Christmas Eve food

[MariahsBaubles]

What do you do for dinner on Christmas Eve? We don't normally make it a thing, but this year will have family arriving on Christmas Eve to stay for the festive season, so I need to feed the tired hungry people and start the celebrations but without upending the kitchen as we are hosting on Christmas Day.

What would you do?

Cheese board
Hot veggie sausage rolls and I might do some little garlic rosemary potatoes too this year
Bread rolls and things to put in them
Token salad bits
Crisps
Pickles
The kids insist on Quorn scotch eggs

Christmas Eve we have triple cooked chips (they can be pre=cooked in advance and just the last fry at the end ) , fish for DS and vegetarian grills for DH,DD and me .
Some dips and salad on the side
Ice cream sundae for who wants it .

Lasagne is nice mid weel , made ahead and frozen
Take away on the 23rd

Grazing board - cheeses, cured meats, crackers, dips, pate, fruits etc. We do it every year and it’s DPs favourite treat of the year! I always make a big effort sourcing ‘different’ cheeses - local or something with a bit of a quirk. And try to make it a bit posh!

We are planning this for the twixmas period too when we have family coming. Good thing is you can make it a bit in advance and it’s ok sat out for a while, with everyone helping themselves to things they like - add in disposable plates and there’s hardly any washing up!

If you are doing a macaroni cheese, ikea do reindeer shaped pasta shapes

We go out for pizza at a local pizza place. Easy, no mess and the trip occupies the kids for a couple of hours when they’d be bouncing off the walls if at home!

I usually do baked potatoes as once they're in the oven I don't have to do anything else. I pre-make choice of fillings the night before, usually a chilli, prawn Marie rose, coleslaw.
Just put all the fillings in table and people can help themselves.

We always do an oven pizza with a quick salad, but that's mostly because we make the mulled wine at the same time!!

I cook an apple baked ham on the 23rd and then we have that, hasselback potatoes, hardboiled eggs, a cabbage salad, crusty bread, a pot of melted cheese and pate for a late lunch on Christmas Eve.

Then we usually pick some bits from the Chinese on the way home from Church and combine with leftovers.

Buffet style tea

spanish inspired picky tea - cold cuts and cheese board (bought from local deli for a treat), olives, spicy prawns (5 minute stove dish), calamari (freezer), potato bravas (cut, spice and cook - sauce in freezer), meatballs (made ahead and reheated). Oh and a green salad - 2 minute job. Looking forward to it

I cook a large ham and serve it warm with braised red cabbage, mash and parsley sauce.

I can make everything the day before and just stick it in the oven/hob on Xmas Eve.

Alternatively I've done a beef/venison stew with jacket potatoes and some green beans.

I usually just buy a nice pudding - something like sticky toffee or chocolate, but if I can be arsed then I've been known to make a pavlova which again I can make the day before and just assemble by whipping the cream and adding a (bought fruit purée) and fresh fruit.

Basically I want food that means I don't spend the evening in the kitchen and I can cook in advance but is warming/hearty.

I especially like doing ham as also means we have lots of lovely ham left over for the rest of the holidays which I use in sandwiches, omelettes, soups, chicken and ham pasty's/pie (use ready made pastry donuts really easy/quick) which makes cooking much easier for me for the days between Xmas and New Year.

I'm with you not very Christmasy
each their own I guess we always have buffet always have done like to keep it traditional

I always do a Christmas Eve buffet

We always go to the pub late afternoon and collect a Chinese takeaway on the way home.
My kitchen shuts from lunchtime on Christmas Eve to Christmas Day breakfast.

Tradition is a light supper of crab, smoked salmon, quail’s eggs and lumpfish roe. I’m looking forward to it already. 😍

We have fish pie and fresh fruit pavlova

Last couple of years we have had a seafood platter and nice breads etc

this year will probably be some M&S party food and some baked ham and pickles

Growing up it was either ham with mash, peas and parsley sauce or fish pie.

Since I’ve been with DH we’ve always done a Christmas Eve buffet, ‘buffet’ being an exaggerated term for what is essentially a shit load of cheese, with crackers, crusty bread, chutney, crisps and nuts etc. Usually some kind of pate, meat for him and smoked salmon for me. I usually make mince pies on Christmas Eve morning too and so we have those with it.

The ham with nigellas fancy macaroni cheese followed by mince pies. Have done the same for years. I keep offering to change it but everyone protests.

I always do a fish pie with lots of green veg. Prep ahead of time and stick in the freezer. Add some bacon bits and prawns to make it a bit more special and top with cheesy mash. Xmas trifle for pud.

Hot pork sandwiches are our tradition, so I’d be serving those with stuffing and gravy on bakery fresh chunky bread, plus hot sausage rolls, crackling, mini sausages then a trifle or selection of mini Christmas cakes.

‘Bethlehem Supper’ - a buffet of vaguely Middle Eastern mezze e.g. olives, pitta, hummus, falafel, feta, dolmades, nuts, pomegranate salad, baklava etc etc

All pre-prepared from deli counter so no cooking involved, and means there’s always a few extra tasty nibbles for the Boxing Day cheeseboard or to snack on straight from the fridge

We always have tapas on xmas eve.

Party food or a takeaway pizza.

As many have suggested something that is ready prepared to go in the oven. Then you can relax as you're also doing Christmas Day!! Or just do a takeaway!