Christmas Dinner challenge

[Forgoodnesssakejustletme]

We host every year and each time it gets more challenging. So this year, dad (86) who struggles to eat meat and roast potatoes, not keen on veg, loves a prawn cocktail and sausages. Mum (81) a fellow prawn cocktail eater, favourite food pasta/pesto/ feta cheese/ olives. DH - big meat eater. Lactose intolerant. DS & girlfriend- vegetarian. Dbro eats anything- good man. Me - pescatarian (sp?). How on earth do I pull this together? We spend so much time on a roast which the majority of us don't really want other than the roasties and yorkshire pudding but DH loves. Thinking more buffet style this year but what???? Please help.

Yes buffet makes sense. I would do sausages and a turkey crown or small ham for meat eaters. Prawn cocktail, smoked salmon. Veggie quiche. 2-3 salads. Cheese. Roasties, Yorkshire puddings. I would serve it all as a buffet on the side so everybody picks whatever they fancy. A lot of it can be cold and done the day before so it should make for a relaxed day hopefully :)

We put food in the middle, in your case I would do starters (as prawn cocktails seem to be a favourite, obviously a vegetarian option) then put into the middle a small roast (turkey crown or beef perhaps, cooks much quicker) roasted potatoes, vegetarian main (perhaps a lasagna?), veggies.

So only 3 meat eaters? Unless your DH loves turkey so much he wants it cold for a week even a crown may be a bit much even. As lone meat eater at Christmas I usually major on the veg, then do either: roast duck (either whole or individual legs - much cheaper than turkey normally), or M&S do a small turkey breast joint that serves 3. I can’t find it on their website but check in stores nearer the time.

They do small hams too.

I think a big buffet of everyone's favourite foods sounds like the best plan. You can cater to everyone's needs in this way, and I'd bet they all say it was the best Christmas dinner as they got to eat their favourite foods.

Quorn breast Hubby can have a chicken breast , pigs in blankets obviously (there are veggie versions ) two starters. One prawn cocktail. One stuffed mushrooms. Do mash and roasties. Everyone just has what they want