Christmas Eve and Day food

[needtomovesomewherewarmer]

I need inspiration! I’ve got a Tesco delivery booked with a truck load of wine but I need to add food!

To set the scene, this year Christmas day is just me, dh, ds7, dd5 and dd2. I need inspiration on what to make on the day that adds a bit of special, but is also easy and quick to prepare. Last year we had prawn cocktail and full turkey dinner with trimmings. Cannot remember pudding, tbh I think we just stuffed ourselves silly on quality street!

I prefer to make dinner about 3 or 4pm, rather than lunch, meaning I can spend time during the day as a family.

Christmas Eve, I usually buy m&s nibbles. Although they normally get eaten on the rug during a last minute wrapping frezy! I am determined this year to have all wrapping done by Christmas Eve. Eeek!! Other inspirational ideas?

Some ideas of things to make (other than cookies) with the children on Christmas eve would be good..?!

Thanks x

Ps please link me to any good mns Christmas food threads. I’ve tired to look but not found anything so far!

Simple fudge is great and easy to make. All you need is condensed milk, icing sugar and then either milk or white chocolate to melt into it. There's lots of simple fudge recipes that are nice online. I'm making 8 different types this year for christmas gifts and as a bring and share for a buffet and as a thank you for hosting gift for my friends parents.

I like making a charcuterie board to pick at on christmas eve and for tea with some added smoked salmon from breakfast and sliced turkey and beef from the roast for Christmas day tea and boxing day breakfast and tea where some smoked ham will be added.

On Christmas Eve we usually have a cheese fondue with a couple of different melted cheeses and lots of things to dip: chunks of bread, ham, potato wedges, cherry tomatoes, apple slices, red pepper etc...
sometimes we have a chocolate fondue too, with two or three pots of melted chocolate and a selection of Christmassy things to dip such as brioche, Turkish delight, glacé cherries, crystallised ginger and marzipan
If my children were small now, for Christmas Day starter I'd do something like tomato soup with star-shaped croutons (use a pastry or biscuit cutter) or make minestrone soup with star shaped pasta www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries/sainsburys-stars-500g
This is an easy pudding that would go down well with small children
www.taste.com.au/recipes/choc-caramel-maltesers-ice-cream-cake/96680e8e-b072-48d0-a727-886baf80dee1
My DC used to enjoy helping to make peppermint creams.

Christmas Eve we have ham, egg and chips if we're at my parents (the ham can be baked ahead) or hotdogs with tomato soup.

I always make sure there's something relatively simple for Christmas day breakfast - crumpets, brioche/thick sliced toast or granola - and then we'd usually have the full turkey roast with all the trimmings around 2-3 pm. This year though we won't have a dining room so I'll be doing roast pork with stuffing and apple sauce served with rolls, and finger/party food which can be cooked in batches as and when people are peckish. I've made Christmas cake, and will make trifle, and there will be a cheese board with Pickled Things for the evening.

I'll still end up doing potatoes, carrots and sprouts though as my DF would be in mourning if he couldn't have bubble and squeak on boxing day

Having a Chinese take away and not giving a gram of fuck about it. Every year me and DH spend a fortune hosting ungrateful buggers, so I told everyone that’s the plan. Mil notvhappy but it hasn’t put her off completely and I don’t see her putting her hand out to help Financially or practically.