Boxing day spread

[JorisBonson]

We will be 8 for boxing day and I have the world's smallest kitchen. DH and I are veggies so no leftover meat (although I will probably ask someone to bring one). The rest are meat eaters and I don't mind cooking and serving meat.

At the moment I'm just considering throwing money at the M&S party food section. Any bright ideas welcome!

Forgot to say, our table is also tiny so no sit down option!

Things like cake stands are great for tiny tables as they create an extra "storey" to your table and can be picked up cheaply from charity shops

Trouble with the party food idea is that, unless you have a lot of oven space, (or you're only serving cold food) it gets complicated trying to heat everything up at the same time.

If you're happy to cook meat, I'd cook a ham and then serve that with some different salads - green leaf, potato, coleslaw, tomato - and supplement it with a small number of posh party bits.

Keep it simple!

Chilli or curry and jacket spuds or a big pie!

Or 'posh' sandwiches - something along these lines:

Picnic Loaf

We did this for years as DFiL always said don't fuss we'll just have cold cuts. We'd start with soup which can be served in mugs, otherwise we had leftover turkey, ham, pigs in blankets, prawns etc coleslaw, salad, bread, Greek mushrooms, crisps and those pastry twists.

We could feed the street with the amount of food.

@GettingStuffed MIL insists she doesn't want a fuss then is very disappointed when there isn't a fuss 🤦🏻‍♀️

Like the idea of a big meaty something - might do some pulled pork with sides in the slow cooker alongside a scaled down M&S party section. SIL is bringing homemade sausage rolls and I'll do some veggie bubble with leftovers.

I am a feeder and can't imagine leaving my guests hungry 🤣

A roast ham is much nicer than pulled pork, I’d go with @BIWI ’s suggestion.

Yes and more festive I suppose!

This is our first meat free Christmas so overthinking a bit (and the first time we've had 8 for food!).

I’d do a slow cooked Gammon (a few days before or overnight Christmas day into Boxing day) with jacket spuds and wintery coleslaw etc. For non meat eaters, I’d do honey glazed veggie sausages.

Definitely a ham for Boxing Day! Jacket potatoes or a pile of wedges, salads, chutneys, bread...yum!

Thanks for your help MNers, I've decided on...

Gammon
Chicken Pie
Steak Pie
Veggie thing for me & DH
Mac & cheese (will prep and and chill on Christmas Eve)
Bubble
Jackets (maybe too much?)
Some sort of veg
SIL bringing homemade sausage rolls and leftover turkey

Mini lemon cheesecakes
Cheese & pickles

Nobody will be going hungry, that's for sure!

I'd leave out the two pies and do a veggie quiche instead. Then you'll have gammon, sausage rolls, left-over turkey and quiche, which should be fine for 8.

And remember to buy some crackers for the cheese!

This is going to be the weirdest thing I've ever written, but DH's family are very quiche averse 😂DH won't touch a quiche with a barge pole!

I'd do an expanded cheeseboard - various cheese, cold meats, breads, crackers, pickles, salad, large pork pie, warm sausage rolls etc.

Jacket spuds in oven with chilli or curry in slow cooker if you have one