What do you have for dinner on Christmas Eve?

[chicaguapa]

We're going to the GPs for Christmas Day & Boxing Day. We have bought DC a popcorn maker which we'll unveil on Christmas Eve to make some popcorn and settle down to watch a Christmas film with before bed.

So we can't work out what to do for dinner for just the 4 of us. Part of me doesn't want it to just be a normal mid-week dinner but we'll also be under time pressure to set up the popcorn maker and get the film on.

I'm at work during the day so we can't have a big lunch instead.

What are your traditions?

Buffet of party food here. Kids love it & it's effortless for us

Same as some pps - mini buffet. Nothing extravagant - cheese & crackers, scotch eggs, bread sticks & dips. No cooking at all.

I have done Nigellas Christmas spare ribs with noodles. Everyone loves them and you just marinade a day

before then bung in oven for a couple of hours. Very tasty and Moreish and sticky!!! Clementine juice, jar of cranberry sauce, sweet chilli sauce and soy sauce.

Ignore sad face stoopid phone

Take away curry. Ever since the year DH and I went out for a curry to try to persuade DC1 to be born we've had curry on Christmas Eve.

As a child we had friends over and had a roast ham with all the trimmings my DM must've been mad.

Last year, just me & DP, we had traditional German carp with potatoes, red cabbage and carrots. Year before that we had loads of friends over and did a sort of buffet/help yourself fish pie, smoked salmon, bits & pieces etc. with lots of salad and bread.

This year having friends over again and doing roast duck, leg of parma ham (DM won't eat duck), mashed sweet potatoes, sprouts, celeriac purée and red cabbage. I refuse to do roast veg on Christmas Eve, too much faff.

Cheese fondue - very quick and easy but feels like a treat!

Roast ham, fried egg and chips. DCs love it

Chinese,it's become tradition here

Roast ham, fried egg and chips. DCs love it

Quite often we have pasta or lasagne or similar, something non-Christmassy before several days of roasts/buffets/party food etc. Also easy to prepare ahead of time.

A nice, quick and easy buffet. Cheeseboard, krisprolls, breadsticks, falafels, quiche, hummus and a couple of other dips, Tyrrells crisps, vegan sausage rolls and chicken nuggets, the snowman cake DC bake on Christmas Eve and chocolate dipped Medjool dates. It's more than enough for the five of us and doesn't take any effort on my part, just a few things shoved in the oven and everything set up on the table. Couldn't be arsed with a full on cooked meal after the day that Christmas Eve is... It's the busiest craziest day of the year.

Homemade sausage rolls (Delia) with Christmas chutney (Nigella).

We get a takeaway from the chipshop on our way home from the panto. I'm always short on kitchen space as I prep bits in advance, so it's nice not having to cook in a crowded space.

turkey and homemade sausagemeat/sage/chestnut stuffing barms with mayo and cranberry, also some baked camembert with red onion relish and doritos to dip in (shit loads of bucks fizz too, obvs)

We always roast a rib of beef and have a choice of hot roast beef sandwiches and sausage sandwiches (in fact I have been to the butcher's today and it is now in the freezer).

The whole village seemed to pop in for one of these sandwiches when I was growing up (more likely the liquid refreshments though), and I carried on the tradition when I left home.

I usually make the Nigella maple syrup cheesecake the day before. Roasting the beef and is easy, I cook my sausages in the oven too so no work at all.

Chinese for us, oh will collect when he goes to collect the Santa present from my mums.

Will ask ds (7) what he wants for dinner, something quick like pasta would be good!

I'm going to do Nigella's ham in coke, jacket spuds, a winter slaw and salad. Possibly a baked camembert too

We don't usually do anything special as DH is usually at work till the wee small hours of Christmas Day and the kids are sooooooo fussy it would be a waste to do anything fancy. I usually have cereal and wine

This year though for the first time in forever DH will be home chriatmas eve so I think we'll make pizzas with the kids and then spend the evening wrapping and drinking too much

We always used to go to Mcdonalds as it was quick and easy (its at the end of our street) required no cooking and left no mess or washing up to clear afterwards. This was pre-DC and when they were small. Loved the walk back after looking at all the lights etc. in the dark.

But then when the DC were 4/5 yo they completely rejected our annual christmas Eve treat and asked for pasta instead. Luckily I at least had the ingredients in to make a quick cheese/tomato pasta bake as I had been planning on big mac n fries so hadn't bought anything in to cook that day.

Since then I've usually done a buffet of bits that just need sticking in the oven on Christmas eve, but I'm considering cooking the gammon joint early this year and having it with egg and chips instead. That way it will be done already for having cold after Christmas too.

Take-away, often pizza or indian and vast quantities of wine

Have always made a fish pie but this year I am working until fairly late and doubt that I will have the energy.

Like the sound of some of your ideas.

Might nick the fondue! or the ham and baked potatoes!