What starter are you doing?

[Stompythedinosaur]

I need ideas!

We have 6 people coming, one is veggie and one has a very restricted diet due to Crohns Disease, meaning they can't have sugar or most veg. In previous years I have done grilled goat's cheese salad and baked camembert, but neither was well recieved. I'd happily do a meat and veggie option if they aren't too time consuming.

Help!

None! Dinner is massive.

No starter here, main course and several desserts are plenty.

No starter! Dinner is heavy. Do some cocktails instead.

No starter, but we have champagne and smoked salmon nibbles before our turkey blow out.

No starter as dinner is such an event and then you get pudding and cheese after

We don't do starters either, we stopped when we realised it takes away from the actual meal and pud

what a disappointing thread.

Can't you do a soup? Easy to make in advance and just heat up.

I usually do none as the dinner is huge.

One year as I had loads of time, I decided to make blinis from scratch which was nice, but no-one was as impressed by my blini making as I was and nobody liked the caviar either, including me

We always have smoked salmon and prawns so not much help, sorry! I prefer the starter to turkey so definitely not doing without!

Gno starters or even nibbles. DH has form for just vacuuming them all and then not being hungry for the mains. At Christmas after I have been building a feast I might just hurt him if he said he wasnt hungry by the time i served it.

Prawn cocktail for us. One year we had goats cheese and red onion tarts but went back to prawn cocktail, to me it's just not Christmas without it

Foie gras on brioche toast with fig chutney.

Lobster tails with avocado salad.

YUM

Thanks for the comments - but I want to do a starter!

Soup might be a plan. Is prawn cocktail difficult to make?

I am going with Bacon Brie and Caramelised Onion Shortcrust tarts.

I did a trial run at the weekend, I made them the day before, then heated them up for about 5 - 10 mins before serving with leafy salad and Balsamic dressing.

They were so easy to make, looked impressive and tasted delicious.

We have prawn cocktail

Not hard to make at all! Prawns lettuce and a Marie Rose sauce which you can either buy or make

Hot Smoked Salmon with a mango and avocado salsa - Nick Nairn recipe and it's lovely 👌🏻

Lobster soup with added seafood on Christmas Day. Melon and Parma ham on Boxing Day.

Both easy as I just buy the lobster soup

Definitely prawn cocktail - it's light and very tasty. We use a pretty looking glass or bowl and put in shredded lettuce and then the prawns mixed in Marie Rose sauce and sprinkle with a little dill. You can either buy the sauce ( I like Colman's) or you can make. It is mainly mayo, ketchup, splash of brandy, Worcestershire sauce, lemon and seasoning. We then put a wedge of lemon on the side. We used to have bread, but it's too filling!

Mushroom Pate?
Garlic mushrooms?
Stuffed mushrooms?

(Notice the mushroom theme?)

I think people are forgetting that vegetarians don’t eat fish 😁

Pâtés or terrines are good (good veggie options too) or tartlets, or twice baked soufflés??? All of which are make ahead and serve cold (or just reheat before serving)

70s child here. We did cheap prawns on iceberg lettuce with a bit of tomato juice. Possibly with a lemon segment. I now prefer no other starter.

Usually either soup, butternut squash & chilli or french onion or spiced parsnip
Or pâté (mushroom or brussels)
Or some of my family prefer scallops or prawn cocktail
Or one year we had melon with coulis
Or stuffed pepper/mushrooms

Pan fried halloumi with tomato chutney. Saw it on merry berry last night. Simple and quick