What to have for dinner Christmas Eve?

[krazipan]

This year it's just my son and I for Christmas. I have planned a buffet 'party tea' for Christmas Day and so was planning for a sit down meal Christmas Eve but I'm struggling for ideas.

Ok, what age is your son, what is your budget, are you vegetarian, are you a good cook? need a few clues as to what you like to eat. I would do a Christmas dinner with a chicken instead of Turkey in your shoes. Just have your favourite meal, one that feels a bit of a treat, nice piece of fish maybe?

We always have pasta and salad- something completely different to Christmas dinner.

I'm making fresh bread & soup, probably minestrone or French onion. We tend to eat a lot of salad, with leftovers, for a few days after Christmas.

Ham, egg and chips.

Lasagne, done in the slow cooker so you can go out & enjoy your day if you want to, certainly no faffing. With salad and garlic bread.

Steak and chips!

Nigellas Christmas spare ribs with stir fry.
Marinade ribs for 24 hrs in cranberry sauce, sweet chilli sauce, clementine juice and soy.
Bung in oven for 2 hours. Yum.

We are having fish and chips

Another ham, eggs and chips here

id ask him what he wants - what's his favourite?

I normally just put out a selection of Christmas party food and stuff and leave mine to pick at that.

Egg and chips sounds good to me though too. Or I could be tempted to a favourite takeaway, if it wouldn't detract from the Christmas Day food.

Thanks everyone. Grumpy, he is 12 and will eat pretty much anything. We aren't veggie. We normally have party nibbles on Christmas Eve so this year has thrown me.

We are having Chinese. Lots of dishes and side bits.

Do you want something simple or something a bit special? If you want special how about salmon coulibiac or salmon en croute. Delicious.

We always have fish, Polish tradition we have bought into.

Smoked salmon with scrambled eggs,
Smoked salmon with anything
Kedgeree
Kippers, with or without scrambled eggs
Fish pie..
Fish cakes
Seafood platter from M&S

We do not have 12 courses with 12 diff vodkas but one year we will...

We have fish pie, kedgeree or home-made soup with bread and cheese

We always used to have a very 'sparse' Christmas eve at home - a Roman Catholic tradition I think - so I've carried on doing the same.

We usually have a take away.

If you're having a buffet Christmas Day then how about a roast dinner on Christmas Eve? Leftovers could be incorporated into the buffet?

Thank you for all the suggestions. I was drifting towards fish so think I'll do salmon with roasties etc. [santa]

Sounds lovely Krazipan!

Carpet picnic here! Lots of yummy party food/ nibbly bits :-)

Chinese takeaway every year, it's our tradition. Our local restaurant delivers , so we get a banquet to share.

Baked potatoes with selction of different fillings-bunged in oven in afternoon while I am busy with tasks.

Salad and obs some naice ham.

Tea and cake .

I too am home alone with DS on Christmas eve plan early tea and then movie.

I've been lazy tonight Seven and ordered Chinese so I've ruled that out, though it does sound amazing!

Hope you have a lovely Christmas with your son Nina

I'm doing melanzane parmigiana with a green salad and crusty bread.

Coca cola ham, macaroni cheese and some sort of greens, maybe spinach. We go to the pantomime during the day so basically have breakfast, sweets for lunch then the ham as an early dinner, around 6pm. Leaves plenty of time for DC to get settled and for last minute gift wrapping!