Food ideas for an alfresco Boxing Day

[Broadbeanssleeping]

Hosting in the back garden, decision we've come to as a family. What can I serve? Usual buffet stuff no good I think as will need to keep people warm and don't want to put too much outside for it to go cold!
Apart from warm mince pies and mulled drinks I'm a bit stumped.
I won't have much time for cooking or baking as working over majority of Christmas, range of ages & vegans to cater for. Desperately hoping doesn't rain.
Anyone else doing this or have ideas? TIA

Soup, crusy bread
Macaroni/pasta kept hot in slow cooker
Stew, Yorkshire pudds,

Also given the circumstances it would be reasonable to ask people to bring a dish. That's what we do for family gatherings.
The host just provides the bulk of it.

We are having a BBQ!

Baked potatoes hold their heat well.
Then a couple of big slow cookers on extension leads: one with vegan chilli and one with leftover turkey curry.

Butter and cheese/ vegan spread alternative.
Double check that your mince pies are vegan. Most aren't.

How many of you are there? In the past I've hired chafing dishes which run on spirit burners for outdoor parties. They are great for keeping soups and stews warm.

A great big vat of soup served in mugs? I'm not sure I could stand being outside for much longer than a hour in December, especially not moving about. Is it going to be all day?
What about some sort of fire pit to make it more bearable?

I agree with the suggestion os BBQ, food will definitely be kept warm then and asking people to bring something.

Thank you.

We will definitely have fire pits going and lots of throws & hot water bottles
Sounds like one pot meals and BBQ food are the way forward. With wedges and bread.

Thinking a festive slaw might be possible and not too much work.
Didn't realise that re mince pies, shall check

Borrow a gazebo? We have been quite cosy in ours in the garden with the wood burner just at the entrance and a heater inside.

See if you can borrow a couple of camping stoves? That way you can have big pots of chilli or soup on the go. Or hire chafing dishes as pp suggested, they are brilliant. If you have a fire pit you can have baked potatoes double-wrapped in foil, cook them in the oven then add them round the fire pit to keep warm. And hot booze. Buttered rum for preference!

It might be an idea to have somewhere undercover in case it rains. Sorry I know you only asked about food!

The fire pits, throws and BBQ ideas with wedges all sound lovely. Good luck.

@SymbollocksInteractionism

Borrow a gazebo? We have been quite cosy in ours in the garden with the wood burner just at the entrance and a heater inside.

The OP may as well just host inside if she does this, no?

We were thinking about doing bratwurst hotdogs to do with mulled wine - Christmas market style (MIL is German)

Jacket potatoes stay hot for ages, especially if you put them in a cool bag. I'd do little ones, salted and offer some kind of dips to dunk them in

If it's a gazebo with open sides or some sort of pergola I think that's safer than being inside, in terms of covid? A lot of pubs are putting up similar with heaters in their gardens to allow more trade.

You need a bowl and fork or spoon meal if you're outside in the cold. A bowl and fork supper. Big shepherds/lentil pies, tarragon chicken and rice with petit pois strewn through, beef/vegetable stew and small dumplings, prawn/veg Thai curry and jasmine rice, paella, penne pasta with two or three sauces.

All great ideas. Still thinking about gazebo type options, camp stove and other options for heating food are ace. Thanks again.

If you have a slow cooker pulled pork rolls might be nice and warming. This recipe is amazing www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/slow-cooker-pulled-pork

pinchofnom.com/recipes/vegan-campfire-stew/

make double this in the slow cooker and freeze, then get it back out on Christmas Day to defrost and pop back in the slow cooker to keep hot outside

serve on its own or on a bed of mash made with vegetable stock cube or soya milk and vegan butter

Its a very light stew so ideal after a lot to eat on Christmas Day

I'm doing a roast chicken, mash and veg. But going to try to keep gravy piping hot

@SmileyClare

If it's a gazebo with open sides or some sort of pergola I think that's safer than being inside, in terms of covid? A lot of pubs are putting up similar with heaters in their gardens to allow more trade.

Yes, ours had net type curtains (we had to take it down last week after the snow and high winds) it gave protection against rain and some against the wind but definitely still plenty of fresh air!

Even a gazebo with the waterproof sides would still allow plenty of air with one of the sides open.
I am making assumptions that the OP is in the UK though with the usual weather at this time of year.

Sleeping bags, fire pits and a lot of alcohol to numb the pain.

I'd roast a suckling pig on a spit. Something magnificent.

Apres-ski style Fondue?

Mulled wine.

It sounds wonderful! I’m jealous!