What do you cook for the week up to Christmas Day?

[ponkydonkey]

So every year without fail our fridge is heaving with Xmas food
And all I seem to say is 'don't touch that it's for Christmas'

I always seem to forget that we need to eat in the run up to Christmas 🙄

What are your go to pre Xmas meals that are not just pasta or normal everyday food?

We're not buying anything for the freezer now as we're eating out of it to make space. I've also made a big pot of curry and pizza sauces and frozen it in portions so it's easy to make a quick mid week dinner.

We always have some type of take away on Christmas Eve and the 23rd is usually a fry up but other than that we just have normal food the week before Christmas.

As little as possible - eating out a lot, few basic meals or possibly the kids will cook (3 extra mouths once university finishes)

Might do fondue

We whittle our fridge and freezer down before Christmas to fit the food we will have. We do this before going on our holidays too.

A batch of mince pies
Santa biscuits

Not much really

I'll be getting in some ready meals and a few cosy home made meals like stew and dumplings as I do not like doing the big cooking I usually do. To break up said big cooking I do usually do 2 - 3 picnic style meals for the kids and will do more Christmassy versions of those!

Just normal food. I did my Christmas slot Tesco shop a couple days ago as even though I'd booked my Christmas food ages ago I forgot that that's just one day!

Bog standard ordinary dinners for most of the week, and this year I'm fresh out of ideas for Christmas Eve. Possibly fish of some sort since the 24th is a Friday this year.

I do the same op so I’ve put together a low effort meal plan (mainly just so I don’t have to think about it too much but it’s not the healthiest - we usually eat a very balanced diet lol)

20th- chicken fajitas (using a fajita kit)
21st- fry up
22nd - mushroom stroganoff, wild rice and broccoli

23rd- frozen party food
24th- takeaway (chicken kebabs most probably)
25th- Christmas dinner
26th- leftovers (including some frozen party food and I’ve also got emergency frozen pizzas in the freezer just incase but they can be eaten another day!)
27th- gammon, mushroom and cheese sauce pasta bake (using leftover gammon)

Lots of soup and crusty rolls/part baked baguettes.

Chicken/stuffing/cranberry baguettes with gravy drizzled on.

Cheesey/creamy potato/sausages and beans

Spag bol

Fry up for dinner

Festive style pizza

Chinese on christmas eve here :D

Thinking out loud...

Homemade butter beans in tomato and chorizo sauce type thing with jacket potatoes or crusty bread and salad. Kids will have cheese and or tuna with theirs instead of beans.

Pasta bake (prob sausage and spinach)

Roast duck

Egg fried rice with leftover duck stirred through

Spaghetti bolognaise

Fish cakes or fish fingers with mash and veg

Pizzas, possibly homemade or frozen if cba

Slow cooker sausage casserole with mash

Chilli on potato wedges baked with cheese on top

Ham egg and chips
Boiled eggs with asparagus and toast soldiers

Potato curry
Fajitas or enchiladas (one of those old el paso kits)

Take away on Christmas eve I think this year, Chinese would be nice or Indian

I fancy doing pulled pork burgers on one of the days, with sliced apples and coleslaw with some Cranberry sauce maybe.
I've also bought christmas tree chicken nuggets and festive potato shapes for one of the days, both DC will love that.

Chinese on Christmas eve.
We might have a take out on 23rd also as DC are spending Christmas eve with their DF this year so we might have a Christmas eve take out with them on 23rd and then another for me and DP on Christmas eve. Probably won't be Chinese both nights. Might have pizza on the 23rd.

I've got a list set up on my phone and cherry picking my favourite suggestions. Great thread

We eat out of the freezer a lot too.
Tend to plan mostly vegetarian too as we eat a lot of meat over the holiday.
Always a plum crumble with the last of the frozen garden plums!

Yes, ditto - eating spare portions of home made stews/curries/tagines out of the freezer.
Then on Christmas Eve I defrost Delia's yummy parsnip, cheese and sage roulade that I made earlier, for the veggie in the family, and serve thick smoked salmon steaks from the farmer's market with asparagus for the non veggies. Followed by home made chocolate chestnut log iced in Nutella, with cream.
Christmas Day is the traditional turkey with trimmings, after a croissant and Buck's fizz breakfast.

Sounds lovely babdoc.

@spagbog5

This is my meal plan for this year's Christmas week if it's helpful-

20th - spaghetti with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and chilli

21st sticky tofu,rice and tenderstem broccoli

22nd jacket potatoes and choice of fillings

23rd fish and charcuterie platter with
breads and champagne

24 th meal out at local gastro pub with extended family

25 th traditional roast turkey and many sides etc

26 th leftovers from the big day and always turkey sandwiches

27 th hot smoked salmon, new potatoes and watercress salad,ottolenghi's celebration rice using leftover turkey,winter slaw and breads
Puddings and cheeseboard
( buffet as we have 18 for lunch that day)

After that whatever is left in the fridge.
I'm planning ahead this year as we were all so ill last with covid that I'm determined it will be enjoyable and stress free this year !

I'll be round on the 23rd x

I'd eat @spagbog5 23 Dec every day if I could [sigh]

This is a great thread as I usually fuck this up.

I cook a ham on 24th so we always eat that then with some cauliflower cheese and mash plus probs some party food inc little sausages for when we get back from pub

Will def steal the pulled pork burgers and cranberry compote idea for w/c 20 Dec - teens will love it

We have a big party on 18th so will probs be eating leftovers til at least the Tues 21st hopefully

I've ordered a big seafood platter which I'm collecting 22nd so will probs eat some of that 23rd as it doesn't last that well - will try and save some for midday 25th (will eat main turkey etc about 3)

Following this thread as sorting the online shops this week!

I can't decide if I want nicer / more Christmassy food in the run up ie. from 20th or just stuff that wj be really easy! We don't have huge freezer / fridge capacity so want to be organised but not overbuy .

We just eat normal food up until Christmas eve when we have a Chinese takeaway.

We have normal meals up to Christmas Eve and then a buffet on Christmas Eve and all chocs, cakes etc get opened/started on.

Never mind the week before, I’ve been very busy today, shopping and putting the tree up etc. Bsince guests coming to stay tomorrow, and completely forgot about dinner for tonight. Might have to be eggs on toast, no way am I going out again!