If you're not having turkey...

[Fortuny]

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.

We always have leg of lamb.

I haven’t done Turkey in a few years. I prefer chicken, so if we’re having a traditional Christmas dinner I make chicken & a ham.

Other years we’ve had a curry. Quite nice fit a change!

I think we're having roast chicken with all the trimmings and I might get a ham too (if I can stretch the finances!) am working a seven day stretch. Have just said to DH to make some fresh bread so when I come back from work I can have a chicken + trimmings sandwich YUM 😋

Turkey and all the trimmings plus a Quorn roast for Christmas Day, smoked gammon joint, cauliflower and broccoli cheese, bubble and squeak and cold cuts on Boxing Day...5 generations and various carnivores and vegetarians to cater for!

We always have either leg of lamb or rib of beef. This year we're having a half leg of lamb.

We aren't turkey fans either OP. But I do like a festive meal. I'm making roast Guinea fowl wrapped in bacon, with tartiflette. It's smaller and quicker and much tastier, imo!

On previous Christmas's I've had in no particular order
Steak
Beef and onion pie
Turkey
Salmon en croute
Beef Wellington
Lamb (with little hats, I forget its name)
Slow cooked lamb shanks
Pork in many forms.

And always done all the usual sides including sauces and stuffing and sprouts and pigs and well everything. It doesnt matter if it "goes" its Christmas so itll be fine.

One year though I plan burgers, maybe the pulled pork ones from earlier in this thread. I think that'll be a standout. The steaks were a fondly remembered year too.

Capon, pigs in blankets and stuffing all pre ordered from my local butcher. We had it last year and was delicious!!

Last year we had steak, I had covid so unexpectedly it was me and my girl. She still talks about how yummy it was. But I'm not forgiven for forgetting to order crackers
This year I'm telling my parents to order a rib of beef, Turkey is crazy money

Might copy this myself.

We are having duck breast, loads easier to cook and feels special as we don’t have it often! When it’s my mums turn to do Christmas she usually does beef. All the usual Christmassy sides with both the beef and the duck though.

Spuds as the main?

We're having chicken ordered from the local farm shop as there are only 3 adults and 2 smallish children. Will be left over ham from Christmas Eve too.

I dislike Turkey.

We're going to have a buffet on Christmas Day and go to the cavery on Christmas eve so we're basically just switching the 'typical' days meals around then a takeaway on boxing day 😋

Buffets are the best!! They've always been my favourite part of Christmas (we had one on Christmas eve growing up) and this year we're going to the cavery on Christmas eve and I'm doing a buffet for us on Christmas day!! 😄🤗

I may be going for the veggie turkey option this year but I don't know which ones are the best. I'm not strictly veggie - I eat fish, but am unsure what the most similar one would be to that, which would go with the Xmas Dinner-style trimmings, probably none of them.

Have you found out what will be open? We were going to get a takeaway but with most of them being closed we're now getting one on boxing day instead

Roast beef and a turkey crown, to please the turkey haters and the traditionalists.
Left to my own devices it would be venison.

It’s a bit more than just spuds. It’s a one pot meal made from jambon, mushrooms, Reblochon cheese (lots of), onion and potatoes all cooked in white wine.

There are 12 of us with varied diets. Xmas dinner will include:

Cocktails
Salmon blinis / dips / nuts/ olives/ crudités

A capon rather than a turkey
A ham - spiced & cooked
A pistachio and artichoke nut roast
A million types of veg!

Wine /beer

Xmas pudding
Chocolate cake
Mince pies
Cheeses
Port

Will be having leftovers for boxing day! 🍖🍗🍽🥔🌶🥕🧀🍇🥜🍏🥮🍐🫒🧄🧅🍠

We never have Turkey as I hate it, we do a giant 4 rib forerib of beef and a ham.
MIL does a goose for us on Boxing Day.

Goose as we do every year
I actually like turkey which is what we had as children but I'm outvoted every year now ( I do love goose though)

Chicken, or lamb this year. I do not enjoy turkey meat.

The last few years we've had a steak dinner. So much nicer than turkey!!