What do you have for dinner on Xmas eve?

[vinoelle]

Just that really, can’t say I’ve ever thought about it as it’s just been me and my husband the last few years, and we always went to the pub. Now having my family over so wondered what to do Xmas eve that’s ‘festive ’ but easy? Don’t want to cook 2 big meals in a row!

I usually get some nice party food from M&S and do a little buffet for us.

Steak baguettes, its the law.

We have a big family lunch at in-laws (think one pot like risotto or stroganoff) and then in the evening kids have hotdogs or burgers and we have steak baguettes.

Hot roast pork sandwiches (cold pork with turkey dinner on Xmas day)

Gammon with dauphinois potatoes and red cabbage 😋

We normally do a cheese/grazing board and then a few different picky bits like jalapeño poppers, chicken bites etc. On the odd occasion where we haven't done that, I do something easy like chilli/bolognese. I don't like anything too heavy on Christmas Eve!

We always have a takeaway, usually Indian as it is nothing similar to what we will be eating over the coming days.

Yep, Indian takeaway

Fish supper here from local chippy. Let someone else do all hard work before the Christmas culinary labors

Fish supper here too. Although I've never cooked my own Christmas dinner so I have no excuse for laziness!

All the trimmings! We decided there is always too much to eat Christmas day so we've started doing garlic bread and baked potatoes and salad with pigs in blankets, stuffing balls etc on Christmas eve. In the living room by the fire of course.

a takeaway or im considering making macaroni cheese this year

Indian, yum!

We always eat out on Christmas Eve.

We always have takeaway pizza. A tradition that started when I was a child. We rarely had a takeaway and it was the only time in the year we would get a pizza delivery so it was seen as a huge treat.

Takeaway here, this year we're ordering a Turkish meze platter

We have fish pie - my Mum always made one when I was younger and I've just carried it on. It's light compared with the food we eat over the following days.

We have 'Pickies' - bread, cheese, cold meats, pickles, crudités and dip, sausage rolls, chicken goujons and the like. Grab it all out of the fridge and sling it on the table, eat voila!

We're having Christmas dinner as DH is working on Christmas Day. Christmas Day will be chilled out and then party food & booze when he's finished. We do this every other year coz of his work. I actually prefer it!

Good ideas. Keep them coming.

I can’t eat dairy so extra points for those that don’t include cheese/ cream etc. Also a bit wary of takeaways in case they use ghee etc

@GreekOddess this is my favourite thing to do usually but we are tier 3. Lucky you if you’re tier 2!

We started having Chinese takeaway a couple of years ago when in-laws were going to be with us on Christmas Eve - previously we'd bust a gut cooking for them as well as sorting out the dcs and everything else. Worked a treat!
Either that or something that can be bunged in the slow cooker in the morning and ignored.

Prawns and salmon party food and buffet

I'm so excited about Christmas Eve dinner this year! We're having, lobster, prawns, baguette, crackers, cured meats, pate, salad and all the cheese! Baked camembert to start off the cheese extravaganza!

We did the same thing for dh's birthday in lockdown this year and it was so good that we said we'd do it for Christmas Eve.

Ooh we're having smoked salmon too!

Party food buffet.