What to have tea/dinner/supper/evening meal on Christmas Eve?

[carries]

This is first year ever that we've been at home Christmas Eve for evening meal. Usually at MIL but as we're there on Monday for reasons I'll not bore you with, just at home. I'm hosting Christmas Day so will spend day prepping, therefore need quick but festive evening meal. Me, DH, 9, 6 & 10 month DDs.

TIA

we do a mix of party food :) simple to cook and feels like a celebration :D

We have lasagne and salad. Not very festive but can make in advance and freeze

We always used to have sausage & mash with red onion gravy followed by rhubarb crumble & custard. It was quick, well-received and comforting. We now have our christmas meal on Christmas Eve.

Chinese or frozen canapes. The fridge is usually full of Christmas and Boxing Day food.

What about a curry, the next few days will be roasts and party food so maybe a curry would stop you getting sick of christmas food. Or a ham in coke with mac and cheese, home made wedges and salad would be nice.

We're having lasagne too! Sometimes we have tourtière; a traditional French-Canadian meat pie. With Heinz baked beans .

A different idea...
Do Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve - the whole event - get really dressed up, bring out the crystal and dress the table. Bang out a rocking Christmas dinner at about 7:30 (crackers, hats, pudding on fire followed by carols and too much port) then crash out in front of a bottle or three. This leaves Christmas day as a total chill out to play with the new toys you bought the kids, watch a load of movies, hit the sherry at 11:30 and generally enjoy Christmas day with zero hassle, pressure or fuss.

I never really got this until I spent some time abroad and discovered that most Scandinavian, most European and most South American countries follow this pattern. It makes good sense - a feast day followed by a fun day instead of trying to do both in one day (which ends up as neither).

So I imported the idea to Monty Towers and we've been loving it for a few years now - it really makes a great two day event. The Christmas Eve feast feels really special with everyone suited and booted, candles and sparkles and all that jazz then Christmas day is total indulgence in a dressing gown and concentrating on the telly and wine kids. Go to church if that's your thing, go for a nice country walk - actually enjoy a really good family Christmas day.

It felt radical the first year - old habits die hard - but been totally sold on it ever since. Christmas eve feast perfection - Christmas day tipsy telly addict perfect parent.

I live overseas, we'll be having a barbeque on Christmas Eve.

We live in Scotland and will have a BBQ on Christmas Eve.

We normally have a little party buffet and drinks. Intrigued by the Scottish BBQ. Do you cook anything special on it?

Loads. I will roast a chicken on it in the morning so we have meat for lunches/ sandwiches and then for dinner, we will have steak, veg and potatoes all on the BBQ.

Stir fry on it for dinner tonight.

Xmas eve we're eating at about 5pm with inlaws & our two kids
So we're having smoked salmon , salad, coleslaw, potato salad, Chinese snacks, pork pie for dh , sausage rolls for kids , so buffet style
We'll do crackers, fizz, nice table etc

Definitely not curry though, that's for boxing day with leftover curry!

What we call a party tea.
Mini pizzas, chicken strips, nice breads, chicken skewers. That kinda thing.

Shock horror...I go to iceland!
Quick, clean, tasty and easy. Job done.

We are having burritos AND fajitas for tea in Christmas Eve.

chestnut and sage soup

I like the sound of that Christmas Eve feast. But I also like the Christmas Eve anticipation. And isn't Boxing Day traditionally the pyjames in front of the TV day. We eat fish on Christmas Eve.

We have cold pork with the turkey on Xmas day, so Xmas eve we all have hot pork sandwiches. All the family descend, it's the ony time of the year we are all normally in the same house at the same time ....

I'm hoping the chippie will be open

We always get take away on christmas eve and sit in front of the tv :)

Ellesababe, our local chippy is open lunchtime and suppertime on Christmas eve! But we will be having roast gammon at lunchtime as DH is working a half day. Our tea will be a bit of a buffet.

I love the idea of Gordon Ramseys pulled pork, twas yummy looking beyond belief....

we are looking at take away perhaps...

Mini love the idea of the big meal xmas eve....

ummm hot pork sandwiches...

Wow, loads of ideas. I've settled on pork burgers from the butcher with salad, wedges & coleslaw. Followed by mince pie & cranberry struesel. Thanks everyone for great ideas. I'm in Scotland too but the idea of a BBQ is frightening :-)

FrozenatChristmas - you made me smile. I only realise more people thought like you. Y'know, like it's not illegal to have a barbeque at Christmas in the northern hemisphere.

Merry Christmas, all the best for 2014.