Christmas Eve food

[poshme]

What do you all eat on Christmas Eve?
We've got the in laws coming, so needs to be a nice meal. They're staying till Boxing Day.
We'll be having Christmas dinner in the evening on Christmas Day, so lunch will be naice ham, crusty bread etc to leave space for dinner. But I'm stumped about Christmas Eve.
Needs to be easy (I'm not a great cook) and not take too much prep. 4 adults & 3 kids- no allergies.

My daughter suggested chicken nuggets...

Lasagne? Can make the day before and then just bung in the oven?

Do you have a slow cooker?

We usually just do a buffet style dinner on Christmas Eve with homemade pasta salad, potato salad, sticky sausages and anything else I see in the Christmassy buffet section that tickles my fancy. Plus a couple of nice shop bought desserts. Not too much prep and something for everyone.

Yes have slow cooker.
Might lasagne be a bit heavy?

Like the idea of buffet. Might start looking at Tesco posh stuff. I was just worried it'd be a bit similar to lunch on Christmas Day.

I'd be tempted to do either a Christmas ham and serve with mashed potatoes and red cabbage or do something simple like lasagne etc as PP suggested that you can make ahead.

How late are you having your meal on Christmas Day? I'd struggle to eat lunch and then (assuming) three course meal. We normally have late breakfast, the 'starter' around lunch time, main course about 5, dessert and cheese later if anyone can bear more food!

Fish is tradish! We usually have an Italian fish thing with white fish, tomatoes and olives, served with potatoes and green salad.

I'm working Xmas eve so take away when I get in.

Burrito do you have a recipe? That sounds nice.

Christmas Day- breakfast not too late as we go to church. Lunch 1230ish- not too much.
Dinner- probably 530ish don't bother with 'starter' as such- lots nice nibbles before, then full roast. Pudding.
Then adults will have cheese & port after the kids have gone to bed.

I usually make Mary Berry’s fish pie - it has a topping of cubes of white bread in a cheesey coating rather than potatoes so it is lighter than normal fish pie.
I serve it with green veg.

We’ll probably have a take away :)

We will have an Christmas eve buffet. So selections from the Christmas buffets in the shops.

We don't want anything too heavy.

We always do a buffet on Christmas Eve , this year there will be 7 adults , including a coeliac and a vegetarian . I generally do chicken bits , wedges , pizzas , quiche , salads , mini pies , pigs in blankets , breaded mushrooms - so a decent selection for the different needs .

We always get a Chinese takeaway

Minimal effort over here!! Either finger food or take out on Xmas eve 😊

We’re having friends round for drinks after the Christingle so thinking Christmas party food selection this year. Last year I did sausage rolls.

We do an "alpine" Christmas Eve supper, with pierrade, raclette and cheese fondue. Proceedings took a turn for the lively last year when DH set fire to the tablecloth and table.

We go out with friends for a late lunch/early dinner every year. When we get home it's just sweets, popcorn and hot chocolate [santa].

My go to easy prep light dishes are

Cod wrapped in Parma ham baked with cherry tomatoes, baby potatoes, red onion and balsamic vinegar. Served with rocket and Parmesan salad.

Chicken lasagne with salad.

Scallop, chirizo and chickpea stew.

Spanish chicken bake.

We always cook our gammon ham on Christmas Eve, (the one that’s supposed to last through Christmas, but DH is partial to...) so put jkt pot in with them and do the red cabbage too.
Fish pie tends to be traditional for Christmas Eve for many.

Christmas gammon is is tradition for us with new potatoes and Cauliflower and broccoli cheese.

I love the sound of the alpine Christmas supper though @TrickyD might have to give that a go one year when it's my turn to cook.

We do a lobster macaroni and cheese, though not with lobster, use either big prawns or crayfish tails instead.

It's lovely, bit of salad , lots of macaroni cheese. Perfect for vegging out.

@poshme I don't to hand; it's written on an index card in my parents' kitchen. Think this Delia one is similar:

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/international/european/italian/italian-baked-fish

Growing up both me me and DH always had a buffet on Christmas Eve so that’s a tradition we’ll be keeping so I’m doing that this year.

I do love the idea of takeout though....

You could do a buffet and then just bung some party food in the oven and incorporate it with some fresh stuff?

Jelly and blancmange, sausages and cheese and pineapple on sticks, sausage rolls, pasties and cake. It's my DP's Birthday and our 9 yo niece insists on a birthday party for him. In previous relationships I've had venison stew or lobster thermidor.

Ham is a great idea and amazingly easy in the slow cooker

We always have a pasta bake for lunch with salad and maybe with a ham or gammon if we have guests, then something light but staying with the carbs theme for evening, I think it was loaded nachos last year.

We have Chinese food.

You could always do something like a beef bourgingnon or stew with mustard mash and green veg.