Would you be disappointed to be invited to someone's house on Easter Sunday and not be served a roast?

[ohpumpkinseeds]

I've got 12 adults and 6 kids coming on Easter Sunday, for an Easter egg hunt / games and food. I've not specified what the food will be and I'm wondering if people will be disappointed to not get a roast dinner?

At this stage I'm a bit fed up of roast dinners and wanting to embrace spring! I'm thinking a slow roast leg of lamb marinated in harissa, and some bone in/skin on chicken thighs roasted with garlic thyme and honey. I could then do a couple of salad type sides, and some flatbreads??

Can you link your recipes?! Sounds amazing and I've been wondering what to do for our guests!!

I wouldn't expect anyone to cook a roast for that many people so no

If someone else is cooking I'm happy! Sounds amazing!

OP, your menu for lunch sounds fantastic. Can I race @FUBAR77 to your front door.😁

I certainly would not be disappointed with harissa lamb!

Or the chicken …

I was ready to come on and say yes I'd be disappointed, but after reading your menu, no I'd be very happy with that!

It all sounds lovely and I'd certainly not be disappointed. My only question would be do you know the eating habits of the children coming? Because if both the meats are cooked in strong flavours you risk any fussy eaters struggling.
The other thing is if you think the people coming are the type to always have a more traditional roast at Easter or for Sunday lunch, you could just mention the plan to them in advance to manage expectations. No reason not to go the plan though, they should be very grateful for such a feast!

@lokudwa I would be really interested to hear more about this. I don't think you're the only one who might have felt disappointed, having read similar threads previously. Is it that you have a clear expectation of having roast on any given Sunday and not having it would be so out of the norm as to elicit a feeling of disappointment? Even if it is at someone else's house?
I can't wrap my head around it.

Am I missing something here?

How is a slow roast leg of lamb not 'a roast'?

No it sounds fab and to be invited and have not to cook is even better .

We host at Easter (like at Christmas) and tradition is Turkey still - but we always do lamb as well as it's Easter

That sounds good. I am muttering to myself about butterflied leg of lamb on the weber, perhaps a small roast chicken cooked first so it cools a bit, salad and roast potatoes.

Sounds fabulous - I enjoy any food that I haven’t had to cook as it’s such a treat but yours sounds amazing. Have a lovely time.

@EveSix oh only that Christmas and Easter are roast events in my family (special roasts, with all the trimmings, which we love) we're not the most adventurous when it comes to making international food (I love it when it's cooked for me in restaurants etc, and do try to dabble a bit at home) and I think there would be a fear of ruining a special occasion if the meal went wrong! And a lack of imagination I suppose! (Before anyone quotes this without reading my original comment I said I was ready to say I would be disappointed UNTIL I saw the OP's menu then quickly changed my mind and decided that sounded lovely!)

We’re a mostly vegetarian family and it wouldn’t occur me to me to expect a roast at Easter. Prob would at Christmas, but not Easter

That actually does sound like a roast dinner to me but to answer your question I would be happy to eat that at Easter and be grateful to you to doing it

I would kind of consider that a "roast dinner" anyway.
It sounds like a formal-sit-at-the-table Sunday dinner to me....so a "proper" Easter meal which is what I consider a "roast" to be.
Why would anyone complain about that?
(although I don't like "roast dinner" or lamb so obviously I wouldn't be wanting to eat that - but my family know that so wouldn't expect me to eat it anyway).

Sounds delicious. I'd just be cautious that harissa might be too spicy for the children and some of the adults.
DH de-boned then marinated a leg of lamb last weekend in lemon juice, garlic, oregano and olive oil. We served it with soft wraps, homous, salad, cous cous options.Delicious.

Absolutely not. We’re going to family for an egg hunt on Sunday and I think it will probably be sandwiches / buffet food for lunch. I’m looking forward to it. It certainly wouldn’t occur to me to start mentally complaining about not getting a roast!

Sounds lovely! I’m doing just a buffet for Easter Sunday lunch as we don’t have enough chairs for everyone. But I have told everyone when I invited them.

I'm in Australia so we are having similar to what we have at Christmas where it's hot on both holidays.
So seafood, salads, cold meats (pork/ham/Turkey etc) pasta salads/potato salads, just light foods, we would never expect a hot roast, though since it's warm/hot day, never do.

This is making me feel sad about the Sainsbury's buffet I'm going to be serving 🤣 I'd rather come to yours.

11am you say?

I'll just make a note of that... 😍

No, we are visiting family on Easter Sunday and relative certainly isn't doing a roast, she's told us "buffet". We could oven pizza and chips and nobody would be arsed, it's just nice to get family together.

Who are all these people who can only imagine ever eating "a roast" on a Sunday? I'm nearly 60 years old and have never cooked, or served, "a roast" in my house in my life.
I would just be delighted to be invited as a guest and that someone was cooking for me. Frankly, the more imaginative the better!