Alternative Christmas Day menu...

[chalkyc2]

Honestly I don't think I can face the traditional catering this year!

We are a family of 4 with pre teen boys (one doesn't eat roasts so traditional turkey wasted on him). We usually have my sisters family (veggie plus one gluten free!) and my parents (like traditional). I'm thinking whether I could totally mix it up and do something completely different. The traditional turkey is really only eaten by 5 of 9 of us. I then have to find room for the veggie alternative in my regular sized oven and be careful re gluten in the rest of the meal.

Help me think up something festive but easy?!? I don't mind doing 2 alternatives - one veg/one meat but - I dunno - festive chilli or something? The cooking ruins the day for me and it all seems so much effort!!

I do a christmassy afternoon tea. Most of it I can do the day before, so there's virtually no cooking in the day itself.

Think brie and cranberry tartlets, turkey and stuffing sandwiches, a tomato and mozzarella salad in the design of a candy cane, mini mince pies, mini Christmas cakes, a cheese board, panetonne, etc all laid out on cake stands and the likes.

Everyone can help themselves, and easy enough to gf bits in the mix.

Christmas Curry Feast?

2 or 3 curries that you could make ahead, maybe a couple of side dishes. Plenty of popadoms, naan bread, pickles, rice, samosas, onion bhajis etc?

Get everyone to pitch in with the prep and ask them for ideas for the meal in advance? Is there something which would appeal to everyone you could do and just forget the turkey roast for one year? Lots of things are naturally gluten free and you could add meat or fish for the non veggies.

Buffet!

I hope you are not having to host everyone and pay for all the food every year OP!

In your boat I think I’d do a festive buffet. Cook meat the night before and have it cold then have a mix of hot and cold buffet options. Cold can be things like smoked salmon/prawns, nice bread, salads. The hot can be things that can be prepared before and just need bunging in the oven to heat i.e cauliflower cheese, stew/bake. Literally something for everyone and you can live off the leftovers for days.

How about pies? You could do one meat, one veg that can be made in advance, and do a mash topping for the gluten free guest.

You can then do traditional sides to keep your parents happy.

Chilli doesn’t sound festive to me at all, much as I do like it.

The alternative is someone else hosts for a change! How have you ended up hosting every year when you don’t even like the cooking part?!

I'd do Brunch!

Platters of bacon and sausages (Inc veggie)
A big dish of scrambled eggs
Roasted tomatoes and mushrooms
Little diced herby potatoes
Bagels
Salmon
Cream cheese
Chopped fruits
Bucks fizz
Cinnamon swirls
Granola topped yoghurt

I love breakfast for dinner

I know re the hosting!! We host because we have the room for everyone. But...yeah!!

I love the idea of curry but my parents couldn't cope with that. My son would be happiest with pasta! I sometime have made him chicken goujons and potato waffles when he was younger just so he ate. I don't think I would mind the traditional if everyone actually ate the same thing but I end up adding a veg roast, veg gravy, veg sausages and gluten free stuffing and my oven can't take it!!

I find buffets just as much work as a roast - the same problem of lots of things needing to go in the oven. Could you do a pared down roast and prep lots of it in advance? All the veg prepared the night before etc. some people make roast potatoes the day before then reheat on the day. Make the veggie option gluten free as well. All the gravy is veggie gravy etc. Bung potato waffles in the toaster for ds to have with his meat. Ask guests to bring things to help out too.

Could you do something veggie and gluten free or is that the holy grail?
Trad roast for everyone else but perhaps do some cold sides so a) there is more oven space and b) interest for the veg/glut folk?
Have you ever cooked a rolled turkey breast? They are life changing in terms of time and energy. And oven space.
That leaves your son. If he wants spag bol on Christmas Day then it's a pretty simple one to do with sauce prepares in advance. Is he old enough to take charge of his pasta?

If I was in charge of Christmas dinner I would have pizza.
Several varieties (so the veggies/gluten free are covered), lots of salad bits, dips, Doritos, garlic bread etc.
Could have some pasta too.
But no one else in the family wants that....😕

Do a veggie roast in the oven and a gammon in the slow cooker. Skip the Yorkshire puddings and should be no issue with the gluten.
Also give jobs to people, and I don't mean asking for help. Literally tell them what jobs they have.

We had a ‘Christmassy ’ buffet last year, cold meat, side of salmon, hot bread rolls, stuffing, salads, pigs in blankets, sausage rolls, trifle, mince pies etc, plus additional bits for my vegetarian niece and vegan nephew, his partner and their children, it was great. Just brought things out over the course of the day had the oven on twice during the day to do the sausage rolls and bread rolls etc. then again in the evening to do a fresh batch. Everyone chipped in and it was great.

For several years now we've done the big traditional meal on the evening of Christmas Eve and then Christmas Day is dedicated to leftovers, the cheeseboard and puddings we're usually too stuffed to eat, treats we've been gifted. We usually buy a few freezer/ fridge goodies and some part baked breads to bulk it out but not to a fully catered level of buffet. Kids all request one thing each, my DPs and Gran hoin us and bring a ham, a salad, some cold cut meats - alluch easier formsomeone tonprep and bring than a side dish for traditional roast. I cannot rave about it enough. Makes the day so much more relaxed.

Could pie(s) work? You still get a centerpiece and veg can be Christmassy if you want them to be, could use either gluten free pastry or mash/sliced potato top one of them.

I do a festive afternoon tea. Then instead of Christmas pudding I make a baked Alaska.

We go to in-laws on boxing Day who do the traditional Xmas dinner, which I we don't want to eat two days running.

We do a Swiss fondue with bread and roast potatoes and vegetables. Works for us but appreciate might not be to everyone's taste!

Lasagne for the pasta requesters and the vegetarians (if they eat dairy )

You can make it vegan with a Linda McCartney mince ( that is the best of the non meat mince IMO ) with a passtata or Dolmia sauce . Use a plant based non sweetened milk and vegan spread .
You can make ahead and freeze .

Or a sausage plait with vegetarian sausage and flakey pastry

I’ve never done a roast turkey, I always disliked it even as a child, it was always chicken and another meat beef or lamb. Now Christmas dinner is what ever meat I can find Christmas week.

How about slow cooked lamb shanks, can be served with roast veg for those who want roast, pasta for your DS and a separate veg/gluten free option.

Sorry, the pie suggestion had been made previously, almost word for word. I hate it when other posters do that and I've just knocked it out of the park with that example myself! Ignore me.

Nearly everything can be made easily gluten free for a Christmas dinner, even the Yorkshire's if you use cornflour - they taste really good and can be made in advance (look up Becky excell)
Use cornflour in the gravy, most pigs in blankets and stuffing is gf, and you're good to go!
Buy a ready made veggie gravy and nut roast/Wellington equivalent and then top up with extra bits that your kids will definitely eat.

Sorry that doesn't help with alternative ideas but hopefully simplifies things a bit.

I think a buffet might be easier but then hard if your parents like traditional
How about going out for lunch?

I'd ask everyone to bring a dish

I'd do a roast and get the veggie to bring their own main to be reheated.

Instant gravy for them too. The teenager can suck it up. It's one meal.

You shouldn't be doing all the cooking just because you have the space!

Buy a turkey breast and cook in slow cooker to free up your oven. Buy GF pigs in blankets, gravy, yorkies (or make as pp have said).

Ask the vegetarians what they would like for main course - maybe they could bring?
For pasta loving dc make a bowl of pasta on Christmas Eve and heat up in microwave if you have to. Or lie and call the turkey chicken. I still do that although adult dd now knows the truth. Or just bung in lots of extra pigs in blankets and he can eat them instead of turkey.