Christmas appetisers, starters, hors d'oeuvres - so confused

[Normye]

I’m hosting Christmas for the first time this year. I’m happy with my cocktail, dessert and main menu.

But I’m really confused about starters, hors* *d'oeuvres etc.

I would like to put effort into making something nice people can pick at as lunch is a bit later. My family never do a traditional starter but my mum always tries to get one in ie a soup. Just not enough room in the stomach.

But what do people do? I would love to put some posh hors d'oeuvres down at some point for people to enjoy.

I’ve seen some really fun pastry wreath recipes which look fun but I have no idea when would be best to serve them.

im getting so confused. What do people do? My mum would love a prawn cocktail but I just could not stomach a traditional starter before a massive meal.

I’ve got a list of things:
Brie and cranberry bite
salmon blinis
glazed sausages
sausage rolls
Pesto pastry wreath
Goat cheese log with pistachios
burrata and roasted tomato dip with crostinis
pear, Brie and rocket canapes
crab vol au vent
Salmon pate
whipped ricotta something
charcuterie wreath

I just don’t know how to incorporate them/serve them

I was thinking of just doing 3/4 hors d'oeuvres to serve at some point in the morning and have that as the starter and then just have a few things out like the goat cheese log and charcuterie bits

I’m genuinely so confused and overwhelmed

Do you mean canapés? Those are small, bite sized and tasty - a few will keep people going while they wait for the main event but without filling them up too much and spoiling dinner.

A lot of what you describe it more suited to a buffet, which you definitely won’t want to serve unless it’s going to be a long wait until dinner because people will eat a lot.

What time are your guests arriving and what time are you serving dinner?

We don’t really do anything, would rather eat all the roast potatoes. If we do I just do some M&S party food but avoid sausages (PIB) and pastry - it’s just too much. I’m not a Mumsnet chicken type we eat loads and also have a lot of cheese after desert!

Just put some tubs of Pringles, Celebrations and bowls of KP nuts out and be done with it.

Not worth stressing out over it.

Pastry, cheeee, sausgaes are all I would say too Rick as the start of Christmas dinner - glazed sausages and sausages rolls and then pigs and stuffing?!?

something light - your mams idea of prawn cocktail is lighter and fresher than vol au vents and sausages

or melon and Parma ham is also light and refreshing

It really all depends on the timings of everything else. Breakfast and then what time you will have Christmas dinner. And what time people are arriving.

We tend not to have Christmas dinner until around 5pm. Breakfast at around ten so if we were having canapés or nibbles I would do them around 1ish with a glass of fizz.

During my whole childhood we never had a starter at all on Christmas day. Now we are grown up, DH's family like to serve pate de foie gras and toast. Personally I'm not a fan, so when I'm hosting we do smoked salmon on blinis. I think fish/seafood is generally a good option if everyone likes it, and go easy on the carbs. I really wouldn't serve loads of different choices though or people will fill themselves up.

I never do a starter for Christmas lunch, but I do putout some dips and crudités with some crisps a coupe of hours before lunch, to stave off any hunger pangs.

Not very festive or exciting, but there is plenty of rich food to come!

We have smoked salmon and cream cheese mini blinis before the main dinner... with drinks - casually not at the table.

That sounds way more food than a prawn cocktail. I’d much prefer to have some prawns and a bit of lettuce than all that carb heavy beige food.

I agree with others, just put out some crisps and nuts. People can have what they want without feeling any pressure to eat more than they want. That way everyone can enjoy dinner.

m and s frozen party food, served with drinks pre meal or during present opening is what we do. Keep it simple so choose 3 but have a few of them per person. So salmon on blinis, sausage rolls and brie bites for example. But choose what is easiest. We never do a starter.

I’d cut the top off a few Camemberts, put some garlic cloves and rosemary inside, top back on and bake for 30mins. Serve with fresh crusty bread. Easy and delicious!

Family are staying the night before.

Someone else is doing breakfast at around 10:30.

Lunch will be 2 ish.

yes, canapés is definitely what I meant.

And a few bits to have out to nibble at

I was contemplating starters but I just know it would mean I didn’t enjoy the actual main meal as I’d be stuffed half way through

What does your breakfast consist of? Because that will make a difference as 10:30 is very late and nearing canapé time. Like Peridot1 above we don’t have breakfast but have light canapés such as smoked salmon blinis, cooked prawns etc with champagne. Personally I wouldn’t put crisps out nor anything too heavily pastry based.

In your situation I would do (assuming you all like fish) smoked salmon blinis (can be made before and warmed), crab and avocado croustades or crab, avocado & siracha cucumber boats - in fact see Waitrose canapés for ideas

I would do 3 canapés or a seafood platter using minimal pastry, bread as it’s too filling. I would also aim to do things that just need to be assembled then that job can be delegated.

My parents in law do a small platter of salmon bilini's with champagne about an hour before lunch. Then we have roast and pudding (3-4pm)

My parents do a roast at 1pm, then cheese board around 6pm!

Are you making them yourself? Frozen shop bought party food (or a ‘wall of unidentifiable M&S beige’, as my OH describes it) would detract from a delicious home cooked Christmas feast. If you want to make canapés and have the time and energy then I think this would make for a nice pre-dinner appetizer. If not don’t bother.

I would put out a couple of plates of nice bits, with some crisps and nuts, at about 1pm along with drinks, and tell everyone lunch will be about an hour. Save the cheese/charcuterie for evening and/or Boxing Day.

Breakfast at 1030 and a massive lunch at 2? I hope breakfast is light!

With those timings I would do three different canapes so each person gets one of each. I would include a prawn canape to please your mum, but up to you obviously. Probably one fish, one meat, one vegetable. I'd serve them an hour before lunch with fizz.

If breakfast is at 10.30 and lunch at 2 you absolutely don’t need a starter or anything heavy. Just put some bowls of crisps / nuts out and some dips with crudités / breadsticks. No need to stress this one.

Another one here who would want to eat between breakfast n lunch. However I'm old. 10 years ago, I'd have enjoyed smoked salmon on mini blinis, with a bit of cream cheese n lemon juice and a spring of dill. For a healthier option you can use sliced cucumber (pat first with kitchen roll to remove excess water) instead of blinis. It's nice to have something to nibble if you have drinks pre lunch. A few Pringles are always nice too?

And you can pop a prawn on too!

If someone else is making breakfast, are they likely to make a substantial one?
I wouldn’t bother with crisps or nuts (esp nuts as so filling), but would make a light starter eg bitter leaves (chicory or radicchio) with fruit eg blood orange or fig or pomegranate.

We never bother with breakfast maybe part of a selection box. We have dinner around 1 no starters then we have an evening buffet. There is always so much food and drink dont worry about filling every little gap with food

I would keep it really light and simple OP.
Tiny bite sized offerings and not too many of them. You don’t want people too full to enjoy the main meal of the day!

This is what we do. No breakfast, but we might have some crisps/nibbles with a bit of fizz late morning. Dinner at around 1.30ish (roast and pudding) then evening buffet/cheese board/cold turkey at about 7pm.

We often have 'party nibbles', pates, dips etc on Christmas Eve, then leftovers and more party nibbles on Boxing Day.

Generally we just buy in or make some Christmas food, and then eat it when the mood takes us over the Christmas period.