pizza (get a cookie cutter and make mini pizzas), pasta in a cheese sauce, cheese and onion pie, stuffed onions or mushrooms, garlic mushrooms.

Mmm Happyhedgehog, something like this looks tasty www.davidlebovitz.com/faux-gras-foie-gras-vegetarian-lentil-mushroom-pate-recipe/

Thank you squit for your kind words and reassurance! I think I know I shouldn’t put the pressure on but hard to avoid too. At least planning now and getting what I can made in advance will keep the stress down.

And sassh some fab ideas too, love a devilled egg and a hedgehog!!