Christmas Dinner Debate

After many many years of begging to host Christmas dinner, my mother-in-law has finally passed the torch after downsizing this year.

I posted before, but only a few times and when I have there, there’s always been complaints that I’m not serving turkey.

Generally, I serve a rubbed, stuffed pork loin roast, either garlic cauliflower potato mash or the eats duck fat roast roasted potatoes, miso, braised whole onions, traditional stuffing with sausage, oven, roasted carrot and parsnip, baby peas, salads, pickles, rolls, gravy.

Absolutely everything is homemade and if there’s one thing I do well it’s this meal.

But every year, no matter what there’s complaints that I’m not cooking a bird. My father will make a comment like, “ just one time I wish you’d make turkey”. My mother-in-law even offered to bring along the butterball chub you throw in the oven as an accompaniment to the meal they’re so desperate to eat it.

I get that it’s a fairly traditional Christmas dinner staple but I absolutely hate prepping and cooking it not to mention breaking it down for serving. My husband and son both hate turkey so we just don’t eat it. I’m so incredibly sick however of the comments every year and the implication that Christmas just simply isn’t Christmas without it.

So, is there some sort of simple, easy way that I can include turkey in the meal? I have no interest in cooking a whole bird.

Or is it a matter of “ you get what you get and you don’t get upset?”

Thanks all!