Christmas night food

[Carrotcakeforbreakfast]

Hello all

This is our first year hosting and I'm a bit apprehensive. I'm not sure why ha.

Anyway we have 12 for Christmas lunch and then today it appears to have been decided that Christmas evening is here and we are hosting to the original 12 and adding another 6.

Other than the obvious cold cuts. What are you fail safe Christmas evening offerings?

I've hosted for the last 27 years. Sometimes for as many as 12. If there was an expectation I catered again on Christmas day evening for 12+6 I'd be tempted to suggest the party moved elsewhere. In MNet speak "No is a complete sentence".

Turkey sandwiches (obvs!). Left over pigs in blankets (we make loads so we have plenty left). Cheese and biscuits.
Then a selection of M&S Christmas canapés!
Not forgetting mince pies and Christmas chocolates.

Not many people will want to eat loafs surely? Not after a big lunch.

I would just provide crisps, pringles, Doritos with dips, cheese board with crackers and grapes, cakes / treats

But then again...

I wouldnt be having 12 for Christmas dinner then 18 in the evening.
No way. Its your Christmas too

No one is ever that hungry on Christmas night. Cheese and biscuits, Sausage rolls, crisps and a few puddings from freezer that no one would eat at lunchtime.

Who decided that? Not you it seems. You deserve some rest after providing Christmas dinner for 12!

If the evening can't be moved elsewhere just provide cold cuts (augmented with ready-sliced cold meats if necessary), bread (which could have been put in the freezer a few days previously), cheese and biscs and mince pies - at the very most.

It was a group effort and it kind of makes sense logistically speaking.

I think I'll put the leftover meat and pigs in blankets out. With some pickles and tomatoes
A cheese board.
And the pringles etc.

Turkey sandwiches
Cheese

Just have Christmas meal at dinner time? Rather than catering twice over which is sounds like you're being pressured into.

FWIW I've never had Christmas Dinner before it gets dark, we never war it before 5 so the idea of a second, evening meal is a bit alien to me!

Or suggest everyone brings a dish?

pizzas.
cheese and crackers.
buy in those ready to bake french baguettes that you can bung in the oven
bring out that extra hiden tub of chocolates.
mini tartlets.
big quiche
made a lemon mirangue pie the day before.
leftovers all the way.
make poached eggs

I usually just scoff a selection box but each to their own 😂

Put pit bread ro;;s, cold turkey and a few crisps and pickles, let people make their own.

Why not put lots of baked potatoes in the oven and cook a big chilli ahead and reheat it at the same time.
Bowls of prepared soured cream, burtter and cheese.
Easy and people can decide on their own portion size.

Christmas evening food is easy and fun. All pressure off, big meal done. So as you've said, turkey sandwiches, sausage rolls, crisps and dips, cheese board if your feeling fancy. M&S bung in oven canapés as an emergency extra.

Cheese board
Leftover cold meats
Nice chutneys/sauces
Fancy bread
Leftover puddings
Plate of fancy christmassy biscuits/sweets e.g. florentines, mince pies, Christmas cake, liebkuchen
Dates and nuts

Biscuits and cheese, crisps, mince pies, ice cream. Can't imagine anyone is going to want too much and certainly not cold turkey so soon after Christmas lunch.

Cheese board and fruit and bread/crackers, leftovers. Have some pizzas in the freezer in case. Job done.

And tangerines!

Bamboozled at the number of people saying people won't want to eat much after Christmas lunch... it's Christmas! The whole point is eating so much you're uncomfortable and then Doug the exact same again a couple of hours later!

Another vote for crisps, dips, cheese, bread and nibbles

We always cook a gammon ham on Christmas eve for dinner, then that lasts us for a few days over Christmas. You could always do that, then put out the gammon and turkey for Christmas night. Add a couple of quiche, salad, breads, cheeses, grapes, crackers any other deli stuff that you just pull out of the fridge and don’t have to prepare. Same with puds, mince pies, chocolate log, ice cream.

No, in our experience people don't eat much if anything at all on Christmas night. The crackers and cheese often go untouched here let alone anything else, we really don't eat anything in the evening at all apart from maybe a few chocolates, nuts, satsumas.

Unless this is a multiple location round robin type thing (ie each person hosts a different year) then I’d be expecting everyone to bring a dish for the evening section or to be bringing double of something that they are bringing for lunch. If the aren’t cooks for whatever reason of travelling long distances etc, then they should be giving a monetary contribution or arranging for a case of wine to be delivered etc.

If I’m hosting you in my home with all the fuss that comes with cleaning, setting up etc, then I’m damned if I’m also providing every scrap of catering while the “guests” simply turn up.

If you’re organising everything, then I’d buy bigger turkey + joint of your choosing for lunch so you have plenty of cold cuts. Extra pigs in blankets and stuffing cooked with lunch and set to one side for sandwiches and nibbles.

Assortment of breads, cheese board with extra of cheddar etc for sandwiches + biscuits, grapes and chutney etc, usual Christmas nibbles (peanuts, kettle chips etc), sausage rolls (frozen, Chuck in oven... don’t martyr yourself and make them!) mince pies and other Christmas related sweet bits - Lidl or Aldi are particularly good for these types of items. Frozen canapés in freezer that you can use for NYE or similar incase your guests are ravenous locusts!

As a rule, I don’t buy anything for these types of events that we won’t or can’t eat at a later date. I find it really difficult to predict who will want to eat after a big meal like Christmas Lunch.

I cannot imagine eating baked potatoes and chilli after a Christmas lunch!

Usual cold cuts, canapés, cheese and crackers etc.
I also do cocktail sausages cooked in honey and whole grain mustard. Super easy, you can use ready cooked cocktail sausages (not as good imo but still pretty great), and they literally take minutes in the oven. Always a crowd pleaser 👌

I've never really eaten anything other than maybe some chocolate or a mince pie in the evening at Christmas.
PIL do a buffet with leftovers, a cheese board, crisps and egg or salmon sandwiches. I couldn't face it though.

We don't usually eat the main meal until late in the day though. I don't like cooking early, it's too rushed.