Do you have a starter on Christmas day?

[TickleThePickle]

I am trying to make this year as special as possible. I would like to make something nice for people to munch on whilst the main course finishes up.
No one in our house really likes fish and I am conscious that I don't want anything too heavy as I don't want people to be too full to eat the main course. What do you have for starter on Christmas day?

Smoked trout or salmon from Inverawe.
www.smokedsalmon.co.uk/
We always have it as a special treat for Xmas, we've also ordered cheese and pates from there in the past to bulk up our order for free delivery. It is pricy but 100% the best smoked trout I've ever eaten.

@ifiwasascent

My mum always hosts and I always make a prawn cocktail. This year however I'm hosting and want do cocktail hour with canapés and champagne so everyone's bringing a canapé. I'll get some pre made ones from Mns as well

Sounds lovely!

@RainingBatsAndFrogs

I definitely do not want to eat soup before Christmas Dinner.

Canapes and champagne
Main Course
Pud
Cheeseboard and port
Chocs.

My idea of Christmas perfection!!!

OMG this is the best thread I have ever made! I feel hungry from having read all of those delicious ideas, even the fish ones sounded lovely!

I absolutely love the idea of canapes an hour or 2 before the main event! I can grab something from M&S so it will be no hassle and I can enjoy it with everyone else! Plus if we do it a while before the main course it won't fill everyone up! I knew MN would have the answer!

Prawn cocktail, every year. Tried to change it but the family were revolting! We have our Xmas dinner at 5pm, so plenty of room fir 2000 cal meal😁

No starters in this house. Appetite isn't big enough. I usually do a light cooked breakfast instead then Xmas Dinner between 2-3pm thrn won't eat dessert till about 7-8pm

We have cheesy garlic mushroom pots with some bruschetta.

We have cheesy garlic mushroom pots with some bruschetta

Several! Although wouldn't be popular in your house.

12:30 (ish) champagne and canapés aka an M&S Party Food selection

14:00 (ish) Starters - Seafood platter (Gefilte Fish, Smoked Salmons, Prawn cocktail, dressed lobster, hot Coquilles St Jacques etc.) with a Grazing Platter of sides (few different breads and crackers, cream cheeses, dill, onions, dips etc)

15:30 (ish) Main Event

Midgnight : Frantically remember desserts and begin torching Christmas pudding

@TickleThePickle

OMG this is the best thread I have ever made! I feel hungry from having read all of those delicious ideas, even the fish ones sounded lovely!

I absolutely love the idea of canapes an hour or 2 before the main event! I can grab something from M&S so it will be no hassle and I can enjoy it with everyone else! Plus if we do it a while before the main course it won't fill everyone up! I knew MN would have the answer!

Yup, it’s so easy too, and everyone always loves them as they are a novelty and feel like a real treat, plus they don’t fill you up too much, you’ve enough time to build up an appetite again and it makes life a shit load easier when you’ve got to get a crimbo dinner out.

We have a large coffee table and I just put them out on that in different serving dishes, and some Prosecco/champagne to go with it, and some napkins, which means the main dinner table can be set and not interfered with also and minimal washing up.

Win win really. 😃

@Bluntness100 thank you, they sound delicious, definitely going to make this weekend

I thought it was the law that Christmas day starter is a 70s prawn cocktail

I do them in small glasses so they are very much an appetizer and dont detract much from the main event. Dd doesn't like prawns so I grudgingly allow her to have pate and melba toast

Much like the first response, we have prawn cocktail but it is prawnless.
Either cashew nuts or avocado shaped a bit like prawns.

Oysters and champagne

Good smoked salmon (used to be Forman’s until he let himself down badly by being a Farage supporter) brown bread and butter, lemon wedges.

I usually do a light salad for a starter, small amount of cheese/ham/smoked salmon depending on preference.

No starter here but we do have smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for breakfast so that’s our very early starter 😂

No! Can barely manage the main as it is.
Sometimes have french toast for breakfast though!

No starters

But we'll have either pancakes , croissants , JusRoll Cinnamon pastries or toast , (DH has scrambled eggs)

12 noon - oysters & Champagne
2pm - starter, usually seafood based but this year doing something different (just don't know what yet!)
5pm - main course
8/9pm - dessert & cheese, usually while playing games.

Don't usually have a special breakfast as so much to eat the rest of the day

Me and DS have a prawn cocktail, DH and DD hate prawns so they have a Waldorf salad

We always have a tomato and mozzarella salad, this year I'm feeling ambitious and also making tuna stuffed quails eggs.

Yes usually a home made soup

Sometimes have a small fish course too

But we never have a turkey as nobody likes it

We have garlic and chilli prawns, and if we have DD and her family I make roast red pepper soup, even though it's not as good as MiL's.

2 pear salad is lovely. It's essentially alternate slices of avocado and conference pear. Think you could add any herbs, drizzles etc but it's nice plain.