To ask for your Christmas starters ideas?

[spingly]

We have a lot for Christmas dinner .... which is fine but what would you suggest for starters?

I want a prepare ahead starter...so I thought of making chicken liver pate .. or "retro" prawn cocktail .... or mozzarella and tomato salad.

Any other ideas please?

Caprese salad, all the way. Yum

We’re having brie and cranberry filo parcels.

I was aiming for small as dds will fill up on bread for soup and I’m pregnant so pate is out (sob!).
Dd2 had a meltdown a few xmasses ago (then aged 2) when presented with melon after being asked to sit for ‘dinner’, we darent risk it again

Recently a friend made a 'festive salad' of Spinach, apple, cheddar and smoked almonds. Simple but beautiful

Not so much as make ahead as literally under 5 minutes,crush garlic cloves slit a chilli add to olive oil in a frying pan and cook for a minute then chuck in prawns and heat through. Done.

You're asking this question like there's any option other than:

A- Prawn cocktail in a fancy glass with bread triangles.
B- Melon Boat with a maraschino cherry on a stick.

Get a hold of yourself, woman!

Smoked mackerel pate with Melba toast.
Light,tasty,easy to make ahead.
Problem is since I've started doing this I can not think of a nicer alternative.

Sausage rolls and/or smoked salmon on bread/blinis.

Not so much a starter more nibbles handed round mid morning while
lunch is being prepped. Lunch is far too huge to need a starter.

I think we are going to have posh prawn cocktail. It will have lobster in it.

We usually have smoked salmon with a side salad with capers. Very simple but tasty.

Ooh I would love Pate or prawn cocktail thank you! See you about 4??

Never have a starter on Christmas Day, you’re wasting proper Christmas lunch space!

Brie in breadcrumbs deep fried with cranberry sauce on the side would be my ideal starter, but ever year my guests just want the main and Christmas pudding.

Don’t know why your pate got so proud it capitalised itself.....better be good. So 4 works for you?

Gravadlax

I'm thinking olive artichokes on toastie things.

But not sure

Seriously, I don’t do starter as I can’t eat the main meal unless there is a gap in between. That may be be because I am full of Prosecco though. Do your guests expect three courses?

Does chocolate not count

We usually do smoked salmon with homemade bread and green salad. I personally don’t like starter on Christmas Day, it’s too much for me but others like smoked salmon so I guess it’s a tradition now. We buy salmon from a different place every year so it works as a conversation starter as well.

Champagne

I start with a satsuma and a selection box. Seriously though, no room for a starter as it is all about the giant roast in our house.

The last few years I just do party bites. Brie and cranberry parcels M&S.

Plus some of the new ones on crumpets which are expensive at £7 but got some marked down and they are now in the freezer. Might get some garlic mushrooms (for mum) I serve them about 1 to 1 1/2 hours before the meal. Just have to heat up in oven and serve on fancy Christmas paper plates. Keeps everyone going until dinner is served

@SnorkMaiden81 - THANK YOU! A voice of reason!

No starter at the table but a selection of nibbly things with drinks beforehand, whatever's on 3 for 2 somewhere, chicken bits and tiny soup pots. Means that the children don't have to sit for a longish meal.

Nothing because the main and dessert are so hefty. We don’t even eat lunch on Christmas Day because the dinner is so heavy and breakfast is too. I did try a starter a couple of times but it fell flat so I don’t bother now, the main is the most important part.

Prawn cocktail is so bad .

I'm another one saying no starter! Gimme the dinner!