Non-traditional Christmas dinner ideas: Readers share their favourite alternatives to turkey

If you fancy something a little different to the traditional Christmas dinner this December 25, read on for inspiration.

"Our Goose was too big for the oven last year so I cooked it on the BBQ, turned out perfect." - Tony Fawcett

"Fillet steak" - Jeanette Masefield

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"We had sandwiches on the wharf one year. And fruit cake, and a bottle of sparkling wine." - Lindsey J Rea

Do you fancy ditching the traditional Christmas dinner this year?Do you fancy ditching the traditional Christmas dinner this year?
Do you fancy ditching the traditional Christmas dinner this year?

"Scotch beef and Yorkshire puddings." - Vivienne Jackson

"Egg and chips whilst on a 24 hour guard duty at an RAF base in 1970" - John Trubshaw

"I live in New Zealand now so it’s Summer at Christmas time and I am still not used to it. They have BBQ’s and salad. I still make my pigs in blankets and Mum’s Swede Cake can’t go a Christmas without them." - Anna Morgan

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"We are having beef casserole with dumplings this year. Means it can be done in the slow cooker and we can go for a long walk with our dog." - Bridget Ellerington

"One year at my nieces, we had Egg and chips with white bread and butter!! Another year I went out with family for an Indian....never again..they had double booked tables, the place was crammed and the food took that long we were all drunk before we got our food!!" - Jill Austin

"Steak in memory of my big sis. She hated turkey and always had steak on Christmas Day." Julia Riding

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"Fresh Scottish salmon with salad include home-made potato salad with chives, coleslaw, baby plum tomatoes, cucumber, rocket topped with home-made beetroot chutney. Really delicious!" - Gill Ingham

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"Fish and chips" - Jean Hobson

"King prawns in garlic on the beach in Australia, with salad and spicy rice. Perfect." - Janine Lees-Moorhouse

"Fresh caught fish cooked on a braai on a beach in Mozambique" - Terry Kitson

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"We have vegans in my family, so no Turkey. I do a special rice using brown basmati, a mushroom pie with puff pastry, salad and vegan Bonoffi pie which is divine. It’s delicious and non traditional." - Susanne Ratcliffe

"Venison, apple, cream, whisky, honey and junipers, with roast potatoes and veg." - Jackie Cavanagh

"We do every year as it's our sons bday , he chooses what we eat on Christmas Day. Normally steak and chips. Tho we do a traditional Christmas dinner on either Christmas Eve or boxing Day." - Jo Dobie

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"Beans on toast! Christmas day 1996, having just come home with a new baby!" - Ann-Marie Rigby

"Cheese sandwich" - Paul Pybus

"Macaroni cheese with chips" - Lynne England

"Traditional Aussie barbie on a Queensland beach. Mid December, boiling hot, very weird!!!" - Carolyne Fletcher

"Rump steak, onions, garden peas & a baked potato with loads of butter. Last Xmas during lockdown." - Janet Logan

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"We have a party buffet on Christmas day as my mum cooks the full sha-bang on boxing day!" - Andrea Lofthouse

"This year we're having home made meat and potato pie, mushy peas and gravy. In the past we've been out to an Indian restaurant." - Jan Stanley

"Did a seafood Christmas dinner with Lobster woyld not do it again (no leftovers)" - Edna Tomlinson

"Game pie. And chocolate torte pudding." - Helen Joanne

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"Bacon and egg sandwiches. Cook Christmas dinner on boxing day, less rushed and less stressful." - Louise Heleno

"We did have an Indian takeaway on Christmas Day. Which we got on Christmas Eve!! We did heat it up, btw!" - Jack Archibald

"When I lived abroad in 1970, my friend and I had no money and had boiled pasta for Christmas lunch!" - Denise Bissett

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"Chicken Kebab on the beach in Goa..hubby had Lobster" - Eileen Pederson

"Chinese banquet, having the same again this year." - Lynda Brister

"King prawns and chips!!!" - Jean Clark

"Sushi in Australia" - John Leggett

"Beef joint and Kronenbourg last year. Stuffed sea bass and Kronenbourg this year." - John Ward

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"We had a curry with all the trimmings one year when I was a kid. Lovely!" - Marg West

"When I lived in a student area. I'd spend Christmas enjoying the peace and quiet and time to play video games. Christmas day I'd generally have a crate of beers and a curry from the still open takeaway." - Dave Parker

"Jerk chicken with rice n' peas. We had traditional on Christmas Eve." - Toni Darnton

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"Chicken and prawn curry, trifle, and Xmas cake and custard washed down with Dom Pedro's. The best ....ever." - Nigel Heyes

"Having venison sausages this year. Quick, fancy, and gives us more time to spend together as a family" - Rachel Grieff

"Full English breakfast then cheese and biscuits in the afternoon. Perfect!" - Jane Parry

"Costa Toasted Sandwiches" - Kim McAdam

"Yep, pie and chips one year." - Michelle Elmer

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"I once went into work in my early 20s as I was single and bored on my own at home. I did a solid morning of work on Xmas Day before breaking off to make microwave chips and a tin of heinz baked beans, with a couple of slices of bread and butter - and it was lovely." - Lynda Bowyer

"Just have what you fancy like any other day. Sure I've had a pot noodle in the past. There no rule to say you got to have a Xmas dinner." - Teresa McCourt

"Ham egg chips and beans and a mug of tea, fabulous" - Ross Cameron

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