Alternative to Christmas Dinner/Buffet

[Rosio]

We always spend Christmas day together with my family 6 adults and 2 young kids. Usually, we have starter, Christmas dinner and pudding around 2/3pm
On the evening we do a party-food buffet at 7pm (sausage rolls, crisps, cheese, crusty bread, m&s party food like spring rolls etc) there's always too much food and we're usually still too full to eat much al it feels like a waste.

Last year we did things differently and we didn't have a Christmas dinner, we just had starter and pudding but with buffet style food (which then continued through to the evening)

Im now trying to help my mum decide what we should do this year; we could do either of those but I think I want to try something different. Does anyone have any ideas how they do things differently to this? My mum suggested doing the buffet again but do roasties, stuffing balls, pigs in blankets, turkey etc on the buffet.

I was thinking maybe we should do something completely different like Chinese food or pizzas on the evening. (No Christmas dinner just small buffet in afternoon maybe)

Or do Christmas dinner with no starter, and make it a lot smaller. And the buffet could be smaller too? Or do a grazing platter instead? Or make It cheese and cracker style nibbles with no party food items...

Help!

Christmas dinner with no starter.

Buffet for the evening with cheese and biscuits.

We do almost the opposite to what you did last year - biiiig Christmas dinner at lunchtime, then there are picky bits (for us normally some cheeses, pickles etc), leftovers and Christmas chocolates in the evening. Everyone can eat as much or as little as they want in the evening, as normally super full! We normally aim to have lots of leftovers and then make a hash or similar on Boxing Day too.
My husband is into a traditional Christmas dinner in a big way, so I don't think we'll ever give it up! He'd genuinely have roast every single day of the Christmas period if I let him!

I save raspberries and blueberries from the allotment so we have fresh smoothies for breakfast.
There is just the two of us and my son isn't fussed about a roast dinner so it's not worth the effort

We have lasagne followed by apple crumble and custard.

I do like a roast so will do one when I feel like it over the holidays, sometimes Boxing day,sometimes New Year's day

A friend of mine with a large family decided she was done with it all last year so went to an Indian restaurant. They loved it and are going again this year

We have nibbly things like sausage rolls at lunch then Christmas dinner in the evening, no starter. I hate eating a big meal at lunchtime.

Following with interest as I might jazz Christmas dinner up this year. We usually have fruit juice and mini pastries for breakfast. We have our starter for lunch around 2pm then Christmas dinner around 5/6pm then nibbles, cheese board in the evening to pick away at.

Christmas eve and Boxing day we have buffets.

We have nibble’s like sausage rolls, party food at 12 then Christmas lunch at 4 with no starter or pudding . We then put cheeses out later with a box of chocolates.

We do an Italian-style antipasti buffet at lunchtime, then a full Christmas dinner in the evening. But one year we had extra guests so we did Christmas dinner as a buffet, and that was one of my favourites!

I'd go no-starter and save the buffet either for later or another day .
Christmas isn't the same without Christmas Dinner !

Chinese or pizza is any other day of the year .
We eat after dark

We do a mid afternoon Christmas dinner with starter and then early/mid evening pudding. If anyone wants to eat later there's always sandwich stuff

We are having m and a party food to graze on all day. Not hosting anime this year, hate turkey, the kids don't really like roast dinners and no one likes turkey so seems a bit pointless! We are doing a full on dinner for American family who are over for thanksgiving so that will do.

We open stockings with salmon bagels or bacon sandwiches for breakfast, go for a walk or cycle, then a cold seafood platter and champagne/cocktails around 1300. Open the main presents, then have a roast dinner at 1800 with a pavlova or similar light pudding for the sweet fiends. Then open small presents (usually games or similar), play a few games, and have cheese around 2200. I definitely couldn’t eat a starter before a hearty roast, but then we go all out with the trimmings and they’re my favourite bit!!

Ours has evolved into

Seafood platter on Christmas Eve (with champagne)

Traditional Christmas Dinner for a late lunch. A friend and neighbour who is also a chef delivers three or four roast turkey legs with the bones and tendons etc removed. They are each large enough for a generous portion for four and come accompanied by gravy, along with a tray of roast potatoes and other sides.

We add some veg in order to feel involved in the prep.

