Food!

[SquedgieBeckenheim]

So this is way in advance, but booking my food shopping delivery for Christmas so starting to think about what we'll eat over Christmas.
This is first year hosting. There will be me, DH, DD (2), MIL FIL and BIL for Christmas eve and Christmas day. Boxing day we'll be joined by DM, DF and my DGP's for the evening.
Christmas dinner I think I know what I'm doing. Christmas eve just going to do stew and dumplings in slow cooker as it's easy.

What else do I need? What are your "must have" food items around Christmas? What would you do as an easy boxing day supper when catering for 9 adults and a 2 year old? I'll be about 6 months pregnant at Christmas so needs to be easy, and free from foods I can't eat so I don't get jealous of them all!

We always go to FIL on Boxing Day. He does leftover cold meats and a fresh joint (usually beef), chips, pigs in blankets and stuffing which we eat off
Big serving platters. He also always has pickled onions - then cheese, crackers and chutney and a choice of puddings. I think he cooks most of it On Christmas Day (once dinner is done he puts the Boxing Day food in the oven and lets it cook while they're eating) so minimal effort.
Only thing he does fresh is chips and it's always delicious. (This is for FIL, SMIL, DH, me, Sil 1 and her BF, SIL 2, her DH and 2 DDs and sometimes DH auntie and uncle.

Must haves for me is more snacks - nuts, sweets, a chocolate orange. And cheese, lots and lots of cheese...

Depends, if you'll all be sick of 'Christmas food' by Boxing Day then it's ok to do something untraditional.

Chilli or lasagne with garlic bread, salad etc could be nice and easy to make for a crowd, or a curry with rice, naan and some ready prepped Indian starters?

Myself, DM and DGM aren't eaters of spicy food. A giant lasagne would be a plan. Could make it a few days ahead and freeze I guess. The platters of party food are pricey for what they are, that was my first thought.
handbag lots and lots of cheese is already on my list! Except brie can't have that. I am getting a camembert though and will cook it!

We have breakfast plus one hot meal and one cold meal each day so I would keep the stew for Boxing Day if I were you, and just have a light supper of cold meats, cheeses, bread, chutneys etc with salad or fruit on Xmas Day.
No one ever eats much turkey so we always end up with loads of turkey leftovers and end up thinking up various ways of using it up. Turkey stew is our traditional Boxing Day hot meal. Then there might be a turkey curry or Mexican fajitas with turkey on another day...

How about an oven baked ham with either jackets of part baked baguettes? That would go down well with a camembert and easy to do. Left overs can go into cold sandwiches or tart up a mac and cheese another time.

In terms of snack type foods that signify Christmas: tin of chocolates, after eights, bottle of Baileys, mince pies or pannetone or stollen or something like that, Pringles and cheese balls and of course crackers and cheese, yule log not all of these at the same time in our house, just trying to think of a list

nenny the in laws won't be arriving till early evening of Christmas eve, hence planning a stew for then. They'll have been traveling all day so will need a meal.
Christmas day will be breakfast of eggs probably, Christmas dinner early afternoon, then cake and cheeses if we want it for supper. That's basically what my parents always did!
Boxing day my family will arrive late afternoon so its a meal to have with them I'm not sure about. In laws leave the day after boxing day so will also be around for dinner boxing day. Lunch with them that day will probably be turkey sandwiches and cheese!

nenny I think reading back we're talking at cross purposes. By Christmas eve I mean the 24th December. Not the evening of Christmas day!

Sorry, I read it as Christmas (Day) evening!

That's ok. I should have capitalised the E of eve!

Boxing day lunch of turkey sandwiches and cheese, maybe a bowl of soup to get some veggies into everyone?
Boxing day evening when all gathered: another roast probably the easiest thing for so many when spicy food is ruled out and lasagne not special enough. Maybe a slow cooked brisket or shoulder of pork. Serve with simple accompaniments so not as much effort as Christmas day; Dauphinoise, green beans, etc