Christmas Eve dinner

[Mallowmarshmallow]

What do you all have?

I always find whatever we choose a bit of a disappointment. I don't really want a take away and we go to the carol concert on the green at about 4ish so it would be nice if it was something we could come back to fairly easily.

We usually have a buffet

We always have lobster. Super easy as you can just have it boiled and then eat cold with homemade mayonnaise and lemon juice.
Feels super decadent but isn't a huge meal so you're not taking up space for the main event on Christmas Day.

Normal menu is something with smoked salmon to start, lobster salad as a main, something light and lemony for pudding like a self saucing pudding. And champagne, because it's Christmas Eve and Father Christmas gets too much sherry as it is, so would rather have a glass of the good stuff

Sorry, chip shop here with all of our friends.

I was thinking the same and wondered about something like beouf bourginon or some other slow cooked delight. Then wasn't sure if that was maybe too heavy. Like both the buffet and lobster idea! My parents usually do fish pie Jamie style. I want to do something different for sure

Dh normally spends a couple of hours making a Chinese while I chill with a glass of wine. We have ds now though so not if plans will change

Chinese takeaway!

Buffet- a xmas ham I make during the day, jacket potatoes, salad, cheese board, any other nice bits I pick up.

We have toasties with salad, a quick easy picnic tea that’s not too heavy and leaves room for hot chocolate for supper.

We have our Christmas dinner, often at a local restaurant then buffet or turkey and chips for Christmas day.

For the past couple of years, having spent most of the day on Christmas Eve preparing the food anyway I now cook it. So we eat our Christmas 'lunch' in the evening on Christmas Eve - turkey, ham and all the trimmings and when I wake up on Christmas Day I know I don't have to cook. It's the best decision I ever made. Even my FIL has come round because he can see how much more relaxing it is.
On Christmas Day I set all the leftovers up as a buffet with extra bits and we still all sit down together mid afternoon with more crackers etc. I now spend time with the children instead of being stuck in the kitchen and wish I had started doing it years ago. On Boxing Day I cook a beef and there are still usually leftovers too, but it means on the 27th all of the leftovers have been eaten and we have our takeaway then.

We always have a varied cheese board, pate, some cold meats and a selection of crackers, along with apples and grapes, chocolate and something boozy to quaff. We're always out doing something fun that day....cinema/a show/the fairground and this simple fare is sumptuous and festive without me having to cook.

We always have exactly the same as everyone else in the village after crib service. We all eat in a few houses. Gammon, Cumberland sauce, baked potatoes, homemade coleslaw, red cabbage, vegetable tart, cheese then a star shaped pavlova.

If we have to stay in, we get m&s lasagne with salad and stone baked garlic breads.

We have (been going for at least 50 years, I have continued it whenever I am not with my parents), roast rib of beef and/or butchers sausages sandwiches. Hot from the oven on homemade bread.

Mum has an open house and most of their village turn up at some point.

Wine, mince pies, stollen, etc..

We have our church service in the early evening too so I do dinner before we go. For the last couple of years we've had steak, dauphinois, pepper sauce and broccoli which has gone down well.

Eating our main meal early means I don't do lunch but do bacon rolls at late mid morning when the teens drag themselves out of bed and then when we come home from church we do party nibbles and champagne.

We have pea and ham soup, with the ham stock and frozen peas. Fresh crusty bread. It's dead easy, really comforting, and we can have it before or after the crib service according to how much chocolate has been started! Doesn't matter how many people are there either. Ok for the four of us or the twelve, depending who comes.

Buffet! Christmas Eve is my favourite, the day before me and my sister leave the children with our mum and head to m&s for a mix of different buffet things.

We have a range of Christmas meats and lots of bowls of nibbles, crisps, savoury buffet food and all sorts

It's such fun and has become a small tradition in it's self really!

Buffet - cheese, bread, sausage rolls, pork pie, ham and Christmas cake.

We make homemade Christmas shaped pizzas

Throw ingredients for a warming stew in the slow cooker in the morning.Great with crusty bread and butter.

Clams in white wine with parsley
Langostinos and/or crab.
Crusty bread.
Nice and light and delicious. Also very cheap where I live in Spain, great seafood.

DD, DH and I love it!
Champers or white wine (not that keen on champers)

We have a mega buffet: a ham, whole baked salmon, smoked salmon, cheese board, potato salad, coleslaw, stuffed eggs... there's usually about 12-15 of us. I love Christmas Eve, more than actual Christmas.

A big beef stew done in the slow cooker so people can eat at different times.

@fizzandchips what a brilliant idea!!!

We have a picnic under the Christmas Tree. We use an old wooden sledge as a table, tartan rug, etc.

Make up the picnic before Church.