christmas day entree/starter?

[lockitdown]

What are you having? We usually have something seafood and simple but are having a non-fish eater over for the day.

Melon & prosciutto/pancetta is lovely and light enough not to mess with appetites for dinner.

I love asparagus wrapped in Parma ham but I've never tried doing that with melon. That sounds very tasty! Thanks for sharing!

Stuffed mushrooms?

Greek salad instead, black olive and feta?

Melon with grape halves is our usual starter.

I also like a nice homemade soup.

sadly no as we are having the non fish eater

I know suggestions like this get decried as frankenfoods on MN but I'm vegan and once tried the vegan imitation shrimp in a restaurant and I swear to god they're so yummy they don't taste fishy. No idea what they're made of but I could horse down about 100 of them would go great in a prawn cocktail.

Second melon and ham.
We do hummus on tortilla triangles or I have done little lettuce cups with lime dressed ham and tomato salad

Our non-fish eaters get brie or pate on oatcakes with a bit of festive chutney.

"Melon with grape halves is our usual starter."

So chic I bloody love Christmas

I'm just grateful if I can get a decent main course out without worrying about starters.

I do however put a plate of blinis out with cream cheese and smoked salmon. They always go down well with some fizz. You could do something like that and maybe a few vegetarian ones (veg pate, avocado etc)?

We are doing baked camembert with sliced baguette to dip and also pate on toast.

I have sometimes done a platter of various meats/cheeses/breads etc. that people can help themselves to. Lots for greedy people, small amounts for kids to pick at, eg. burrata, parma ham, olives, slow roasted tomatoes, lovely bread, humous, salad etc.

No effort required, just opening packets.

Apple and parsnip soup or pork belly in mini Yorkshire pudding

@Hangingover

sadly no as we are having the non fish eater

I know suggestions like this get decried as frankenfoods on MN but I'm vegan and once tried the vegan imitation shrimp in a restaurant and I swear to god they're so yummy they don't taste fishy. No idea what they're made of but I could horse down about 100 of them would go great in a prawn cocktail.

I found them utterly vile

In our house, we have a pack (or sometimes 2) of M&S party food while we are sitting drinking wine and opening presents while the turkey cooks. (We get in the door from church/visits, turn on oven, light fire, throw in party food, shove butter up turkey's bum and clementine in her innards, cover in foil and throw in the oven - party food about ready to come out so wash hands, pour drinks, take off apron, sit and relax.....).

If we are visiting family, there are various:
Prawn cocktail
Smoked salmon
Vegetable and ham in creamy sauce vol au vent
Soup
Filo pastry "cracker" which included black pudding and not sure what else
Melon and parma ham fan
Pate and toast

Sometimes DM will do smoked salmon on a small salad, but change the salmon to parma ham or another suitable meat, or a sliced avocado, for those who don't eat salmon depending on who is there (within the extended family, we have 1 doesn't like fish, another can't do cured meats, another occasionally is a veggie and there are various other allergies and SN issues with tastes/textures to take into account...so she adapts as she goes).

Best way to start Christmas dinner is with so much champagne no one notices that you go straight to the main course.

Later on I’ll post what I’m going to serve for our Christmas lunch (separate to Christmas Dinner)!

@Londonmummy66 that sound great, unfortunately I'll be dealing with 3 teetotallers and 2 underage teenagers in my party of 8!

Goats cheese and red onion chutney on little toasts and a rocket salad

no starter on christmas day or you'll not have room for the all pigs in blankets and stuffing and 17 roast potatoes etc etc

God nothing. Christmas dinner is massive! We can rarely fit in pudding for a few hours afterwards let alone a starter!

Well half of us have prawn cocktail and the other half pate. Posh ones from M&S 😂😂

Honestly we don't have starters. We eat chocolate and snacks all day, dinner at 2 and pud at teatime . Starters are for dinner parties not for Christmas in my house :-)

Prawn cocktail. It’s the law. And if it’s not, it should be.

We have prawn cocktail, its what I've had every year since I was a small child, can't imagine not having it. Its not too heavy either. My DP doesn't like prawns or lettuce so he's being served leek and potato soup with bread, I use a star cookie cutter to cut up the bread to make it a little fancier.