If you aren't having a traditional Christmas dinner...

[GrumpySparkler]

What are you having instead?

Last year we had build your own burgers with beef dripping chips and onion rings. It went down a storm! I had brie, bacon and cranberry sauce on mine, DH had stilton, kids had classic plastic cheese, ketchup and American mustard. It took me 30 minutes, meaning I had all day to relax with the rest of the family.
I can't decide whether to do the same this year or do something else a bit different. Options are:

Japanese Teppanyaki
A selection of pies to have with mash and gravy
Steak, chips, onion rings, tomatoes, mushrooms and peppercorn sauce
Mulled wine beef stew with mash
Honey mustard chicken with mash
A selection of curries, rice, sag paneer, onion bhajis, samosa
Turkish style kebabs with flavoured couscous and salad

What are you having?

All of that sounds delicious!

I haven’t fully decided yet what we’re doing as I’m meant to be working nights Christmas Day.

Chinese or Indian takeaway. Or sit in if we feel like going out. A group of us did it last year and it worked well. Couldn’t go out though if the olds didjt want to go out though, can leave an oldie alone at Christmas .

It’s great having takeout though. Ive not resorted to paper plates. Yet. But I’m tempted!!

We're Jewish and get a giant Chinese takeaway, with leftovers eaten on xmas day.

We have young kids so do ‘party food’ for Christmas day; they’re not interested in a big sit down meal among all the excitement, so they get to graze all day and we get to crack on with the cheeseboard, charcuterie etc and a decent wine. (I do tend to do a dinner on Eve or Boxing Day though - but I’m the only one particularly bothered about it!)

We’ll be having Venison casserole on Xmas Day. It’s my annual ritual when it gets very cold to order kilo of venison from the butcher three stations down the line and then take the train and get it (there’s so few trad butchers round our way). It’s hearty, warming and low fat, which means we can indulge on other Christmas goodies with a slightly warmer conscience!

If I was cooking this year, I’d be making venison casserole, a beet bourguignon for the vegetarians, green beans, and baked potatoes.

We’re an Anglo-American family, so I do the full turkey dinner at Thanksgiving and prefer something else at Christmas.

We get a giant takeaway and call it a day honestly 😂then watch silly Hallmark movies and take funny pictures for a smartshow 3d slideshow, then rewatch a slideshow with photos from last year.
Edit: typo

I do one year traditional and the next one a different cuisine. We have cooked Indian, Mexican, Lebanese and Indonesian so far. These are by far the best Christmas meals I have done and although more difficult I seem to get more help in the kitchen.

Halloumi and steak wraps with loaded potato skins.

We are having party food. I do pizza, tempura prawns, mini beef burgers, chicken strips. Think new years eve party.

In the morning we have pastries and fruit.

I will also make a beef rib stew and do ready made cook in the oven bread.

I have never hosted christmas but if i have to one year, the idea of a takeaway really appeals to me!

We did steak, sautéd potatoes and blue cheese sauce last year. Was a hit and I’ve got requests for it again this year.

Lasagne, with salad, garlic bread, and pigs in blankets as they are a non-negotiable. We’ve done it for the last three years and I think it’s something that will stick.

So last year we did a big beef, miso and ale pie, with mash potatoes, braised cabbage and lots of veg.... Was scrummy- 4 year old has sausages and Yorkshire puddings....
Not sure this year- something that can be prepared ahead is a must.....

Only two of us this year so it’s cold lobster, salad and chips with a nice bottle of wine. It’s reassuring we aren’t the only ones ditching spending four hours roasting things.

If i wasn’t having a family Christmas id be on a plane out of here, alas commitments mean we can’t, boring turkey it is

Care to share the recipe? That sounds great.

The past three years we've been out on a long walk so it's been sandwiches or pasta in a food flask.

If we are at home this year we might do homemade pizzas.

I haven't eaten a "traditional" Christmas dinner, or even a roast dinner, for over 50 years.

When our DC were smallish we had one Christmas day where we had a domestic crisis - house, not relationships. We did spaghetti hoops on the primus and they still remember it as a highlight.

Love so many of these! But now my list of what we could have is getting longer! 😂

My dad always swears the best Christmas meal he had was the year after he divorced DM and he went for a curry on Christmas Day! I was jealous that year that we didn't spend it with him as I really fancied that!
I think one year I'll have to do it!

For the past 4 years we have had Christmas dinner on Christmas eve and then Xmas day is usually party food. Last year we had pizza, I was gutted I couldn't get the Christmas pizza from Aldi though! We'd had it the year before but last year couldn't find it.

This year I am thinking of making a cooked breakfast for Christmas lunch. Our actual breakfast i might do pastries and fruit as suggested by a previous poster.

Our son is autistic and quite particular about his food, he loves a full English breakfast though!

As someone else has said, it means less time for me in the kitchen and more time with my son to enjoy the gifts and time with each other as a family. My thinking over the years has been that it's only one day, I dont want to spend the majority of it in the kitchen!!!

If it wasn't for DH and whichever adult DCs come home,if any,I wouldn't bother. I'd probs have a sandwich

We did Thai one year and Mexican one year.

both great! Better than a roast