Hit me with your Christmas starters!

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After years of bouncing between the parents of my partner and my own we finally have a place big enough to host everyone.

Mains are traditional and dessert is a sticky toffee pudding but I'm stumped for delicious, manageable starters. I'll be serving 8 adults (kids are having soup).

Please please please hit me with your Christmas starters, all suggestions are welcome

I’m thinking about a terrine. Cold, light, can be made ahead. Probably something veg based, courgettes, peppers etc. Can’t decide on a recipe.

Boring i know but i do prawns in homemade marie rose sauce (mayo tomato puree and worcester sauce with lemon wedges iceburg lettuce and brown bread and butter and for the no prawn people i do the same sides but shop bought pate

I usually do individual plates of sliced ready to eat salmon with a small salad and dressing.

Can’t decide this year.

Baked goats cheese

www.bbcgoodfoodme.com/recipes/baked-goats-cheese-with-hazelnut-crust-and-balsami/?amp

Homemade pate. Chicken liver and garlic. Smoke salmon pate, Smoked mackerel pate,
prawn cocktail,
smoked salmon and cream cheese.
smoked haddock mini quiche.
veg gratin
bruchetta with topping you like.
beetroot tarts.
cheese rolls Or sausage rolls served with salad.
salad with ingredients your family likes.
charcuterie board with bread and salad
You are lucky you can choose. My family always wants prawn cocktail.

realfood.tesco.com/recipes/portobello-mushroom-tarts.html

Caramelised onion and goats cheese tart with a beetroot and walnut salad - I have a Christmas tree cutter I use to make the pastry Christmas tree shape for an added festive touch

These are brilliant, thank you. I found a goats cheese bon bon recipe that looked delicious, at this rate I'll get too excited and make a selection of starters...

We always have poached salmon and prawn cocktail. Anything heavier and I don't want my dinner.

Truffled parsnip and parmesan bruschetta - the recipe is from bbcgoodfood.com

This, except I don't bother with the avocado or croutons. It's a total crown pleaser and I love things people can pick at with a glass of champagne before lunch rather than a formal sit down starter

www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/seafood-recipes/bloody-mary-seafood-platter/

Historically I've done soup, Parma ham and melon, seafood platters, prawn cocktail, complicated fiddly things... but nowadays I mostly just hand out canapés all morning/early afternoon and then we go straight into the main event. I prefer a canapé and it means we're hungrier for dinner - and more likely to get onto pudding!

How do you manage to eat dinner and dessert after a starter??

@Chooksnroses i have a small starter reasonable dinner then leave a gap before dessert and i tend to do a meringue based dessert so its not too heavy have to leave room for after eight mints

Smoke salmon terrine? It can be made the day ahead and just left in the fridge. Either served as a dip, or a small slice on their plate on lettuce

Proscuitto and melon balls

Fresh figs, cut a cross in the top, add a piece of blue cheese, wrap in proscuitto/serano, grill till meat is crispy. Serve on some rocket, sprinkle with toasted pinenuts and balsamic glaze. Figs can be prepped a day ahead.

TBH- I generally find a Christmas main alone is more than enough, especially with a dessert. Another option is just to have a few snacks/dips out and just serve the main and dessert

We don’t have starters at my house as I eat multiple servings of huge main courses but we do usually have smoked salmon blinis earlier in the day or a salmon terrine type thing to pick at. My parents who are more restrained on main course portions tend to a small portion of prawns/salmon with salad or sometimes breaded mushrooms in the 80’s/90’s as I remember! 😋

I have a couple of lovely winter salad recipes that’s fennel and orange, very refreshing and we eat with ham so maybe something like that?

I get drunk, that usually makes me super hungry. 😅

Chooksnroses

We normally space it out quite well so that both in terms of times we eat and how it's spread out. Also, generally all the cooks involved strive to make everything delicious so you want to eat it all 😊

MarmiteCoriander
that terrine looks tremendous

I was thinking this…

Hmm this may be controversial but we don't bother... A few crisps and dips with drinks and straight into the main event... Would rather leave space for pudding!

I like the sound of canapés,do you buy them if so where? Hosting for the first time too !

If we have starters at Christmas (we usually don't bother as there's so much else to have) I do prawn cocktail, pate and/or scallops

Something with cheese and seafood or fish usually.

Had smoked trout terrine
Smoked salmon mousse
Coquille st jaques
Smoked salmon canapés
Prawns in parmesan and panko crumb

Not sure what to do this year.