What are your must-eats meal and snack wise over the Christmas period?

[Howaboutthisone]

Looking for inspiration! Just settling down to work out what food we need to order in advance so coming up with a loose menu plan.

My only rigid requirement is boxing day bubble and squeak. It wouldn't be Christmas without that.

I usually do lots of baking and prep in the days leading up to Christmas so there are leftovers galore for the days between Christmas and NY , so no need to cook.

I've stopped buying snacks and sweets
No one wants them while all the celebration dinners are going on and then you feel obliged to finish them up in the new year.

Occasionally I have made my own mince pies with a recipe that involves using one of the usual jars of mince pie filling but then adding chopped oranges / satsumas. The difference of that one ingredient makes! So mine would be warm mince pies with cream.

Quality Steet - memories of BIG family get togethers and the much hallowed tin being handed around.

I still buy them because I LOVE them in glass bowls, it’s just Christmas.

But it’s a shame they’ve ruined the actual chocolate. I only like a couple of them now...still, that’s no bad thing really!

Cheese and biscuits

I don't buy tins of sweets anymore as I get plenty (teacher) but love to have a decent turkey and lots of nice meals over the week - steak or similar

Saw a nice side of salmon / crust that I will get in Lidl and their gratin- in the deluxe range of the freezer - pack of four

Also Bailey's. 😍

Evening cheese board
Baileys

Bubble and squeak on Boxing Day.

Turkey curry made from leftover turkey. Sometimes I look forward to that more than the actual Christmas meal? 😂

Nice cheese and biscuits, nuts and dried fruit, smoked salmon and mackeral pate and crusty bread, loads of homemade soup in the freezer for a quick healthy meal.

I always make a veggie curry from leftover veg and a turkey one too, with chickpeas and naan bread and bhaji...so nice to have something spicy after all the rich food.

Baileys, only buy it this time of year, such a treat in coffee or hot chocolate.

God I love Christmas!

Turkey sandwiches and plain crisps on Boxing Day.

Cheese, biscuits, cheese, biscuits.

Pigs in blankets.

Some quickish healthy meals for the chrimbo limbo days when you're all turkeyed out.

Cheese and biscuits. Love a blue cheese on a digestive with grapes.

Love making up little plates of Christmas dinner leftovers on Boxing Day. Toasties etc.

Home made pastries. We had a lovely one using croissant dough with cranberry sauce and brie once so will be making that again!

Absolutely love a slice of toasted, buttered panettone after I’ve walked the dogs. I only buy one a year and it’s my favourite daily treat over the Christmas period

Baileys, pigs in blankets and party food from M&S. Only ever have these at Xmas.

@Almondio give us your turkey curry recipe please.

Same as Idontknowwhyinfrench here I buy a huge panettone just for me to eat on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day for breakfast! Apparently it’s good as a bread and butter pudding too but I’ve never managed to make it last long enough!!

All the things! Prawn cocktail, crisps and dips, pate, a comprehensive cheese board, nice ham and pasta salads. Ferrero rocher and seashells!

Always cook a gammon ahead of Christmas Day, and use the ham stock to make a yellow split pea soup garnished with hotdogs. I actually look forward to it more than the Christmas lunch!

Also Baileys coffee

Boxing Day cold meats and pickles are law. A huge glut of cheese is a must. Bubble and squeak made up into patties and frozen for as an when (fried, burnt a bit, covered with a fried egg and HP sauce).

I usually end up eating a whole pack of salmon appetisers to myself as well.

Oh and a big old turkey sandwich with pepper salt and mayo on Boxing Day too.

Just done our food order to last 28th to the 2nd. We’re doing homemade pizzas, prawn cocktail salad, Pad Thai and then bobotie on New Years Day.

I’m also going to get a shit ton of party food from M&S - got about £50 of vouchers from work so going to get a cheese board, charcuterie, coleslaw, potato salad, gherkins, dips, sausage rolls, pigs in blankets, Brie and cranberry tartlets and other snacks.

Going to pick up a roulade, mini Colin caterpillars and a Yule log too.

A roast of some kind (usually turkey), featuring brussels sprouts and pigs in blankets in amongst all the other stuff.

A roasted and glazed ham joint.

Bubble & squeak.

Pickled walnuts.

Pickled red cabbage.

Christmas pudding.

Mince pies.

Brandy butter.

Twiglets.

Cheese footballs (for dh and db only).

Turkish delight.

Chocolate tree decorations.

Brandy and port - we only have them at Christmas.

Everything else is not Christmas-exclusive.

Extra pigs in blankets and stuffing for sandwiches on boxing day. Rolled up cheese and ham croissants. Sausage rolls, crackers, loads of cheese.

@drookit I tend to make it up, just using any left over veg (carrots, parsnips, potatoes, and adding maybe sweet potatoes or squash), with pieces of cooked turkey, a couple of time of chickpeas, a few.good handfuls of fresh spinach, a jar of Aldi curry sauce (the ones with a pot of spices on the top), a tin of tomatoes and some stock.

Cook it slowly in a big pan and serve with rice, flat breads, yoghurt (google Jamie Oliver's flat bread recipe, so easy and tasty), and whatever sides we fancy.