If you dont eat Christmas dinner until the evening what do you have for lunch?

[DrMadelineMaxwell]

Our usual routine of bacon butties for breakfast (pastries for me), christmas dinner at muns at lunchtime and a buffet affair in the evening is changing to make it easier for mum who still wants to host but wants more time to prepare and cook - and a lie in!

So it will be me and my DH and 2 dc and possibly my sister and niece at lunchtime.

What can we have that is sufficiently festive but really easy to do without spoiling our dinner later?

[ThankYouVeryMuchGerry]

Bacon sandwiches and pastries around 9.30/10am.
Light starter at 2pm
Main course at 5pm
Dessert and cheeseboard around 9pm if anyone wants to eat.

[wantanotherdog]

Normal cereal for breakfast.
Smoked salmon, cheeses and cooked meats with bread hot out of the oven (part baked from Tesco). Mince pies.
Dinner at 6pm.
We used to eat our main meal at 1 but this is so much more relaxed. I even manage a walk in the afternoon while the turkey is cooking!

[MrsDThomas]

This is why we eat ours at 1-1:30. If we were to eat late id over eat junk all day!

Breakfast is usually 6-6:30 for me. Im an early riser. No one else eats breakfast anyhow. I go for a run on Christmas morning about 8-9am. So by lunchtime we’re hungry

Then evening its the usual cheese, meat, crisps, crackers and bread.

[Blackberrybunnet]

We always have a festive brunch 11-12 with panettone, scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and Buck's Fizz. That keeps us going until until evening meal (although there is sometimes a couple of mince pies w hot chocolate after a walk mid-afternoon!)

[Imdreamingofapeacefulxmas]

I can't imagine eating Xmas Dinner in day light it's got to be candles, dark etc..
Good question though op! Probably a late ish breakfast has got us through

[gettingolderbutcooler]

Frozen nibbles.

[CoodleMoodle]

We did this last year because neither of my DC like having a big meal at lunch (they were 6 and 2 and just wanted to play!). I don't either really, but don't mind for one day. We had a small buffet type meal at lunch, then our main meal at 5:30pm, which is our normal dinner time. It worked out really well.

It's always just me, DH, DM and the kids on Christmas Day, and we're all quite happy with that.

[WeAllHaveWings]

ds wont be up until 10am at the earliest, we have a full Scottish breakfast around then and it is enough until 2 course Christmas Dinner in the evening.

[longtompot]

We have a late big breakfast (smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on muffins) which seems to keep us going until dinner. We eat around 5pm but I want to serve it a bit earlier this year, maybe around 3pm, then we can have Christmas pudding on the same day and hopefully not feel too stuffed to enjoy it.

[SiobhanSharpe]

We have a late breakfast/brunch meal at about 11-12.
Croissants, other pastries, smoked salmon or gravlax with soda bread, sour cream, mustard and dill sauce, with champagne and coffee to drink.
Then roast beef or goose at about 6-7 pm.
(No kids, just adults now)

[littlepieces]

My family are big foodies but struggle to manage three meals on Christmas Day! We're all adults who want a lie in, so usually have a solid brunch about 11-12 of bagels with a choice of smoked salmon, cream cheese, avocado, bacon, eggs etc. Pastries and nice fruit too with coffee, tea, bucks fizz. This keeps us going until we have dinner around 6 (with mince pies and chocolate in between).

[languagelover96]

Cold cuts of meat
Fruit and cheese platter
Bowl of salad
Candy canes
Box of chocolates
Sweets

[teezletangler]

We do a small breakfast (muffins, croissants with juice and coffee), then an antipasto-type spread for lunch- cured meats, cheeses, breads, salad. Dinner isn't until 6-7. We have learned over the years to go easy on the lunchtime spread though- there were a few years the table was so groaning with food that no one was hungry by dinner time.

[ZombeaArthur]

I don’t think I could manage breakfast, lunch and dinner on Christmas Day. I think I’d either have a late breakfast/brunch or I’d do as some have suggested and have the starter at lunch time.

[EllaPaella]

We don't have lunch either but a big cooked breakfast around 9.30

[mathanxiety]

We have a big brunch - sausages, bacon, eggs, cinnamon rolls, fried potatoes with onions and green peppers, tea, coffee, fruit around 10 am.

I always have leftovers from our big Christmas Eve dinner in the fridge, plus baked Brie, and cheese and cracker, if anyone wants to nibble between brunch and dinner. Also chips, salsa, guacamole.

Dinner is always around 7-7:30.

[Goldbar]

We have a big brunch around 12 and then Christmas dinner around 5.30/6. We've always found that timing works well for our now 4yo, who also has their usual breakfast around 7.30/8am.

[harveythehorse]

We have croissants first thing, followed by smoked salmon simply served on brown bread with butter/lemon/pepper with prawns and avocado. Christmas lunch is served at 3pm and by the time we finish it's nearly 7 . . . if anyone is remotely hungry by supper time it's the vast cheese board, clementines, mince pies or cold meats with pickles/chutney to make sandwiches. Can't wait.

[ginslinger]

we have a brunch about 11.00am (xmas stocking chocs before that) and then do a big family walk and eat about 6.00pm - have some drinks and nibbles about 5.00pm

[MustBeDueSomeBetterFeet]

Smoked salmon canapés, Mary Berry cheese soufflé croutons and champagne for us!

[WouldBeGood]

@narkyspirit that’s my perfect day of eating

[greenlynx]

I would do soup and mini sausage rolls or fancier crisps, some sort of party food with it.
BBC Good Food website has a whole collection called “Christmas soup” .

[ThinWomansBrain]

& after dinner at 7ish, shrot break before port and cheeseboard at around 9pm

[ThinWomansBrain]

champagne, scrambled egg and smoked salmon for breakfast - probably midday-ish. main real at around 6-7pm

[AliceMck]

We eat toast or cereal early during presents then do a brunch. In the past it’s varied but last few years the DCs preference is pancakes, bacon, fruit etc… then Christmas dinner about 5-6 ish