Boxing Day lunch for 12

[Sunshineonleaf]

I looked for a Christmas topic but there doesn't seem to be one.
This wouldn't have fazed me at all in the past but I'm not at my best this year.
I'd like to do a huge pulled ham and would like to keep the rest of the meal easy. Everyone will have had a traditional Christmas dinner the day before so I don't feel the need to do piles of veg and potatoes.
No food allergies but a couple of faddy folks who won't eat salad of any kind.
There are a couple of vegetarians for whom I'll do BBQ pulled jackfruit.
So I was thinking of
A variety of nice breads
Couscous salad
green salad
coleslaw
pickles, chutneys, olives
Do I need some kind of potatoes as well?
Any other suggestions?

Ideally I'd like to do the ham in the slow cooker but it will need 8 hours and I don't fancy getting up at 5am! could maybe get DH to do it

[FurryDogMother]

Our Boxing Day/St Stephen's Day lunch is the same every year - cold turkey, ham, mashed potato (hot, obvs!), salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber), a variety of cheeses, Branston pickle, cranberry sauce and pickled walnuts. I also serve bread sauce for my friend who is mad about the stuff, and if there's stuffing left over from the day before, that as well, plus any pigs in blankets that haven't been eaten. It's my way of getting rid of leftovers, really, plus an excuse to eat a lot of cheese :)

[Sunshineonleaf]

That's the kind of thing I have in mind, although we are not at home on Christmas day so won't have turkey. There would be a riot if I served mashed potato though
I always forget about cheese as it's not something I often eat.

[NoUnicornsToSeeHere]

I’ve done a big dish of dauphinois potatoes before for a similar meal. But I don’t think you’d need that and couscous. Yours sounds lovely.

[NoUnicornsToSeeHere]

You could put your slow cooker on a timer to come on overnight, or maybe just set it going as you go to bed, I don’t think you can have overcooked ham can you?

[EduCated]

How can you not have mashed potato with Boxing Day lunch I think I need a little lie down.

It has to be cold pork, mashed potato, Brie, sour cream pringles, cheap garlic bread and beetroot bleeding into everything.

[EduCated]

Meant to add, sounds lovely! You could maybe add a simple potato salad with new potatoes?

[babysharkah]

Ham egg and chips here.

[Ricekrispie22]

Last year I served ham with a honey and mustard pasta salad which complemented it beautifully. It was a Tesco salad www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/283170382 but I'm sure it wouldn't be hard to make your own. I'd probably do it instead of the couscous salad.

[BangingOn]

This is the Christmas topic (my favourite topic on all of Mumsnet)
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/Christmas

I think your lunch sounds fab and not too stressful. You could do baked potatoes if you think some guests are too fussy for cous cous, or if you’re feeling particularly inspired Nigella’s loaded potato skins can be made in advance.

[Sunshineonleaf]

Thanks for the link BangingOn. I'm a bit of a grinch really. Only ever do Christmas to please others.
Actually a bowl of baked potatoes would be good, everyone loves those. Providing I can buy some potatoes that are not too cruddy.

My slow cooker doesn't have a timer NoUnicornsToSeeHere but if it went on the night before it might be doable. 8 to 10 hours on slow, then cut off the fat and rind, pour over honey and pop in the oven to brown off. It would still be lukewarm but not hot by 1 -2pm.

[NoUnicornsToSeeHere]

I meant if you have one of those timeswitches that people use to put the lights on and off. But your plan will work I’m sure.

[Cuzcothellama]

sweet potato fries / wedges go nicely with pulled pork.