What do you eat Xmas eve?

[mmmmmchocolate]

I've started this thread to shamelessly steal your ideas :)

Pre DC we had Chinese takeaway whilst watching Muppets Christmas Carol.

The last 2 years we have had family over for tea so we don't have to entertain anyone Christmas day :o
I've done a buffet both years, ham, nibbles etc but am wanting to try something different. Boxing day will be buffet day now.

Cullen skink or roast coca cola ham with dauphinoise potatoes. And Muppet Christmas Carol too . And cheese and biscuits. And plenty of wine.

We always have lasagna for some reason. My dad always does it and even though we didn't have Xmas with them last year DS still insisted on lasagna!

sherry, mince pies, Pringles.....we have a teeny party and invite all the neighbours in.

Xmas eve is a big event here, as DH is French. Last year we had:

Foie gras to start, with toast and fig and raisin jam.

Then roast duck and ginger glazed ham, with caramalised new potatoes, peas with cream and pancetta, and red cabbage with apple.

Then ris a la Malta for pudding.

And a buche de noel.

Oh, and a cheese board, but I insist on crackers, can't do bread on top of that.

I feel like I've forgotten something...

We start eating early and finish late. And we fast through Advent (when I'm not pg or bfing) so Christmas eve and Christmas day are real feast days for us.

DH thinks there should be lobster, but that's a NYE treat in my book, along with more foie gras.

Oh, and it never gets even close to all being eaten. Part of the joy is that we get the delicious leftovers for about a week afterwards.

This year I'm thinking of doing Chinese duck pancakes as the starter, and just the ham for the main course. No foie gras for me this year, so none for dh either

Oh dauphinoise potatoes is a fab idea, I might steal that.

We have a massive macaroni cheese on boxing day, otherwise I'd be tempted by lasagne too.

I've been experimenting the last few years, but I really want to get a favourite established this year or next, so that we can have a tradition.

We always have a Christmas Eve curry. In days gone by we'd go out but post-DC we get a takeaway. I look forward to it more than Christmas dinner tbh!

grumpy that sounds lovely :)

Loving the dauphinoise idea, how do you make yours?

I think what we'll do is the usual night before christmas book and film, maybe the polar express (I love it!) with hot chocolate and snacks and settle down early with the dcs. I've never done a special meal for christmas eve but maybe a new tradition. Always leave out mince pie, carrots, and a glass of milk for santa and the reindeer. We tend to have Christmas dinner around 3-4ish and have snacks before that such as pickled onions, crackers, cheese, gherkins, beetroot, nuts etc. Boxing day is a ham and another roast/leftovers.

Thank you i think your idea of setting up some traditions is a good idea - i like a good framework.

Well I think I'll be going to impyCelyn for Christmas! That sounds devine!

I'd love to see the inlaws faces if I presented them with pringles :) I'd love to do dauphinoise potatoes but FIL is allergic to cheese. I love seafood but MIL can't eat fish.... I love food but DP would rather have micro chips

Keep em coming, I will find something that pleases everyone!

We've always done all the prep for Christmas day then gone out for dinner (well, the last couple of years my mum and DH have done it while I've been working til half six) Every year. However this year we'll have a roughly two month old so may need to find a new tradition. As such I shall be watching this thread intently!

We always open the 5 or so cheeses we've bought from Christmas markets, serve them with a few chutneys and crackers. To drink, we will have a pan of mulled wine on the go to get the house smelling all Christmassy. Then Christmas cake and mince pies for afters :-)

Have to say Christmas Eve = chippy and then sweets whilst watching tv and shepherding (see what I did there ) dds up to bed. Followed by frantically checking every 10 mins on them to see when the coast is clear to lay out the Santa presents and stockings.

Reindeer

Seriously, I try to do something like a risotto or pasta dish. I had a lovely one last year. I'll see if I can find the menu plan thingy - all planned for two weeks of Christmas

Roast beef, which also makes the cold meat afterwards more varied!

McDonalds! its become our xmas eve tradition, probably due to the fact I have been rushing around all day shopping,cleaning the house, wrapping presents etc. and I am too knackered to cook saving my cooking skills for xmas day

Once DC are in bed and I've helped Santa fill the stockings, I relax with some mince pies and

If no party on the street, an Old El Paso kit. If there is, the OEP on Boxing day.

We nearly always have salmon, prawns and spinach done in a flaky pastry, potatoes, veg and a dill sauce. No idea why really.

Christmas Eve lunch- DCs have fish fingers with lots of ketchup, chips with salt and vinegar.
DH and I are vegetarian so we have vegetarian fingers (there are Quorn 'fish' fingers in Sainsbo, might give them a try) salad and chips.
We have trifle, DCs have ice-cream.

Then we go for a walk, watch a film-last year we watched Nativity- DCs do the bath/PJs /Santas Tray.

Late night buffet- french bread, dips, carrot strips, crisps.
We cut the cake (no-one wants cake after Christmas Dinner)

LordOfTheFlies I'm also a veggie and have tried the quorn fishfingers, I was so excited to see them as I used to love fishfingers, I wasn't disappointed! They're lovely and the dcs like them too, who aren't vegetarian.

I'll buy some next time I'm shopping. Faux fish-finger sandwich coming up.

Dauphinoise. An old Delia recipe... Slice potatoes to thickness of a pound coin. Mix milk and double cream in equal measures (amount depends on size of dish), chop garlic finely. Layer potatoes on bottom of dish ( a flat, shallow one). Sprinkle on garlic, salt and pepper. Continue til u run out of potatoes. Pour over milk/cream mix. Chop up butter into small cubes, scatter over top. Milk mix should just cover all potatoes. Grate nutmeg over. Bang in oven, gas 2 or 3 for 2 and half hrs. No cheese!!!
Leave it for 10 mins or so before you serve so liquid firms up a bit.
Ask all visitors to leave and then dive in

Ah thank you, I've used the other delia one for a boulangere and that's lovely so I'll give that one a go, sounds delicious. No cheese though :( Hehe.