From the traditional to the downright bizarre, here’s what ChatGPT thinks we should all be cooking this Christmas Day
ChatGPT gave me four options for Christmas dinner – and only one mentioned turkey(Image: Getty Images)
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, sure – but it’s also the most stressful. From the decorating to the gift-buying and, of course, the food, there’s a lot of preparation that goes into Christmas.
So I’m not surprised that this year, people are turning to AI for help.
A quick disclaimer from me: I’m not a fan of the idea of using AI for this sort of thing. I personally think the good old-fashioned method of asking family and friends for the recipes that have been passed down generations sums up what Christmas is all about – keeping traditions going and connecting over a shared love of food and the festive season.
And in fact, I have never used ChatGPT in my personal life. So when I opened it to ask the faceless all-knowing AI to basically make me Christmas dinner, I wasn’t entirely sure how it was going to go.
I started off with a simple question: “What should I cook for Christmas dinner?” And in seconds, ChatGPT had pulled information from what I can only assume are thousands upon thousands of recipe books, blogs and websites to give me the answer – here are the options it gave me.
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‘Classic Christmas Dinner’
Admittedly, I also don’t do much of the cooking in my house, so I asked my wife – who will be in charge of our Christmas dinner this year – to give me her verdict on each of the options too. The first option ChatGPT gave me was a Classic Christmas Dinner, described as “perfect if you want tradition and comfort”.
Here is the menu:
- Main: Roast turkey or honey-glazed ham
- Sides: Garlic mashed potatoes, roasted carrots and parsnips, and Brussels sprouts roasted with bacon or balsamic
- Sauce: Gravy and cranberry sauce
- Dessert: Christmas pudding, mince pies, or apple pie
The verdict: This is basically a list of what we have for Christmas dinner every year, and I doubt many people need AI to tell them that turkey followed by mince pies is a good idea for a festive spread. My wife was impressed by this offering – although she did bemoan the lack of roast potatoes, which are a must-have on every plate of Christmas dinner in our household.
‘Elegant but not too fussy’
Described as something that “feels special without stressing you out”, the next option from ChatGPT was somewhat more unusual. Here’s the menu:
- Main: Roast chicken with lemon, garlic and herbs or beef tenderloin
- Sides: Dauphinoise potatoes, green beans with almonds, and a simple mixed salad
- Dessert: Chocolate yule log or tiramisu
The verdict: I’m not entirely sure what vibe this dinner is going for – fine dining without the extra preparation? Either way, it failed to impress. As my wife succinctly put it: “Salad has no place on a Christmas menu.” Hear, hear.
‘Vegetarian / modern Christmas’
The third choice from ChatGPT was one for the vegetarian and vegan diners. Here’s what it suggested:
- Main: Mushroom Wellington or roasted squash stuffed with lentils & herbs
- Sides: Crispy roast potatoes, honey-glazed carrots (or maple for a vegan option), and red cabbage slaw
- Dessert: Spiced pear tart or vegan chocolate cake
The verdict: As neither a vegan nor a vegetarian, I can’t say with certainty how good of a menu this is. However, we have friends and family members who are vegetarian and love a nut roast for special occasions, so if the roasted squash option was tweaked to be a squash-based roast, this would probably be a solid option that felt a bit more festive.
‘Cosy and casual’
And finally, ChatGPT gave me a solution for a “relaxed and social” Christmas – and I immediately knew what my wife would have to say about it. Here it is:
- Main: Baked pasta (lasagne or stuffed shells)
- Sides: Garlic bread and roasted veggies
- Dessert: Cheesecake or brownies with ice cream
The verdict: I love pasta as much as the next person, but this is a regular weekday meal in my house – and not even a special Friday night one at that. My wife, after pulling a face, branded this option “blasphemy” and I couldn’t agree more – there are plenty of supermarket-bought options that are easy to throw in the oven but still feel a lot more festive than this.
ChatGPT ended its list by telling me that it could design a specific Christmas menu and timeline just for me if I gave it some more details – but I think I’ll leave that to my wife for the foreseeable future.