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??

No

What??

That IS a roast, with different flavours and serving.

I would think I had arrived at a feast!

From your thread title and numbers attending I thought you were going to say pizza or lasagne… which wouldn’t have disappointed either.

Dh is cooking harissa lamb for the 2 of us with roast Mediterranean veg. Never cook a piece of meat usually,not even at Xmas.
We are day drinking the day before so will be having a lazy Sunday!!!!

Maybe do a bowl of new potatoes to keep the die hard roast fans happy 😆

It sounds lovely but as you asked about expectations…

If somebody invited me for Easter lunch or dinner, I would be expecting a traditional roast lamb with all the trimmings etc. If someone invited me to an Easter egg hunt and said they would serve some lunch/food afterwards, I would be expecting something light. A bit like I would expect a roast if you invited me for a Sunday lunch but not if you invited me to lunch on Sunday 😂 I guess I would be slightly disappointed if I had been mistakenly expecting a full, formal, traditional Easter meal because we would probably choose to do that another time over the weekend if we weren’t doing it on Easter Sunday. Other guests might assume it was going to be sandwiches and sausage rolls or something as it’s an Easter egg hunt rather than “Easter lunch” IYSWIM and plan a full on roast lamb dinner for later.

It sounds delicious though. It would just be nice to know what to expect as a guest.

Sounds lovely except for salads as am not a fan. I guess for me salads are mainly boring and a summer thing and still cold here. But I would have flatbreads and harissa lamb and be very happy

I’d be grateful for whatever I was given. If you think they might be expecting one perhaps let them know so they can get a joint in and make their own roast on Saturday or Monday.

Have a lovely day 🙂

Wow thanks so much for all the responses. I guess by a "roast" I meant with all the usual "trimmings" like yorkshires and roast potatoes etc.

Luckily the kids are all fairly adventurous eaters, so will devour pretty much anything going so I don't need to worry on that front.

For those of you who've asked what the salads are I was thinking these and probably some tahini dressing on the side for the lamb:

ottolenghi.co.uk/recipes/tomatoes-with-sumac-onions-and-pine-nuts

ottolenghi.co.uk/recipes/charred-peas-with-lemon-and-parmesan-dressing

I would prefer your menu to a traditional trimmings type roast.

They look very nice but I'd be thinking 'cold sugar snaps?!' And especially with weather as miserable as it is right now.
But as long as you make it clear that it's 'food' and not 'Easter Sunday lunch' I might forgive you, provided I'd found enough Easter eggs to make me think I was a child again.

That's actually usually what we always have for Easter. It's coming out of the 'roast season' when we're all a bit tired of roasts. So we often do a spiced lamb leg or shoulder, last year we did it outside in the smoker, with salads and wraps/flatbread. I can't even remember when we last did anything different.

@ohpumpkinseeds

Sounds ok for lamb lovers. I mean it is still lamb.

Not for me but then I doubt I would ever be invited somewhere for Easter lunch plus I don't eat meat!

I kind of agree . It's cold and my heart would sink being served salad .

That sounds delicious !

(I thought you were going to say can I serve up a pizza buffet)

I wasn’t aware there is a traditional Easter meal. You’d not get a roast at our house as it’s not something we have - no one really likes it.

Greek Orthodox heritage here so whilst the dates are different slow roast lamb with green veg and feta to sprinkle will be served at our house. Mediterranean roast veg and couscous with pomegranate seeds and dressing alongside.

Your chicken thighs sound lovely and any left overs would be perfect the next day.

I'd be delighted to be served that, OP!

But I think you need to have your specific guests in mind because everyone is different. Could you check with them?

I thought you meant no meat! In our house leg of lamb covered in honey and harissa is a roast!

Sounds gorgeous.

I thought you were doing to say beans on toast 😂

Your meal sounds lovely- I’m doing something similar in fact. Lamb and flatbreads also has a pleasing WWJE vibe 😭

I'm puzzled by the "salads are boring" comment. Do you mean an English two lettuce leaves, half a tomato, a slice of cucumber and some beetroot salad?Because if you do, boy, have you got some exciting discoveries to come!

Agree and we’ll be having a salad on Saturday and Sunday this weekend.

Ok I'm now making harissa lamb for Sunday lunch, thanks OP! I was torn between roast or buffet but this way I can do both.
I'm liking the idea of a nice roast joint but without all the faffing of vegetables side dishes (I tend to go OTT on these). I'm thinking roast some baby potatoes and do some nice salads and flatbreads as you suggested.
Then I can stick pizzas and sausages in the oven to go with it all for the fussier children.

Edit - adding Mediterranean roast veg cous cous, thanks @StopGo

Ha ha, I’m going out for lunch on Sunday and have no idea but have 99.99% odds of a BBQ as whatever the occasion, we tend to do BBQ’s here.

I'm doing exacatly the same for Easter lunch - harrisa roasted leg of lamb, confit chickpeas, some roasted veg and some sort of potato salad (tbc). I might add some flatbreads too - great idea!

I'm working today and tomorrow, so keeping it simple, rather than sweating over a full roast.

Slow cooked lamb kleftico, chicken gyros, flat bread, tzatziki, Greek salad, onion and pomegranate, felafel and probably some halloumi.