Christmas Eve 'Open House' - now everyone is arriving at once - panic on!

[EllenRose]

I thought I had had a rather nice idea that I would invite family over on Christmas Eve, to arrive whenever they wanted during the day. I foolishly had in my mind an ongoing trickle of people for whom we could dish out the mulled alcohol, nibbles, coffees, mince pies etc as and when.

It turns out now that they all appear to be coming at mid-day and are expecting lunch.

Now, there will be 16 or so and I don't have room for that many around my dining table so this is going to have to be buffet style or something more creative.

In desperation I was considering some home made soups and nice breads, sausage rolls etc. but dh grimaced and made a comment about 'cup a soup' and I am now trawling all manner of websites for inspiration.

I am not going to have time to make masses of buffet food but didn't want to be spending hours opening / heating half of Sainsbury's 'Party' aisle either.

What the hell was I thinking? This was meant to be an opportunity to see half the family without too much hassle and now I am in last minute melt-down .

Any ideas?

soup sounds lovely - if dh doesn't like it, tell him to cook it

Tell them it's bring a plate of party food day?
Good luck

A huge delux mac and cheese? That's what I'm doing x

sounds great to me

big pot of soup (or chilli) on the hob for folks to help themselves to

nice bread, cheese board

lovely

people won't anything too rich or fancy or partyish on the the night before xmas imo ro they won't fancy their main xmas meal the next day.

Jacket potatoes

Various fillings like cheese , tuna etc

Garlic bread

Crisps & dips

Iceland prawn ring

Yep, chilli and rice/ French bread.

Or hot dogs!

Thanks everyone

I also have the fussiest family so need to provide a few options for those that don't like spice/green things/anything with any flavour

I was worried about the lack of table space which was why the soup might have had to have been in mugs (hence the comment from DH) and if they don't like it at least I can freeze it .

I have done a similar thing in the past and like you said reheating loads of party food is NOT fun. Have you got a slow cooker? What if you put on a Sharwoods curry with chicken breast chunks in it to be ready when they come. Some naan breads warmed up tin foil and popadoms and dips on the side. Serve yourself type thing?

Some french stick bread, ham, smoked salmon (if feeling generous), prepackaged salad with dressing seperate in case not like it. Sainsburys last year had some dried couscous salad packets in their kosha/japanese/dried porcinni mushroom section, which you just have to add water to.

Jacket potatoes are a great option as can be put in oven and left, then a few bowls with cheese, sweetcorn, tuna etc so can add what they want.

Remember you didn't invite them all for lunch, so don't feel you have to give them a slap up meal with all the trimmings.

But you didn't invite them for lunch! I'd do what you were originally planning but just put it all out on your dining table and let them help themselves to nibbles while you serve drinks, etc.

And I would ignore the fussy eaters to be fair...

If DH wants something more complicated than soup, surely he should be the one trawling the internet and going through all the hassle!

French bread. Lots of different types of cheese. Naice ham. Salad leaves. Pasta/cous cous salad. Something with arsenic in for the ones you don't like

we just had a big family party for 40 people. we had m&s party food, only a few bits needed heating and was reasonable £

Large shepherds pie
Large fish pie

Simple to make, can be eaten standing up.

Dessert large bread and butter pudding.
Cheese board.

This menu will out me in RL, as it has served large functions at or house for many years.

Oh, and DH needs to do one. HTH x

Don't do soup! You have a fair number of people who, presumably, won't all be able to sit down - serving hot soup is asking for someone to spill it all over the floor/your sofa!

If it's a lunchtime thing, I'd go for sandwiches and nibbly things - all stuff you can use your fingers to eat.

How about - to make it easier - buying a few french sticks/baguettes, make the whole thing into a sandwich and then cut up into individual sandwiches. You could do, say, 4 baguettes, each with a different filling. Doing the whole thing will be a lot easier than making enough sandwiches with sliced bread.

Or you could do hot sandwiches - buy some of those round, 'campagne' type loaves. Cut then in half horizontally and fill with whatever you like - cheese-based fillings work especially well - wrap in foil and bake in the oven till the filling has melted, and then slice up, a bit like a cake.

A whole load of veg crudites - bowls of cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, sliced raw peppers and carrots, with a yoghurt/sour cream dip.

And a small amount of hot stuff by way of contrast - spring rolls/samosas, etc.

I would do a huge cheese board with lots of nice crackers, celery and grapes on the side.

A vegetable rice dish and a huge vat of chilli/curry to go with it. You could also do some jacket spuds too.

I wouldn't bother with a dessert as such.... Just do warm mince pies and cream or some stollen.

What about a large potato pie? People can help themselves and just add a little red cabbage and maybe some French bread

Cook a mountain of mini sausages in the oven - everybody loves picking at them (think 10 per person). Get a large block of cheddar, a blue cheese and a Brie/Camembert type cheese. Oh and a goats cheese of course.

Then get some French bread cut into chunks or little rolls so people can use them for the sausages or cheese. Add some lettuce and cucumber slices for people to put in the rolls or nibble at and a big bowl of cherry tomatoes and a big bunch of seedless grapes. Add ketchup and mayo and any other favourite condiments. Big pile of garlic bread if you like it. Nibbles of crisps, nuts and anything you were previously thinking of having out for people to nibble on.

Big pile of mince pies and stollen pieces for pudding, a bowl of satsumas and little bowls of chocolate coins (tesco had two big bags on offer the other day, they also serve as decorations) maybe a chocolate log and/or Christmas cake for pudding.
All sorted, very simple. And perfect 'at home' type food. And if anybody makes any comments about it not being 'proper' lunch then make a jokey comment about how next time you send out invites for an at home you're going to put staggered times on the invites so you don't get everyone turning up at once or you'll just have it in the morning or afternoon :o