Christmas Eve drinks- what food?

[Chrisinthemorning]

On Christmas Eve we will be going to the Christingle at Church at 3, then having friends back here afterwards for drinks. Small children present so likely to only last until early evening - 6-7 - as Santa is coming .
I need to do something easy that will cater for adults to munch (including vegetarian) and for small children for their tea.
The only idea I have had is pizza for the children and HM sausage rolls / Quorn or cheese rolls for the adults
Any ideas?

I usually do a drinks and nibbles on Christmas Eve, I tend to put out a Cheese board with crackers, hummus and crudités, potato wedges, garlic bread etc and a few mince pies.

Hedgehog Camembert tiger bread. Prepare morning and pop in oven when you get home.

Little sausages with honey and mustard, vegetarian and meat.

Mini sausages, cheese cubes, pineapple and silverskin pickled onions on cocktail sticks

I would do a Christmas ham, macaroni cheese and veggie bake in a tomato sauce. Easy to prepare ahead, filling and ok for vegetarians and children.

How many people? Will they be standing or sitting?

French bread, cheese board, a ham in coke (easy to stick in slow cooker) and some crisps.

Adults- 6-8, maybe 10 if I invite some other friends, not quite sure on numbers yet.
Children -4 -age 7,6,5 and 2.
Mostly standing- our dining table seats 6, and we have 2 sitting areas but often we end up standing around the kitchen island chatting.
We always have a big cheeseboard at Christmas so could definitely get that out, and DH makes his own mince pies and Christmas cake. Need a chocolate alternative though too I think.
I always do a ham too so could do that on Christmas Eve, but was going to do it Boxing Day this year for various reasons.

We do something similar the Sunday before Christmas after church. Around 8-10 adults and 10 children.

I am boring and do pretty much the same food every year.

Roast ham
Pigs in blankets
Smoked salmon
Humous
Roast tomato salad
Cheese board
Bread
Crackers
Fruit cake
Fruit platter
Gingerbread men

Turkey/cranberry sauce/ chicken sandwiches with stuffing.

Cocktail sausages.
Veggie lasagne / bean stew
Chilli

You can't have turkey sandwiches on Christmas Eve! That's against the law!

Chocolate Brownies - they really need to be made a day ahead to mellow. (saves you time on the day)
Look for the recipes that whisk the eggs and sugar then you get the crust .
I put chopped up mini Toblerone in

@HollowTalk whaaat?! we always do. My mum cooks a small turkey for Christmas Eve and a large for the day. We have toasted turkey cranberry paninis after a few drinks and they are delicious! A taster for the next day

My go to Christmas Eve meal is hog roast! Pop the pork in the slow cooker in the morning, all you need to do is bread and stuffing when you get home... I know that doesnt help with the veggie option though

We do "platter" on Christmas Eve. Not always the same - depends on what we see and fancy, but generally a mixture of things from:
Set out the Christmas cheeses to get started on them.
Cured meats like parma ham, braseola, salamis.
Cooked meats like ordinary ham, maybe some proper corned beef.

Sliced smoked salmon, cooked prawns, cooked squid rings (all cold)
Sliced up frittata type omlette thing - filled with just veggies or with some bacon pieces as well, or a quiche - both could be hot or cold
Cherry tomatoes, mixed olives, carrot sticks, celery sticks, red/yellow pepper sticks (maybe lettuce if we feel like it - but not usually)
Selection of dips (maybe 2 or 3 of): hummus, salsa, guacamole, green or red pesto, sour cream and chive (M&S do lovely ones if you don't want to make them - but a pot of sour cream and pack of chives with a kitchen scissors is easy, and a tin of chickpeas, crushed garlic and lemon juice is mostly what's needed for hummus, and guacamole is easy too if avocados are soft).
Some nice crackers, breadsticks, or naice fresh crusty bread (or a mix) - you could buy or make cheese twists or palmiers if you wanted to

If you wanted a mix of those cold things and some hot bits, a few sausages with a honey/BBQ dressing, spicy chicken wings, sausage rolls, mini pizzas or some potato wedges could all be ready to pop into the oven when you get home.

People could nibble on crisps while waiting - or just start on the cold things.

We usually finish with just a bag of Leonidas orangettes, but perhaps mince pies, chocolate brownies, or an "easy chocolate pudding fridge cake" to slice upwww.bbc.com/food/recipes/christmas_pudding_fridge_58372 would be good. If you wanted to have icecream, scoop it into balls in advance, and put back in the freezer either on trays or in a serving bowl already, so you just pull it out and serve.

Mulled wine - already mixed and just needing heating through.
Perhaps a non-alcoholic version of a warm drink as well - whether a punch type thing or hot chocolate with baby marshmallows.
Soft drinks
(Tea and coffee for later)?

A big joint of ham (in a slow cooker if you use one), mound of buttered new potatoes, and crusty bake in the oven rolls.
Really simple, everyone can help themselves, and it looks impressive

I recommended mulled cider in the slow cooker as well as a nice change to mulled wine.