Christmas Eve food

[canibehereifimnotamum]

What do you usually eat on Christmas Eve for dinner/tea/supper whichever you call it. I know so many people that have a full on roast which I've never understood as you're having one the next day? We always get a Chinese- so bad but so good! what's your food traditions?

We have a three generation family (always + a few extra people) together three day Chriatmas. Christmas eve early dinner is the first big formal meal of Christmas and means the celebrations have begun. We tend to dress up a bit and it seams to be a Champagne (more recently prosecco) arrival drink with canapes then a three course meal.

Last year I hosted the Christmas eve meal. Due to various outside the family stresses people were particularly happy to be together and feel relaxed in the understanding of the group. It did mean quite a bit of alcohol seamed to evaporate. I started with very simple canapes of Christmas cake and lancashire cheese plus mini toast, lancashire cheese and homemeade cider brandy chutney.

For my starter I served smoked duck slices around a duck pate with strawberries and a strawberry balsamic, green leaf garnish. I did a side of mini toasts and a selection of small homemade rolls (the DC, nephews and niece love to demolish these).

The main was a whole fillet of beef (most expensive joint ive ever purchased, courtesy of Costco, but it was really, really good), served sliced on a bed of wilted spinach with nutmeg, roasted on the vine cherry tomatoes and peppadew peppers. I did a side of pommes noissette.

Dessert was mini chocolate fondues (long table for 16 of us so 4 fondues) with platters of berry fruit, marshmallows, mini shortbread etc. We also managed to polish off a few bottles of desert wine.

It's just the three of us this year.

DP is very traditional so we're having turkey on Christmas day. I'm not fussy but DD wanted something different. As a compromise I told her she could choose dinner on Christmas Eve.

So on Christmas Eve we're having Domino's pizza. (so no dishes yay!)

Rice pudding (it's a Scandinavian family thing)
Parma ham, similar cold cuts, cheese and things like Italian artichoke preserve.

I'm toying between:

Slow cooked ham served with jacket potatoes, cauliflower cheese and red cabbage
or
Pulled pork, stuffing and apple sauce rolls. Again using a slow cooker recipe so it's super easy!

We're having our big xmas meal on xmas eve this year so won't have much room for food at dinner time. Probably egg on toast or something.

Same as you OP, visiting all day so have Chinese takeway already pre ordered to collect on the way home. Certainly not visiting then coming home to cook. First year doing this but happy to make it a tradition 🎅

we go out for a nice lunch with a glass of champagne and then in the evening I cook the ham, this is a tradition from my grandparents time.

When it is cooked (could be 10 / 11pm) we have hot ham sandwiches on really fresh white bread with real butter and mustard and pickles.
We have drinks (wine / beer / spirits -whatever takes our fancy) and we usually have a christmas dessert on the go afterwards.

I read in Nigella's Christmas book that she serves her ham with macaroni & cheese and I am contemplating that this year.....we'll see!

Sometimes ham, but this year I'm doing that on Boxing Day.

Maybe a side of salmon.

No tradition here though, just whatever we fancy.

We do a buffet, lots of frozen party bits, little desserts, sausage rolls, crisps, dips etc. I love it but I always do far too much and we can't save it as the xmas dinner is taking up the whole fridge :-)

Homemade curry prepared in the slow cooker the day before. Pilau rice, veg sides made on the day

Ham & excessive amounts of cheese here. After a Wetherspoons breakfast with the whole extended family. Sometimes polished off with a selection box to boot 😂

An Indian takeaway. We always have one and bloody love it.