To ask what you will be having for Xmas Eve dinner?

[HollyGoLoudly1]

Usually we would be in the city centre, seeing the Xmas lights and markets, meeting with friends, getting some drinks and eating out for dinner. We get home slightly merry sozzled and very much in the Xmas spirit. That's not going to happen this year obviously, so can you share with me your Xmas Eve dinner suggestions? Do you do something special or save the effort for Xmas day?

I have crusty bread, salad and some salmon mousse or similar.

Venison wellington, dauphinoise potatoes and braised red cabbage. Always this!

potato salad & frankfurter sausages (traditional christmas eve meal in germany)

I would go for fish and chips if you have a really good takeaway nearby.
I do my whole Christmas Day dinner from scratch so don’t generally piss about too much Christmas Eve, nice picky stuff (sorry I know that word is truly hated on MN 🤣) whatever you fancy but basically if you’re cooking Christmas Day then indulgent but easy!

We always have a really good seafood platter with salad (and bread, but we no longer eat bread). Good bottle of fizz.

There's already a well-answered thread about this on Chat.

Normally a spag bowl. Easy

My husband, our 4 year old and my dad are having a shellfish platter including lobster Thermidor, langoustines, crab, mussels.

My daughter and I are having spag bol

Chinese and again on boxing day.

We get a take away and watch a xmas film with the DC.

Christmas dinner this year as I'm working Christmas Day

Takeaway. From wherever the DS's want. Zero effort made.

We normally get a take away but this year we're going to do a Xmas eve type buffet and a couple of sharing platters, one with sweets and the other savoury

I cook a ham, have it with jacket potatoes and veg. Doesn't take long and there are leftovers for Boxing Day and beyond!

Salted cod with punch potatoes, cabbage and carrots - DH is Portuguese so we celebrate on the 24th (well and 25th too!).

We have ham, egg and chips or something in the slow cooker like spag bol

We always have ham, egg and chips. For many years I cooked my ham in coke (Nigella recipe) but will try something different this year. Leftovers then eaten on boxing day combined with turkey etc from Christmas day.

Takeaway - pizza or chinese

Same as always, but different arrangements. No groups of more than six. Mainly outside under gazebos and with firepits/Kadai after the nativity.
Mulled wine.
Ham with Cumberland sauce jackets, red cabbage, onion tart and Coleslaw. Christmas star pavlova afterwards.

We always do a mini buffet. Its only me dp, ss and dd usually cold hams, cheeses, crackers etc. We may play a board game and watch a film. Me and do have a few drinks. We did contemplate a meal out this year with drinks, but as we are in Wales thats not happening

A smorgasbord delivered by our local deli. Their food is gorgeous and we don’t have to do any food prep or cooking.

We usually have friends over. I host every year and do bread, something in slow cooker so usually stew or pulled pork, jacket spuds, veg sticks, nibbles and then do the mini puddings that are brought frozen!
We usually go for a long walk first and come here and eat and chat and put Xmas film in for kids whilst setting up track Santa!

Can't this year for obvious reasons.

My friend suggested a take out as she always does that but I'm GF so it's difficult.

Loving the idea of hot dogs above. My ds loves those and we could have nibbles etc and a film still.
He's swim training 6am Xmas eve for 2 hours so he'll be tired and hungry

We eat Christmas Dinner on Christmas Eve so we have the whole of Christmas day to play with the kids and their new toys.

@Parker231

A smorgasbord delivered by our local deli. Their food is gorgeous and we don’t have to do any food prep or cooking.

Ooh that sounds nice. I wonder if I can find somewhere locally to do that. What sort of things do you get?

I get a baking camenbert with crudites.
Might try something else this year like a buffet/ party food.