Christmas Day meal of "picky bits"

[PrinzessinCressida]

Do any of you do this instead of a full roast? What sort of things do you have? I've never done it but the idea has taken my fancy this year. I'm thinking stuffing balls, pigs in blankets, roast potatoes, maybe even red cabbage or sprouts... so I guess most of the trimmings but not the meat. Is this a silly idea? Are there any other things that would go well, perhaps chicken tenders?

Is it just me but "picky bit" or "picky tea" gives me the rage along with "dippy eggs" Jeez!!

It’s not just you @DeclareThePenniesOnYourEyes. Also hate people “bobbing” into Asda for some “bits”. Or anyone “popping” anything in or on to anywhere.

Just a quite specific fussiness here - without gravy I don't want to eat roast potatoes, cabbage, sprouts. With gravy I love it all. Without, it's too dry. Gravy does not really suit a buffet. I'd be hugely disappointed in a meal like this and would eat very little of it. As long as it suits everyone you've got coming though, it matter not a jot what anyone else thinks.

I have 2 autistic children and one on a restricted diet. A few years ago I decided not to do a Christmas lunch but instead just cook the dcs favourite foods (including a few Christmas foods eg pigs in blankets, mince pies). Every year they choose what they want (this year its a curry with rice followed by mince pie and ice cream). Last year we had a cold buffet of all their favourite foods. I'm of the opinion why eat what you don't like just because it's Christmas day.

@hotmeatymilk

Your thread title is deeply upsetting. Give us all the Christmas gift of never saying “picky bits” again

Yeah, listen to hot meaty milk!

Yet descriptions of Christmas eating on here involve so many twatty examples of 'munching', 'grazing', 'nibbling' and 'hoovering'.

Breakfast? We just munch on selection boxes yeaah go you

Christmas lunch? We just graze throughout the day on lovely breads and patés from the Alsace yeaah but that's not what the OP asked about, is it? She needs advice on what month to put the cabbage on for a family of 16

Canapés? Nothing formal here. We simply nibble on quinoa and clemetine jus oh god do fuck off

Sprouts? My twins just absolutely hoover them up! And they're only a year old so it's super to use Christmas to set appropriate eating habits for life

You enjoy your picky bits, OP, and have a lovely Christmas with you and yours.

calling any food 'picky bits' is vile ... scabs are the first thing that comes to mind.

This year we are not celebrating Christmas as adult DD is working so we are delaying it for 2 weeks when she comes home. As a result, I am having something that I missed out on as a child.....a birthday "party" (although it will only be me and DP), complete with jelly, ice-cream and a proper birthday cake not a yule log with a candle in it. Can't wait.

@hotmeatymilk

Your thread title is deeply upsetting. Give us all the Christmas gift of never saying “picky bits” again

😂😂😂

TRIGGERING THREAD!!!

Quite right that “picky bits” brings to mind a full buffet of scabs and bogeys.

I think a buffet of just basically Xmas Dinner side dishes sounds very odd but each to their own

As long as you make proper gravy to go with it all then sounds like a good plan! The sides are the best bit, I agree

How would your idea work though? Would it be hot or cold? I can't see cold sprouts or cabbage being much fun!

Why is there no meat? Perhaps have some cold ham or chicken if you're going the cold route?

If you were doing all cold items you could add things like pork pie, sausage rolls etc.

Personally, I think a hot Christmas dinner would be nicer.

Roast dinners are generally horrible. If we are at home on 25th (like this year) we have smoked salmon, cheese & what you might call "party food". If you want a curry, Chinese, or beans on toast etc then they are all fine - whatever you enjoy.

Glad I opened this thread

Call it Christmas tapas. Picky bits sounds like something that’s fallen out of your bum.

I'm sorry OP but I wouldn't like this at all! Christmas to me is as much about the food as it is about the presents & I always wanted dc to get that too.
Yes, it's exciting to get new toys but it's also equally important to share a meal around the table & i figured they'd never learn to enjoy the traditional foods if they never got them

I love love love traditional Christmas dinner & I adore setting the table etc

We eat in the evening, always have so there was always plenty of time to play with dc etc during the day. They're teens now so none of that is relevant now anyway

I would be very disappointed with a strange buffet, or a buffet of any sort as my Christmas dinner

I am tempted to do this now. DH is vegetarian and can never commit to what he wants as the main centrepiece. DS1 has severely restricted eating. DS2 and I like everything.

I will have to give it some thought.

Picky bits sounds revolting so YABVU. Makes me think of someone scratching their infected genitals.

@Avarua, @hotmeatymilk, preach!

I've dreamed of doing a low effort Christmas dinner for years but it gets shot down by the rest of the household.

I wouldn't do a deconstructed Christmas dinner tho - I'd do charcuterie (that might include pigs in blankets) pate, crusty bread, a selection of lovely cheeses, crudités and pickles, then an assortment of wonderful desserts (that must include trifle even though nobody else likes it)

Yes, just sounds like a roast without the meat. I can't see the point of this unless you're a vegetarian tbh.

Roast dinners are generally horrible

Only if they are made by bad cooks. I mean... obviously if you dislike roasted meat or hate roast potatoes then you might not be keen. But otherwise I don't see what would make a roast dinner 'horrible', aside from poor execution.

I've always done this as i hate cooking, and its DS1s birthday on Xmas Eve, when we also have a slap up meal!
Lots of cheeses, stuffed peppers with goats cheese, ham, salami, pickles, olives, houmous, cocktail sausages, falafel, crackers, oatcakes, pitta bread etc etc.. and it rolls over to Boxing day

I am planning to do buffet food for Christmas day this year. We went rogue last year and got an Indian takeaway. But I want Christmas food, just not to have to make a roast that some of my children don't even enjoy. So party food seems the best option. I plan on getting lots of different cheese, breads, cranberry sauce, pickled cabbage, smoked salmon etc and make some roasted sprouts, stuffing balls and pigs in blankets as the only hot food.

I would do a ham the day before, serve it with part baked rolls and a cheese board with pigs in blankets and a nice winter slaw