Christmas starters

[mumontherun14]

Hi I've just found out I'm hosting this year. No problem I've done it many times before and usually order food from m&s & Sainsbury's. But Looking for some new ideas for starters for a change. Usually I do homemade lentil soup then pate with salad. Was looking for a change from the pate. Got 2 teens & my elderly dad plus me & DH & possibly the inlaws as well. Anybody got any really tasty ideas for starters with not too much prep time? Thanks xxx

i usually do mini pikelets with some cream cheese and smoked salmon on top x

Baked camembert here! I usually get an extra one for dp and I to have together after the dc are in bed.

A very retro prawn cocktail here, it's a family tradition.

M&S have some really nice Christmas starters

I'll probably be doing prawn starters again this year.

Why not do a kind if antipasto type board with bread, olives, cheese, meats etc. People can pick at?

Corn on the cob. You could buy the mini ones, so as not to ruin people's appetites. Slathered in butter and salt, they're yum!

I do 'whiff of Christmas dinner as it cooks'.

It's very light and works well as an appetizer too.

Smoked salmon blinis? Does everyone really eat lentil soup then another starter then a full roast? I like to have a very packed plate for my Christmas roast so wouldn't do it justice after 2 starters.

Oh Summerhouse me and you both!

I don't do starters, I find a selection of canapés is better.

Tradition to have prawn cocktail here! Although when we hosted for 20+ people we did vegetable soup as well.
I'd say stick with the pate, if it's a large group then that's a dish that's very easy to prepare.

I

Thinly sliced Beetroot, crumbled goats cheese and slices/petals of clementine with a sprig of fresh thyme on top as garnish.
Super simple, fairly light and a nice change of pace from usual Christmas textures! We also do a parsnip soup topped with fresh whipped cream xxx

Ooh - tough one

We never had them growing up and, really, I'm more of the 'whiff of Christmas dinner' (love that, pp) school of thought.

Last year, however, we had a small slice or two of brown bread and butter and smoked salmon for brunch, which was v. nice.

Top tip: Never ever serve 'whiff of Christmas dinner' © to follow.

I also offer 'selection box' canapes.

I’m with SummerHouse
I do starters for other big meals, but Christmas is all about the main course and my lot won’t risk filling up before hand

No starter here either

I do like breaded Camenbert , easy to make up ahead and keep in the fridge till it needs cooked .

Soup is practically a meal in itself (especially lentil) with a nice slice of crusty bread .

Got to be prawn cocktail!

I do salami / antipasti type thing for my prawn hater guests.

I always used to do starters, but now I’m in the Summerhouse camp.

Lol love the whiff idea. Am thinking now I maybe do too much. Last few yrs no one's been able to manage the cheese and I did have at least 3 desserts!! it last for hours though we don't rush it and have breaks between each course! I make lentil soup every week in winter so just fancied a change but they all love it and moan if its not there but I just feel its not that special. Might offer lentil soup or antipasti but not both x

Littleredsocks That sounds delicious - I'm stealing that one for sure!

@12:26mumontherun14 would you mind sharing your lentil soup recipe? My grandmother used to make one and I'd live to relive it!

I don't do actual starters for Chr. dinner, which we never have until 5 or 6. IMO people will be stuffed enough anyway. We usually need an interlude between turkey and pudding anyway!

Instead, after a usually very late breakfast, I serve a lot of very nice canapé type nibbles about 2 hours before - usually courtesy of M&S.

Prawn Cocktail Anything else is sacrilege.

We are going to my sisters this year, I can’t bare the thought of a dodgy PC so I’ve offerEd to do it and take it over. 😂

@didireallysaythat. No problem it was my mums recipe but honestly its so easy. Just get half a bag of lentils and steep them in water for an hour or so then boil them up and skim off the white froth at the top. Add in 4-6 peeled carrots - I always grate them now and I think that's the secret to why its so nice as it makes the soup nice & thick. Add in a set of spring onions chopped and 1 onion chopped. I also add 4-5 ham stock cubes but you could use chicken or veg but the ham is really nice. Also to mix it up a bit I sometimes add a grated parsnip that works well too but you don't have too. And that's it - takes about 20 mins prep and then about 30 -40 mins to cook. Just boil all together then simmer for a bit till veg is soft. I serve with hot crusty bread and sometimes good even for a quick dinner. I might try the creamy parsnip one for Xmas as I do make this one all the time! But at least they will all eat it! x

It's always vol au vents with my filling here. I actually prefer a prawn cocktail or melon and ham starter muself but I made the vol au vents the first christmas that DH and I were together and the inlaws loved it so much that I'm now stuck making them. They are lovely, but need to be followed by a lighter dinner then. I make the filling by buying 1 liter chicken broth and 1 liter oxtail (it's the oxtail which gives mine the secret flavor that the inlaws love) soup at the local butchers (too busy to make it myself), I add two or three packets of assorted mushrooms (most are very finely sliced so the kids don't realise theres something healthy in there) and I add a lot of fresh parsley. I make a roux (per liter soup I melt 80 grams of butter with 80 grams of flour) and them slowly add soup while stirring. I make it ahead and freeze it.

We dont have starters but do canapes/nibbles about an hour / hour and a half before dinner. This works really well as they can all be made in the advance or assembled quickly so dont take up oven space.
We do things like smoked salmon and horseradish blinis, fancy cheese straws, asparagus with parma ham, mini crostini, prawn cocktail boats