Please tell me your alternative Christmas dinners!

[letsgoandtango]

We are going to have the full works on Boxing day with my parents and don't want anything similar on Christmas day. Most of the "alternative" suggestions I can find are still a roast, just with a different meat.

I don't want to do loads of cooking, I'm not averse to a takeaway but would want it to be more special than a normal one iyswim, ideally with a big central something.

Please give me some ideas!

Raclette always goes down well in our house over Christmas .I make it with prawns , beef, veggies all grilled on the central plate and accompanied with potatoes and different sauces and of course the raclette cheese.It's a slow sociable meal and we all love it.

Go Italian, that's what I'm doing for boxing day:
Lasagne
Garlic bread
Salad
Nice wine

You can make the lasagne now, freeze it and have it ready so you don't have to cook then. Enjoy x

Lasagne followed by apple crumble and custard, every year - my son's choice

My friend does an Indian dinner on xmas day, then a roast on boxing day.

Oooh both great suggestions! I do love a raclette. And 3 of us would be over the moon with lasagne but DC1 would murder me unfortunately! I wonder if I can think of an acceptable version...

Trailing what is in the Indian meal? I like that idea but don't know what dishes would make it special

We used to do a separate Christmas Eve dinner with DH family (until I realised how ridiculous it was as we saw them on Christmas. Whole different story....). I did do a roast but not with traditional sides. I'd do something like a roast leg of lamb but served room temperature with salads etc often purchased from a local deli. I did Kleftiko one year with new potatoes and greens.

If it was for my family I'd do a big stew but DC and DH's family aren't big fans. But if yours are, that could work.

I'm trying to decide what to do for the 4 of us this year as we're out Christmas Day but have no other plans. But DD is a bit fussy so the closest to "special" I'll probably be able to come is steak and chips! Which is nice. But doesn't feel very festive!

We haven't eaten meat for a while but we did all used to love a slow roast leg of lamb with greek type salads, so that would feel quite special
I'd find steak and chips much harder to cook but DH would be happy!

Hi,
So indian starters can be anything like samosa, spring rolls, onion bhajis and a nice mixed salad, served with chutneys. She lives near an Indian food shop/takeaway type shop so she buys them a day or two before and then fries them.
Indian food can be heavy so leave a good gap between courses.
Mains would be curries, such as chicken curry, paneer curry, chickpea curries.
And a dry sabjee, such as palak paneer, or mixed vegetable. Serves with nann or roti.
For dessert they do items like a slightly warm gulab Jamun served with vanilla ice cream, or something called rasmalai. It's made of milk and its bloody delicious, however some people find indian desserts a bit too sweet, so you could just do regular desserts.

I am having beef Wellington this year and then a traditional afternoon tea.

@letsgoandtango

We haven't eaten meat for a while but we did all used to love a slow roast leg of lamb with greek type salads, so that would feel quite special I'd find steak and chips much harder to cook but DH would be happy!

I have to say it did work well for us. One year MIL and I went to a food market the day before together and stocked up on a lot of mediterranean sides and it was great and pretty low maintenance for me because all I had to do was cook the joint and set the table etc. And there is something about a table with lots of bowls of dishes waiting to be served that feels festive, even if those bowls are fava beans and potato salad!

If you do want to do greek style, a few dips - home made or store bought - work well too. Baba ganoush, tzitiki, hummus etc. Falafels go down well here.

I have done a peri peri chicken with salad and green rice.
Or lasagne, garlic bread and salad is always a winner and can easily be veggie.
Pork casserole with mashed potato and broccoli/peas is nice and hearty.
Or stew and dumplings?
I am making my self hungry now.

Green rice
1 onion finely chopped
1 tbs oil
175g rice
115g passata
2 cloves grated garlic
big pinch salt and pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
500ml water
handful fresh chopped coriander

1 fry onions in oil until translucent
2 add rice and fry very gently for 5 mins
3 add everything else except the coriander and stir
4 simmer gently with the lid on for 20 mins

Jesus I'm starving now

I absolutely love all of these ideas though, will have to put it to a family vote

My plan is

Nigella Christmas spiced ham
A turkey crown (brined - another Nigella recipe)
Roasted cubes potatoes with charred peppers
Winter slaw
Mac n cheese
Chipolatas in honey and mustard
Smoked salt chocolate torte

My sister is bringing the cheese board.

I prefer to lay out room temperature food so people can help themselves as and when. With a 2 year old nephew I don't like to tie everything into sitting down for a timed meal.

I too was going to suggest raclette or fondue. I've also had a fondue of sorts which was a hot broth to cook the meat rather than hot cheese. Ideally, if you had 2 fondues, you could do a cheese and a broth version with plenty of sides.

Another option would be fajitas with several filling options: prawn, guacomole, rice, chicken or beef strips in fajita mix, black beans, kidney beans or refried beans, lettuce/tomatoe/cheese.

Australian here. Either sausages, steak etc on the bbq with salad

Or Seafood with salad.

Pavlova, trifle and fruit salad.

But I like turkey on the weber so that’s what we have.

I know you said not a roast, but a roast ham could be cooked in advance the day or night before, and served up cold with apple sauce (very easy and can also be made in advance) and other lovely sides. Maybe roast pork sandwiches with stuffing, crackling, apple sauce and gorgeous soft rolls?
Or could serve with a selection of ready made party/buffet type food that is in all the shops at the moment.

I'd go something like Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's beef with soy and ginger, it's easy, delicious and the flavours are very different from a christmas meal but it might still be too much meat-as-centrepiece for you.

Otherwise I think fajitas or tapas or raclette, if lasagne is off the cards. There's something festive about everyone reaching round for different bits somehow but again I don't know if they're special enough.

Thank you all! I have put it to the family and after a load of arguments we're going to do a "hotel style" multi-cultural buffet, so a load of our favourite starters, salads, nibbles etc, and I'll do some kind of big centrepiece like a ham/leg of lamb/salmon en croute.

Saves having to agree on one cuisine

Also includes lots of bits that can be made in advance, or bought from a takeaway and shoved in the oven on the day.

Glad you've come to a decision OP, I hope you all have an amazing day with lots of fab food!

Thank you Trailing, you too