Evening meal ideas!

[Kej13]

Hello, looking for some help!!

I've offered (and now regretting!!) To do dinner in the evening for myself, DH, DB, SIL, and both of my parents.

I love my family but it's going to be SO difficult.

Both my brother and SIL are vegetarian, but to complicate things more, my SIL is also gluten intolerant.

I always manage to get it wrong, especially with my SIL, who is always so polite but I feel terrible when everyone is eating and she's just sitting there!

Any ideas? I'm thinking of a buffet not Christmas dinner (already been stupid enough to offer to do this too earlier in the day for me, DH and FIL!!)

Thank you!!

Chilli and rice?

Curry and rice

I’m always too full to eat anything other than a bit of cheese or some chocolate in the evening after Christmas lunch!!
Will your SIL etc have eaten a full roast earlier in the day too??

Hey, thanks for the ideas! I think maybe curry/chilli will be a bit much for us having had a roast too but thank you!!

Hmm.. I think so, but she is going to her parents so she's not sure either at this point!

Evening meal on Christmas Day? Blimey, leftovers surely from lunch and the tin of quality streets? If not then a veggie stirfry with leftover turkey for the carnivores?

I don't know anyone who could eat another meal on Christmas day. Could you just bake some half baked bread, shove in a couple of pizzas and then put out any left over meats from lunch, pickles etc?

I'd do picky bits- nice bread for non gluten free people, ham for non vegetarians, feta cucumber rolls, little falafels, pear and Stilton on sticks, retro melon balls on sticks etc

Make it easier and but vegetarian gf oven bake buffet food? The supermarkets definitely cater for this.

Definitely wouldn't be making a full meal on Christmas Day pm. Buy some canapé/frozen style party food, pizzas etc in a variety of meat, veggie & GF. Other nibbles, crisps, nuts, cake, mince pies. That way, you can just shove a few things in the oven as & when needed.

Actually what about a cheeseboard with some cold cuts and a fruit platter?

I'd do a couple of salads and some cheese plus leftover meat for the carnivores. Then pickles and dips, chutney etc. I'm sure you can buy decent GF crackers.
I did Mary Berry's bean salad for a veggie guest which went down well, looks GF at quick glance but obviously double check mustard etc, you can make it the day before. Then a nice green salad and maybe a Greek one.

i would do a really really nice cheeseboard, pickels, chutneys etc with some nice wine.
Thats all you will need.

We don’t have a evening meal, chiristmas dinner is kind of spread out over the day as we can’t managed a big meal (3 courses), we have breakfast around 8am and probably start dinner at 2pm ish. If anyone’s hungry in the evening then there’s cheese and crackers and chocolates.

Maybe just do a cheese board, some crusty bread, crackers, pate etc.. then people can just graze.

cheeseboard, separating our the non-veggie cheeses.
Selection of breads and crackers. Put a separate plate of GF ones out (there are some really lovely crackers)
grapes, celery, chutney.
sweet and mince pies (veggie)

If you want to serve any meaty bits (ham or pate) provide a GF veggie one also (eg mushroom pate).

No-one will expect much so you can just do picky bits in a festive style. If everyone has eaten a roast no-one will mind not having meat.

Do they eat cheese? I second, third and fourth the cheese board suggestions...

A good cheddar, blue, Brie and s baked M&S Cornish cruncher. Figs, grapes, Parma ham, crackers and sourdough for dipping.
Great gluten free crackers out there now.

Port too!

A make ahead salad is cubed pumpkin, parboiled, olive oil and arabic spices and into the oven. Olives, feta, pecans/walnuts/pine nuts, tin cannelini beans. Store in Tupperware until needed. Dress and tip over mixed leaves. A good loaf of gf bread and you should be right. Cheese and rice crackers (check if oats are ok for Walkers or Duchy Original).

Wow thanks for all the suggestions!! We only do two courses and we'll eat at around 1pm, and don't think my family are having a proper dinner as mum is working until 5 and brother and SIL are seeing her parents, who probably won't do a meal. So I have to do enough but don't want to be stuck cooking two dinners!!

My brother eats cheese, but SIL can't as shes also dairy intolerant! (Sorry, should have added that!!)

Not so worried about my brother because he's not fussy just doesn't eat meat, as long as there is no meat he'll eat it! It's my SIL because she has a lot of intolerances and I always manage to get it wrong somehow and as it's Christmas I want to make sure I get it spot on!

You need to start this from the other direction. You need to start with SiL, list what she can eat and go from there, not construct a menu and see what’s left for her.

So, what can she eat?

you need to find a gluten free vegan recipe then that everyone will eat!! you can then add some meat seperately for the meat eaters.

www.mydarlingvegan.com/31-vegan-gluten-free-dinner-recipes/

Agree start with sil. She is veggie, gf and no dairy right? What about a stuffed squash, cook separately in the oven and salmon for the others? New potatoes and roasted veg alongside. It's enough for those who haven't had a meal but can do tiny portions for those who have. I'd just get cake bars for pudding, they have gf ones and maybe put a box of choc out. Cooking twice is more than enough.

Normally I'd say a buffet but sometimes it's actually more work particularly if there are allergies/preferences to avoid.

I would drop sil a line and suggest whatever you decide to check it, as then you're not stressed in the run up (and you never know she might offer to bring something!).

Good luck!

I agree with Brie, vegan and gluten free is the way to go. How about a vegan and gluten free pizza (I think Sainsbury's have these) and regular ones for everyone else, then it doesn't matter if they eat them all at once or pick throughout the evening. Google vegan and gluten free meal ideas, it must be hard trying to plan two Christmas meals so well done!! I'm the only veggie in my family and just have a massive bowl of roast veg and cheese with gravy, it's heaven to me

I always do a grid. Food ideas in the first column then a column per restriction- gf ,dairy free,veg. Fill the gf & df combo. Add enough veg for that column to look reasonable and then add easy/ classic stuff to make up the rest. You have to read labels carefully and I would check with sil - ‘I always get it wrong’ is not really acceptable.
Simple corn chips , salsa and homemade guacamole with /without grated cheese either hot or as a dip your own should be gf and veg as well as dairy free if without the cheese (or use a vegan cheese?) . Read cornchip and salsa labels carefully.
Nuts and meats and dried fruits and perhaps a carefully selected pate or two (mushroom and can you get gluten free dairy free meat pate? Don’t know) all meet the dairy free gf agenda , you could add a cheese plate with strawberries to round out the look. Salads.

Crudetes and hummous
Falafel
Corn chips and salsa
Spicy cubes of roasted squash
Baked kale chips
Gazpacho shots
Olives
Cherry tomatoes in herb oil

The problem is that with so many restrictions , your going to be putting slot of work in on Christmas Day- which isn't fair to you- I'd ask sil outright what she wants/ eats to avoid planning something, putting effort into a meal, that she doesn't like. With gf and dairy free I'm sure she'll be grateful to be asked

DF, GF, vegetarian?

this but use a plant milk and omit the cheese topping: perhaps consider a tomato concasse layer.

vegan pate and crackers.
Cheese board as before for others.

A great heap for hot chips is a winner for them if they won't have eaten first. I suspect after full Christmas dinner you won't want much yourselves.!