Nearly all our Christmas dinner is out of a packet. Tell me I am not a bad person…

[Deminism]

I am hosting this year. Just seven people. But I want to be present for the kids etc.

All the veg and gravy and stuffing are out of (posh) packets. All the meat is prepared so I just have to put in oven at right moment.

I know it is my gaff my rules, but tell me I am not being a dreadful host please.

We’ve already had our Christmas dinner (British version).
For three people:
A 6kg turkey, sausages and bacon,
Paxo stuffing balls, carrots, Knorr stock pots for gravy
FROZEN roasties, Yorkshires, green beans
MICROWAVED pudding and carton of custard
Award winning mince pies and a mini slab of iced Christmas cake

Virtually no prep and it all came to about £35, courtesy of Iceland.

I'm doing the same. All the veg are from
M&S, making my life easy and I know it will taste great!

I'm doing the same. We're not hosting but we've ordered our food from cook. That way we can shove it all in the oven and enjoy playing with the kids drinking champagne instead.

I've got a frozen gammon joint.
Frozen roast potatoes.
Frozen veg.
Idahoan mash.

Im not spending my xmas pissing about in the kitchen, no way, it's my Christmas day just as much as anyone elses.

I don't do anything from packets and don't spend my day pissing about in the kitchen and I don't miss out. Some stuff we as a family do in advance (DH and DC included) such as making sauces and puddings, pickling cabbage, prepping stuffing etc and most stuff like veg is ready to go on the 24th, just needs putting into the oven, basting, turning etc and we all do that as necessary.

If it all fell to me, if I were missing out or if I didn't have time to do prep, you can bet your life I wouldn't be averse to opening a packet.

Given that we're moving house on the 22nd/23rd, our Christmas dinner will most definitely be out of various foil trays and no shits will be given. I might do the roast potatoes from scratch (dead easy and require very little effort) as we're really not fans of Aunt Bessie but apart from that it'll most likely be prepared with love and care by the lovely robots of Aldi's automated production line.

N0 used to cook roasts etc now I can’t I’ve stopped feeling guilty, arthritis has robbed me of cooking like I used, so no don’t you dare feel guilty enjoy your Christmas.

I'm going to be on my own on Xmas day but I'm making myself a lovely roast dinner from scratch, just cos I love it! However, if you're cooking for 7 I don't blame you for taking shortcuts so you can save time and enjoy the day. I'm sure it'll be bloody lovely, so enjoy!

When you say the meat is prepared - I imagine we're all doing the same. I have ordered a turkey but it will be plucked, prepared and ready to roast. Few people these days will be doing more than stuffing a bird or scoring the crackling on pork, etc - I'm quite sure!

As for veg - buying a sprout and peeling it, or buying them ready peeled, is pretty irrelevant in terms of the end result.

The only things a purist might criticise are using bought gravy, yorkshires, stuffing and maybe pigs in blankets. (My Dad would do all that himself and it would be amazing, but he would also get stressed and miss half of the present opening.....)! I'm not making any of those myself this year so no judgement here - Christmas should be fun for everyone! Enjoy your family and have a wonderful time!

Well I'm working nights Xmas Eve and Xmas night, so Xmas dinner not till the Monday. All from scratch my eldest likes to do the pigs in blankets, she's 24 lol

It's Christmas, not masterchef. Enjoy your day!

Sensible move and enjoy!

Good for you OP. I am buying pre-prepared meals for Christmas, there are only two of us and it's so easy. Anything to lessen the stress is good.

I salute you. Especially if your wine comes out of a packet.

Whatever gives you a Happy Christmas

Heck no you're not a bad person!
God I would hate to be slaving away in the kitchen all day in front of the oven on Christmas day like my mother was, up at the crack of a sparrows fart to shove my hand up a turkey's arse. No thank you. DH and I cook Christmas dinner together, this year it's one of those roasting tins of turkey, pre-cooked cauliflower cheese, steam bags of veg, ready to cook pigs in blankets. The only thing we will actually make are the roast potatoes (bc DH is anal about tatties), pour hot water in the paxo, and cook Brussels

You wouldn't be a bad person or host even if all the packets were decidedly NOT posh. You do you. Have a lovely time.

It’s the only way to have a calm christmas day in my opinion- plus I hate cooking - so it’s M&S here for all of it 😊

Sounds great, I'd be happy to eat it all.
I buy some things and make things that I like to make.

Christmas lunch isn't meant to be a tortuous event!

@PickAChew

It's Christmas, not masterchef. Enjoy your day!

I think I love you @PickAChew

I am doing exactly that! Enjoy

I’m sure your guests will be very happy to have a meal provided for them and your children will prefer you in the lounge to the kitchen.
Enjoy your Christmas 🎅🏻

Mine too - I don't like cooking much (my late husband did and he cooked Christmas dinner). It's just me and my two teens so I've ordered from the Sainsburys 'made to order' (separate from regular shop food). So I'm getting a stuffed turkey crown, roasties, veggies and a Christmas tree pigs in blanket that all I have to do is put straight in the oven. Even gravy is ready made. The cranberry sauce I've already got, bread sauce I'll make. I have a Christmas cake but think I'll need an alternative too.
I love a Christmas dinner but don't see the difference in me spending my day chopping or getting it in that way!

Nah! Make it easier on yourself so you can enjoy the day!

I’d much rather be a guest at a home with packet dinner and a relaxed atmosphere than fancy food and stress!

It sounds great. Don’t worry at all.

I get the COOK! Xmas dinner every year - tastes amazing, is cheaper per head and gives me no stress