Keep it simple and prepare as much as you can in the days before.
Things we do:
Roast pinenuts the day before, on the day toss them in a simple sakad with olive oil, feta (just break it by hand or buy the cubes), tomato and cucumber.
We often have a first course of vol au vonts (MIL loves them). I make the meat sauce weeks before and freeze it. I use shop bought pastry vol au vonts that only need 5 min in the oven.
Another favourite is a retro style shrimp salad. Put a lettice leaf in each bowl, put shrimp in them and some homemade cocktail sauce (mayonnaise, ketchup and a but of whisky). Garnish with parsley.
We don't like turkey so mostly do some kind of large meat in the oven. Cook some green beans and deep fry fries (kids love them) or roast potatoes in the oven that I already cooked the day before.
Sometimes I make a potato salad the dat before with cooked potatoes (obviously), mayonaise, lots and lots of cut up chives, salt and pepper.
Dessert tends to be shop bought ice cream, or a shop bought fruity tasting yoghurt with extra strawberries and a mint leaf on top, or vanilla ice cream with a caramel sauce.
We cook for about ten people who have different tastes, so by not cooking anything exotic and filling large bowls there tends to be enough to eat (that they like) for everyone.
For nibbles I just put some cookies, nuts and maybe pigs in blankets on the table to nibble while opening presents.