Christmas Eve Meal

[LetsHaveAnotherGo]

What do you all have to eat on Christmas Eve? Don't think I want to do a big meal to keep us all looking forward to Christmas dinner.
I'm thinking maybe a little buffet but would like some extra special things 🙂 will be me, DH, DSD6 and DD8months.

[BiddyPop]

Dh, dd (12) And I have been doing “platter” for the past few years. It s not exactly the same every year but a selection from the kinds of things below and enough for us to pick away at and eat sufficient - but light enough to enjoy the feast next day.

A mix of cold meats and fish (regular cooked ham, Parma ham, salami, braseola, nice corned beef or spiced beef, smoked salmon, prawns, squid rings etc).

Crudités- carrot sticks, red/yellow pepper sticks, cherry tomatoes, olives.
With hummus, salsa or guacamole to dip them in.
Tortilla chips perhaps.

Perhaps some smoked salmon pate and crackers/flatbreads/ nice sourdough slices and maybe toasted. Unlikely but sometimes a small amount of a chicken liver pate too (less favored by dd and dh).

We’ll start the cheese board - usually a piece of Stilton, a creamy one (Brie or Camembert) and at least 1 harder cheese (so many to choose from!), we need the crackers or whatever for that too.

And occasionally some sausage rolls, scotch eggs or mini pork pies are snuck in as well by others !

Basically, an array of nice things we enjoy, especially ones that are not regularly on the table, and that any leftover will be eaten over the next few days.

[BiddyPop]

We also found that by putting things like olives in the middle, dd was willing to try them herself.

And putting veg sticks etc out too, while she’d Load up on cheese, she would actually eat veg too - but if you served them on her plate, they would be ignored. So the autonomy of the buffet style works well for us.

[tarheelbaby]

Following a tradition in DH's family, we have salmon and other seafood/fish treats and salad.

[HollidayArmadillo]

Homemade pizza, cut into festive shapes
Keeps the kids amused for a while and focuses their energy

I hate buffets

[Charm23]

We never cook a special meal, if anything it'll be buffet style nibbles.

[katienana]

I'm thinking buffet too but not planning on it being a light meal!!!
Bread
Cheese & biscuits
Pate
Olives, sundried tomatoes
Pizza or quiche
Sausage roll
Need a yummy salad so there is some veg!
Dips
And of course...Christmas Ham!

[Babdoc]

We have a light and easy smoked salmon/asparagus meal with champagne, but the kids insist I make our traditional chocolate chestnut log for pudding. It’s basically a chocolate Swiss roll, which I roll up with sweetened chestnut purée when it’s cool, then ice with melted Nutella, decorate with a drizzle of icing sugar “snow” and a sprig of holly from the garden, served with cream.
The kids are in their late 20’s now, but the log is still in demand!

[SymphonyofShadows]

Ham in coke, eggs and chips. The kids associate the smell of the ham with Christmas

[sprinkleofsunshine]

I used to do a cheese board with a baked Camembert and breads for dipping. Last couple of years I've done dim sum platter type bits.
Not sure this year but it will definitely be picky bits as opposed to a proper meal.

[WhoGivesADamnForAFlakeyBandit]

We go to the chippy.

[ShowOfHands]

I know from MN Christmas threads past that lots of people have "picky bits" which is guaranteed to come up on Christmas Eve dinner threads AND what phrases do you loathe threads every single time. Anyway...

We put something in the slow cooker early in the day so that we don't have to worry about it. Apple pie and custard for pudding.

[baggies]

I love Christmas Eve meal. My daughter does a mean buffet, wine and games at her home. As I always do Christmas dinner, Xmas eve day is spent preparing everything, laying the table etc, so the evening is a wonderful relaxing way of winding down, and means we share the load.
I think I almost enjoy it more than Xmas day as no expectations, nothing more can be bought, and there is that wonderful anticipation of the day to come.

[Bumbumtaloo]

We have stake baguettes. I have some nice mustard and caramelised onions in mine. The DC have hot dogs - but made with proper sausages their choice.

[ApolloandDaphne]

We have lasagne with garlic bread and salad. I make them in advance so it is very easy. We are all adults though and like to congregate and have nice social time on Christmas Eve.

This year we are celebrating my DDs 21st on Christmas Eve (she has her actual birthday earlier but is at uni then) so I may do something different and more special.

[duckling84]

KFC

[deathisforever]

We have curry 

[2anddone]

We are one of three families who meet up at the pub every year for dinner. We have a few drinks the dc play and it's a really lovely relaxed way to spend Christmas Eve

[LetsHaveAnotherGo]

Oh some great ideas here! Don't think it's been made an easier decision 😬

[QueenOfMyWorld]

Usually a takeaway but this year I'm starting a Xmas eve tradition of seafood and champagne

[JannerBird]

Same as a previous poster - ham in coke, egg and chips. It smells divine and we can eat the leftover ham with the leftover turkey on Christmas night and boxing day. Yum.

[Juanbablo]

We've had all sorts of different things. We've had Chinese takeaway, pie and Mash, party food. This year I think we will do a baked camembert with bread, grapes, crudités and cold meats. We had it a few weeks ago and the kids loved it so I think it would be nice on Christmas Eve.

[EgremontRusset]

Fish is traditional. So either fish pie, or smoked salmon / pate / etc, or a trip to the chip shop!

[youngestisapsycho]

Takeaway on Chrstmas Eve... enough cooking to do Christmas day. We're all off to the pub on Boxing day!

[Lucisky]

Like another pp, I do a slow cooker meal - all in one so no extra veg to cook, just have some crusty bread with it. This works in well with our regular christmas eve outing to the pub, so we can stagger back to a hot meal.

[SimplyPut]

We host on Christmas Day so we go out for an early dinner on Christmas Eve. Always pizza!