MN foodies, help me please my incredibly awkward family on Christmas Eve, without breaking the bank!

[Greensleeves]

I need a dinner that's relatively easy and fuss-free, not expensive (because I've blown all our money on presents) a bit special (not spag bol or curry, we eat those too often) and will fulfil the following fussy preferences:

no chicken (my dad doesn't trust it)
no mince (ds1 finds it "bouncy")
no mushrooms, butternut squash, butter beans or spinach (ds2...sigh)
no white sauces (my dad will cry)
no fish (see above)
no sweetcorn (dh hates it)
no pizza or burgers (my dad will pull supercilious faces and sour the atmosphere)

I'm a relatively good cook, (when I'm not catering for people with irrational dislikes of perfectly delicious ingredients), but my brain has gone into overload I can't think of anything! Buffets and roasts are out, as we tend to alternate those from 24th to 30th December!

It needs to be served up and scoffed by about 7pm, as Christmas Eve is Snowman Night chez Greensleeves, so we have stuff to do in the evening before mince pie and carrot time!

What a good thread with great food ideas.
We often have ham cooked in the slow cooker on Christmas Eve. Chop two carrots, a stick of celery, an onion, chuck in about 5 pepper corns, 2 bay leaves, 2 cloves and a can of cider. Leave it to cook. At Christmas I will cook boulanger or dauphinoise potatoes to make it seem a bit posher and what ever other veg we fancy.
My favourite beef stew recipe is "Jules favourite beef stew" from Jamie Oliver. It doesn't have dumplings but you could easily add some.

But now I really want fondue!!!!

Beef brisket (you can get small joints in aldi pretty cheap and pop in freezer now to spread the cost) and veg in slow cooker. Serve with mash, steamed kale & thicken up the cooking liquid for gravy.

Beef casserole seems like a winner- otherwise I'd have said tartiflette and salad/bread/possibly some cold meat slices (not full on buffet) or more casual - soup (Leon butternut squash and bacon chowder - but swapping the squash for sweet potato ) and Welsh rarebit

Christmas Eve dinner in my house is ham (which I've cooked and glazed), some form of potato (baked or a dauphinoise) and either home made coleslaw or braised red cabbage.

If so a big roast joint of beef with all the trimmings.

Or a slow cooked beef stew in ale or red wine with garlic mash and vegetables.

What about turkey burgers on the BBQ with cranberry sauce and salad? With roasted new or baby potatoes. Home made coleslaw and salad. Garlic bread etc. Even chuck some sausages on the BBQ too.

I made slow cooker pulled pork this weekend. It was delicious. Thank you for the suggestion. I'm still hankering after a cheese fondue though!

A lovely beef stew cooked for a couple of hours in guiness veg of choice added , carrots and celery. You can cook it the day before, Mash or baked potatoes

Beef Wellington

Irish stew with colcannon potato.
Delia's recipe is the best.

Individual beef pies- make a beef casserole then serve it in individual pots with some pastry lids made from ready rolled puff pastry (use the pot as a cutter). Serve with steamed veg.

Ham, egg and sweet potato fries- delicious!

Lamb, prune and chickpea tagine, served with cous cous.

On Christmas Eve we make Toad in the Hole together - it’s very quick and simple to do and delicious too! We also have a buffet of cold meats, salads and a cheese fondue on Boxing Day and that is easy to do too.

We always have lamb shank with mash or similar on Christmas Eve... though thinking about it, no idea why we don’t have something slighter the night before a day of scoffing

We're having a fondue on Christmas Eve - one steak, one cheese, with some salads and dips. Fancy enough to be a bit special but no real cooking required by me!