What do you eat Christmas Eve?

[OldJoseph]

I'm looking for inspiration for a Christmas Eve meal. I've asked the family and they've not helped.

I'll be busy prepping for Christmas Day so it can't be too time consuming. Ideally fairly light and not using anything we'll eat on Christmas Day.

Happy to go for something convenient.

It is tradition for us to have supermarket party food. Quite often M&S. DP works til tea time so we want something quick and easy.

Fish and chips bought on the way home from the panto here. Zero cooking and leaves my kitchen clean for prepping.

Sausages mash and peas
Use bought made up mash as I'm busy enough on Christmas eve

We are getting an Indian takeaway!

Salmon and steamed veg with sweet potato. A vain attempt at healthy before the Christmas Day piggery

Thanks for your ideas, can't be sausages as we'll have them Christmas Day. Chip supper has crossed my mind but it's quite filling, takeaway also filling and will repeat into Christmas Day. MIL does a fish pie but that's time consuming.

I suppose I'm thinking something veggie since CHristmas and Boxing are a bit of a meat feast.

Ah, yes perhaps salmon...

I've just been through our books for something quick, easy and familiar - nothing worse than picking something new, then finding out that it takes three times as long to cook as it says and tastes rank!

So think about what you love but don't usually have on grounds of health, cost or social standing...

Chilli con carne which I'm making next week and freezing.

Always fish - sometimes a whole salmon or a fish pie (which can be made ahead and frozen). If I didn't have to feed carnivores I'd do a stuffed butternut squash but that takes a good hour in the oven.

We have a parmesan crusted fish dish from a Delia book (fish is traditional in a lot of places for Christmas Eve) and rice pudding (Scandinavian tradition).
However we love Mexican food and I'm considering learning to make tamales, which are the traditional food there.

We always go out. This year we will be in an independent pizza restaurant in Lancaster getting merry on Prosecco with two other families.

We usually just have a buffet tea, nice snacks, nibbles & drinks.

Chocolate, mostly.

Chinese takeaway

Best to have not too much food to leave more room for the following day. Why not just skip supper? If necessary, have cheese and crackers.

We usually have a buffet at my mum's house but she's not up to doing it this year so we'll be getting a takeaway with the kids and watching Santa Claus The Movie with a couple of glasses of wine.

We will be having mushroom soup with sourdough with side of cheese

Slow cooked ham, new potatoes, and peas/cabbage.

The joint then does for nice sandwiches for a few days as we eat lunch out.

We just do a really easy picky meal -
bread rolls
veggie sausage rolls
cheeseboard
grapes
pickles
salad
mince pies and cream

We always have vegetarian grills (DH and I) fish fingers for the DC, chips,
This year we have family s I'll do fish for those who want (or grills)

Usually trifle but there's limited room in the fridge so I'll do apple pie (cook earlier in the day or day before) with ice-cream and a baked cheesecake.

We do a late night buffet of pies,sandwiches,crisps,salsa,dips.
Christmas Cake (otherwise it;ll sit there and no-one will eat it)

Meal skipping not an option, DDad is diabetic but he doesn't eat heavy rich food.

Always M&S party food, crudites and nice dips.

Thanks for all your messages. Looks like it's going to be a salmon / noodles type meal.

We're going to do some 70's stylee cheese fondue-ing Christmas Eve!

Always Chinese takeaway here :)