Boxing Day buffet - no cooking

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We'll be having family over on Boxing Day. 5 adults, 4 children (aged 7-12) in total. No allergies etc although kids can be fussy, simple food is better. I need ideas for food I can serve which needs zero cooking or preparation! I've looked at all the various 'food to order' options but the timing is tricky as we wouldn't be able to get out to pick it up later than the 23rd, plus everything needs some sort of cooking/heating/preparation. I really don't want to do a proper meal, more just snacky bits that we can literally take out and serve. But some of the family have big appetites and I'm having a panic that I won't fill them up.

Reason for the struggle is that I'm ill (cancer, chemo). DH will be here and happy to prepare food but he's been flat out taking care of me, will have cooked on Christmas Day, and I want to give him a day off. Family will also be happy to help and/or bring food, but again they'll have had a busy Christmas and I just want everything to be simple.

Extra complication is that due to chemo the thought of all food is kind of disgusting to me right now, so I'm struggling to think straight!

I have a Sainsbury’s delivery coming on Christmas Eve, so looking for ideas of food I can add to the order that will be fresh on Boxing Day (or things I can buy further in advance).

Any great ideas?

Lots of fab ideas here that I would second! Also suggest you get yourself a wow/fun outfit/ Christmas jumper (if you like) to help you celebrate the day and feel extra special x

won't be up to 'wow'ing anyone with the food. But I should really focus on what's important, which will be seeing family for the first time since the summer!

Absolutely! If you were my relative I'd just be delighted that you were well enough to host us.

A 'grazing table' might provide the 'wow' factor that I appreciate you might want to provide - google for pictures.

Cheese & crackers, cold meats, pate, smoked salmon.
Do not say 'no' to anyone who offers a contribution- can't imagine that they wouldn't given your circumstances. eg someone who is having turkey on Christmas Day could chop some leftovers up and make Coronation Turkey. Ask someone to buy lots of part baked baguettes and put that person in charge of heating them up on the day. Ditto sausage rolls or pigs in blankets
Bowls of cherry tomatoes, cucumber sticks, carrot sticks prepared by whoever you ask to bring dips.
Have a list of things that are more difficult for you to prepare and ask someone else to do it.

Why why why are you the ones hosting?!

Get your attendees to do an extra dish each on their own Christmas days to bring over to you.

Or - just plenty of cheeses and chutneys and stuff like that to go with leftover turkey/ham/whatever meat you're having, and some of those rolls you can bung in the oven. They last for weeks.

Pizza Hut delivery, last Boxing Day they did any medium pizza £6!

Our traditional boxing day meal is basically indoor picnic. Left over food from Christmas roast plus a big posh loaf shoved in the oven for 10minutes to warm then...bag of salad, oil and balsamic glaze, carrots and cucumber with hummous/tzatziki/babaganoush to dip. Potato salad, pate, nice sliced ham or salami, interesting cheese especially goat cheese/feta for salad (we tend to go towards Mediterranean) baked garlic flat bread. Chutney!

Honestly its so nice after the booze/fat/sugar fest of Christmas

I did this one year for NYE and it only involved cooking the chipolatas and pigs in blankets. We also had a ham joint (that someone could bring for you?) and crusty bread.
There were bowls of crisp, dip, nuts etc around too plus a box of chocolates.

Make things as easy as you can and try to let people help. In tough times it’s the being together that counts.

@SadlyACupOfTeaDoesNotSolveEverything you’re brave posting that pic!

@SadlyACupOfTeaDoesNotSolveEverything that's amazing....

Id do antipasti selection, bread, salad then cook pizzas

Oh bless you. but you have so much going on and food is not huge on the agenda for you at the moment.
Could someone else in the family take this on?
You could then reciprocate when you are better and feeling more like food and entertaining.
Wishing you well.

Just get party food that all cooks at the same time at the same temp all M&S range is like this so I think other supermarkets will been the same.

I'd make a big chilli beforehand and freeze it then defrost overnight on Christmas night. Boxing Day stick it in the slow cooker and bung baked potatoes in the oven, empty bags of Doritos into a big bowl with sides like pre grated cheese, guacamole, salsa and sour cream. Then people can help them selves to a baked potato with chilli or make their own nachos. Or slow cooker full of soup (previously made, frozen and defrosted) served with crusty bread if you can get that on Boxing Day.

Also have cold nibbles like sausage rolls, cocktail sausages, mini pork pies, cold meats, cheese board, crackers, bread, those wee rolls of manchego cheese rolled up in ham, mini stuffed sweet peppers, olives etc.

Have a dessert area too with an ice cream factory style selection for kids (and big kids), meringues, cream, fruit or posh raspberry sauce type thing, mince pies, bought in pre sliced Christmas cake, shop bought trifle, cheesecake etc if you want.
Make it easy for yourself. I'm sure people would bring things to help if you asked them.

Cheese board with chutneys, sausage rolls,quiche,cold meats,crusty bread & crackers,left over roasties from Christmas Day and if DH can be asked you could have a slow cooker on the side with a curry/chilli/casserole.

Don't forget the prawns 😁

Cold cuts, pre packed meats from the supermarket/left over meats, pigs in blankets, chicken thighs/drum sticks, scotch eggs, pork pies, sausage rolls, cheese, coleslaw, hummus, potato salad/new potatoes, salads, baguette, bread sticks, crackers, bowls of nibbles/crisps.
Selection of fruits/nuts, chutneys, mince pies, nice cheese cake or fruit cake.

Can you get 1 family to bring savory items, the other family to bring sweet treats and you supply drinks, snacks etc. Makes it more manageable 😉

@SadlyACupOfTeaDoesNotSolveEverything Can I come to yours for NYE! 😂Looks amazing!

I’m going to re instate this thread to see how you are all getting on with your buffet ideas