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Christmas

If you're not having turkey...

126 replies

Fortuny · 29/11/2022 15:32

What are you having? Doesn't even need to be a roast. Looking for inspiration.

We're only ever 3 adults, last year I did the whole traditional dinner for the first time. Although it was nice, I couldn't help but think it wasn't worth the effort, cost or hype.

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Yolanda524 · 29/11/2022 15:34

I really don’t like turkey much. It’s ok and I eat it, I do like the cranberry sauce though. The last few years we have tried a goose and it was delicious and special as it’s the only time we have it. Takes a while to cook and makes a mess of your oven but worth it.

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Fortuny · 29/11/2022 15:35

Yolanda524 · 29/11/2022 15:34

I really don’t like turkey much. It’s ok and I eat it, I do like the cranberry sauce though. The last few years we have tried a goose and it was delicious and special as it’s the only time we have it. Takes a while to cook and makes a mess of your oven but worth it.

With traditional trimmings?

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Baconand · 29/11/2022 15:36

Cockerel or goose when it is just the 3 of us.
I don’t find rib of beef works as well for a small joint as we like it rare. But we do sometimes have it.

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BeyondTheLetterOfTheLawTheLetter · 29/11/2022 15:37

We're having a beige buffet - chicken nuggets, potato waffles, mozzerella dippers etc. The DC are having Xmas with their dad this year.

Everyone we have mentioned it too has offered to put us up a dinner, they don't seem to understand we want to have child's picky food 😁

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stclair · 29/11/2022 15:39

Always a ham

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WeAllHaveWings · 29/11/2022 15:40

Think it will be fillet of beef roast for us with dauphinoise potatoes and veg (and a couple of Brussel sprouts) for us, maybe yorkshire puddings too. Had it last year and it was amazing.

I have a fillet of beef and a sirloin roast in my M&S Christmas food order as couldn't make my mind up which one to do, I need to remember to take one out of the order before the cut-off date! Also being lazy using M&S dauphinoise potatoes.

I've had enough of spending Christmas day juggling a full turkey roast and trimmings in an oven that is fine all year round but too small for Christmas day.

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sanityisamyth · 29/11/2022 15:41

Doesn't look like many will be having turkey - it will be much expensive than previous years ...

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UtterlyUnimaginativeUsername · 29/11/2022 15:42

We're having pork shoulder with crackling and a roast chicken. I'll cook a ham on Christmas Eve so there will be leftovers of that available too.

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WeAllHaveWings · 29/11/2022 15:42

stclair · 29/11/2022 15:39

Always a ham

Excellent choice!

Our ham is always reserved for boxing day. Love a ham and cauliflower cheese too.

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hairyunicorn · 29/11/2022 15:43

As it will only be my son and I this Xmas we have decided to forgo the turkey and instead have a very luxury breakfast / brunch and will be ordering a take away for our evening meal.

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SquigglePigs · 29/11/2022 15:44

We're having roast beef this year. Haven't decided on what to do with it yet though.

We tend to alternate and do turkey every other year and something different in-between. Although last year I hosted both parents and in-laws separately a couple of days apart so we did turkey for one and beef for the other. We had Yorkies, roast potatoes and pigs in blankets with both because otherwise there would have been a riot but we varied the veg dishes.

I'd love to do lamb but DM doesn't eat lamb so generally it's turkey or beef.

My Dad BBQ'd the whole turkey one year when I was a kid so that could be different....

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BigglyBee · 29/11/2022 15:45

Every year we vote on it. One year it was fish and chips, one year it was roast duck, but usually we have steak pie. My husband makes a fabulous pie, with ox cheeks and lovely rich gravy. We have whatever we feel like with it, which might be Yorkshire puddings, or roast parsnips, but it might just be peas and carrots. The kids choose the dessert, which is usually ice cream.

It's lovely, very relaxed and loads of fun, and without the feeling that we have to eat more than we want to, but we still all feel well fed.

Because it's traditional, we also have steak pie on New Year's Day. We really love a steak pie!

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purpleboy · 29/11/2022 15:45

Pork joint and beef Wellington. Although my mum really wants a Chinese takeaway or a BBQGrin

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BeyondTheLetterOfTheLawTheLetter · 29/11/2022 15:47

hairyunicorn · 29/11/2022 15:43

As it will only be my son and I this Xmas we have decided to forgo the turkey and instead have a very luxury breakfast / brunch and will be ordering a take away for our evening meal.

Make sure somewhere is open - we did Chinese one year, but had to order it on Xmas eve as nowhere was opening Xmas day!

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Doodadoo · 29/11/2022 15:47

I'm having t-bone steak.

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Figgyroller · 29/11/2022 15:48

Local venison - lush and low food miles...

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hairyunicorn · 29/11/2022 15:49

Thanks @BeyondTheLetterOfTheLawTheLetter def something i will check out

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4yearsandwaiting · 29/11/2022 15:50

My dc choose their favourite meal and this year its curry for lunch and giant pigs in blanket sandwiches at tea time. The kids (all teens) will help make most of it the day before.

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Flapjackquack · 29/11/2022 15:52

I’m doing a beef Wellington with the traditional trimmings because obviously my Christmas dinner needed more carbs 😁

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TheOtherBoleynGirls · 29/11/2022 15:53

Cockerel here too, we find it easier to do things with leftovers compared to most other meats - Boxing Day will be cold meat with good bread, cheese etc, then we’ll probably make empenadas(sp?) with any more leftovers. We’ll have a gammon on Christmas Eve I think for more leftovers.

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Heyahun · 29/11/2022 15:53

Lasagna chips and salad

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FinallyHere · 29/11/2022 15:55

We have turkey leg, deboned and stuffed with chestnut sausage meat stuffing with 'all' the trimmings, including roast potatoes and gravely to die for.

We usually low carb but throw all restrictions to the winds for that one day. It's lovingly prepared in a small, local (walking distance) restaurant and we only ever eat it on Christmas Day.

Each turkey leg is the size of a small joint and provides ample meat for three greedy people. We usually carry off plenty of 'cold cuts' for to have on Boxing Day with loads of green veg (having climbed back on the low carb waggon)

Really look forward to the 'traditional' meal when we only eat that way on one day of the year, it is expertly cooked and we have no washing up to do. win:win:win

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Allthemojitos · 29/11/2022 15:56

We are having tartiflette this year as I want something easier than a roast. I can prep in advance the whole family love it and it feels like a decadent meal.

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Always4Brenner · 29/11/2022 16:00

Slices 0f beef or turkey.

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Kucinghitam · 29/11/2022 16:01

We're not that keen on turkey so usually have beef or lamb or cockerel. This year is the first in ages that we haven't decided and ordered already. I'm seriously thinking of just mooching around the supermarket just before closing time on Christmas Eve and buying whatever catches my eye (and is reduced). Not sure if that's a high-risk strategy...

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