Christmas Eve dinner

[jenkel]

I'm looking for inspiration for a dinner for Christmas Eve, we have quite a few people coming to stay but all turning up at different times and I wont really know when until they arrive. I want to do things to eat, but something that I can do say a day in advance.

If you want something warm - you could have a great big stew/casserole on the go and take out as needed.
Alternatively do a big cold buffet, but ensure that you have some 'top up' food for any late comers!

how about things like Chilli and curry that personally I think taste nicer the next day anyway? Jacket potatoes in the oven, microwave rice as you'll be cooking it in dribs and drabs I guess.

Personally I would go for a sausage casserole, maybe served with mashed potatoes or poss. yorkhsire puddings (although would have to be frozen ones).

I would go with a slow-cooker stew

We dont have that issue though - we all descend on Dad for chinese!!!

we have people xmas eve and we're doing a cold buffet. saving all the stress for the xmas day meal itself. can't do it twice!

We had friends round last year and did a big fish pie, a nice one with salmon in it etc, and leek and potato soup too. Both made in advance.

We had friends round last year and did a big fish pie, a nice one with salmon in it etc, and leek and potato soup too. Both made in advance.

Depends on how formal I guess. What you don?t want is anything that will give you leftovers sitting in pans on the stove or taking up valuable fridge space on Christmas Day..
Jacket spuds are good to keep warm for hours and can cater exact quantities. Could then do various fillings to cater for yougn kiddies and adult tastes like beans and sausage for kiddies and a spicy apricot and lamb stew for grown-ups.
I would have plenty of mince pies/shorbread type stuff and lots of coffee/mulled wine etc to keep everyone happy in between.

Just remembered - we had a fun Christmas Eve a few years back where we did a BBQ with spuds int eh oven and had sparklers for the kids. Of course this is weather dependent and not necessarily that good if having stragglers!

2 chillis keeping warm the stove, a veg one and a meat one, people help themselves.
Pitta breads, sour cream, grated cheese, salady bits, crisps and a few party type things.

Or, a great big roast pork joint with lots of crackling, bread rolls, applesauce, stuffing and mustard. You carve the meat onto a big plate and people help themselves.

We always do a buffet, and it's the only meal of the year where I serve up ready made food (in prepartion for the onslaught of the next few days) I'll have 10 guests staying for several nights so on christmas ever they get (from M+S or waitrose or sainsburys - wherever) a vast selection of mini tarts/pizzas/vols/wrapped sauasages/coquilles st jacques/prawns in filo etc etc, served with mulled wine. excessively hungry types may start on the christmas cheeses and cake

tsk - christmas eve - not christmas ever

i would go with the chilli/curry idea you can just make it and leave it on a low heat all evening and if rice is a woory just buy the frozen bags you can bung in the micro.Sounds like you have enough to do without worrying about cooking.

I with waswondring - i use christmas eve to get the ham going. It can be done during the day and then served with salad and jacket potatoes - good as not too rich given what is going to come.

Then of course you have all the beautiful ham leftovers for the next few days (great for christmas evening when the lunch has gone down and you fancy something nice!)

Thanks everyone