We usually stop eating after that course for a good few hours to recover, so that the interesting cheese board is usually brought out until early or even late evening with a decent port. It has been known for coffee, chocolates and marzipan to be consumed at some point, too

Day to day we are careful with what we eat, on Christmas Day all best are off and we eat whatever. The challenge is always finding good homes after Christmas for the treats we have bought and were unable to consume on the actual day. If I don't give them away pronto, there is a very real risk that they will find themselves behind my teeth.

We have things like bagels smoked salmon melon etc for breakfast then we get together with family about 1 and have nibbles, pork pie more smoked salmon on bread, canapé type things with fizz then open pressies then have roast about 4 no starter and carry on from pudding to cheese to mince pies etc all night , can't wait

We always have oven baked pastries for breakfast with bucks fizz with then warm sausage rolls and mince pies.

A couple of years ago, I decided to go rogue and did baking potatoes in foil in the oven. The day before, I had made a moroccan chicken casserole for the meat eaters, along with a hearty beef in red wine - along with a vegetable bake. I'm very tempted to repeat it this year tbh.

We do a nice afternoon tea on Christmas day & it reduces the stress of cooking hugely. We then do a roast turkey dinner on Boxing day or just after.

We have smoked salmon and champagne at 11ish. Lunch at 3.30/4. Traditional turkey roast with stuffing and pigs, poultry gravy, bread and cranberry sauce, sprouts and runner beans. I've ditched the red cabbage. Nowadays we have smaller portions. Usually cater for 6 to 8. As only DH and MIL care about Xmas pudding I give it to them on Xmas Eve when we have a lighter meal of salmon and salad.

Christmas night we usually find chocolate enough. There's a fridge full of food if anyone wants more.

TBH if I had visitors I'd just invite them to join us for lunch. If they've had lunch I'd have though cheese and bits would be enough.

In years gone by our heavy catering day was boxing day. Cold turkey and ham with left over stuffing, salamis, anti-pasti, pork pie, pickles, lashings of salad(s), roasties and some good bread. Trifle and a chocolate roulade or choc and lemon flan.

I meant to add that I have had fantasies for the last 32 years that dh and I may spend Xmas alone with a bottle of champagne or two and a side of smoked salmon.

We tried it once and I had marinaded and cooked pheasant in advance. We were really looking forward to it. Then my waters broke 3.5 weeks early.

We do Christmas Eve buffet, bacon and Brie bagels on Christmas morning, roast about 2pm with Christmas pud for anyone with room, then leftovers and cheeseboard later.

There’s always stuff left from the buffet, Christmas pud, cheese, chocolate left, so I don’t think beyond Christmas dinner

We tend to have a biggish breakfast mid-morning with bacon rolls, smoked salmon, eggs, fruit, yogurt, croissants etc.

Depending on who is here we might have some sausage rolls or similar around 1pm if anyone wants them.

Christmas dinner is then 5pm. No starter and pudding/cheese held back until later if needed.

We do fancier breakfast then usual: porridge with cream and blueberries, pastries, tea/coffee. Then Xmas dinner around 3 pm. I ditched starters so just it would be meat, potatoes and different vegetables, then desserts. Walk after dinner and then cheese, mince pies and any leftovers for after.
I’ve found that no starter option works for us better.

I'm exactly the same. Hate having big hot meal too early, which is the case in my parents' house.

I'd do lunch buffet (but nothing too crazy, some cheese, biscuits, maybe small canapes or sausage rolls, some grapes, no spring rolls etc.). Then Christmas dinner for tea (no starter) and pudding. Nibbling food/drink later on (chocolates, crisps, peanuts etc.) if you fancy.

normal porridge / cereal breakfast
go for a run or walk
bagels and coffee for brunch
presents
mid-afternoon fizz and antipasti while the roast cooks
roast dinner late afternoon / early evening
pudding or cheese later

We do Christmas dinner, no starter at 1.30 or so then evening buffet. Works well

Coffee and Armagnac prunes in brioche as we open presents - church and visiting then v late lunch - all pre prepped/cooked - gravad lax/ goose etc / Christmas pudding etc- then 3 small truckles cheddar/ Cashel blue / pickled onions/ buttermilk crackers - we live mostly on fish and spinach the rest of the year ☘️👍🏿☘️🙏🏽

We phased out a starter, now just turkey dinner and pudding.
Turkey sandwiches in the evening with pickles and just a few nibbles that don't need cooking/heating up. Crack open the Hotel Chocolates and Lindt, cups of tea or wine.
Yum!