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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

Can we talk about food, please?

29 replies

StartingAgainAgain23 · 02/12/2023 17:44

I'm after some ideas of what to feed my household (2A/3C) on Christmas Eve, instead of the takeaway that we usually get but I never seem to enjoy 🤔

And for NYE when we've got friends coming (there'll be 4A/5C).

I've had a little look online but inspiration hasn't struck yet...

Any suggestions much appreciated 😁

OP posts:
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ThickSkinnedSoWhat · 02/12/2023 17:46

My DC and I just have lots and lots of party food.

shellyleppard · 02/12/2023 17:48

Slow cooker stew/baked potatoes/ chilli/ curry??? Then you can be social without being glued to the kitchen. Failing that party platters and everyone helps themselves? Jamie Oliver did a really lovely beef stew that cooked for about four hours...,.

twistyizzy · 02/12/2023 17:51

We have home cooked ham + chips Xmas eve. The ham then lasts the rest of the Christmas period. I think Xmas eve should be easy food .

Autumn1990 · 02/12/2023 17:52

I’d do party nibbles, cheese board, good selection of pudding. You can include pizza and chicken nugget type things and potato wedges that the kids will enjoy

IggyAce · 02/12/2023 17:54

Christmas Eve I’d get a selection of party food and a cheese board.
New Year I’d do something in the slow cooker such as pulled pork which I’d serve with wraps, salad, corn in the cob and maybe fries.

Mrsjayy · 02/12/2023 17:54

if we don't have take away we get an Asda pizza and have it with coleslaw and crisps.

AdaColeman · 02/12/2023 18:00

For Christmas Eve I'd do something that could be prepared ahead of time, then popped in the oven to cook till you were ready to eat. Perhaps Spanish chicken casserole served with microwave rice, or Tuscan sausage casserole served with tagliatelle.

If you use fresh pasta, you can add it into the casserole towards the end of cooking, and it will cook in the sauce, which makes it a very convenient meal.

sprigatito · 02/12/2023 18:11

I meal plan from Christmas Eve to NYE ( I have guests coming and going so it's easier to budget if I know what's going where). I only plan breakfast and dinner, lunch tends to be people grazing as there's so much treat food around.

Christmas Eve: breakfast is silly cereals (Krave, coco pops etc). Dinner is afternoon tea at about 4pm with a movie on - ds1 and I will make various savouries, cakes and biscuits etc and we lay it all out on cake stands with doilies and tea set etc. I suggested last year we do a takeaway instead and ds1 nearly hyperventilated 😂

Christmas day: croissants and brioche with Buck's Fizz, then the ubiquitous turkey dinner and Christmas pudding

Boxing Day: full English with bubble and squeak, dinner is a big buffet with the main features being a big pork joint and a gala pie. Lots of cheeses and salamis, olives, pickles, nice bread and crackers, salads etc.

27th: toasted panettone for breakfast. Roast beef, Yorkies, roasties etc with crackers etc - it's a second Christmas dinner because my dad's wonderful partner arrives from her daughter's, so she and my dad will be all loved-up and twinkly after a week apart Grin Black forest trifle for pudding.

28th: strong tea and a selection of homemade shortbreads for breakfast. Dinner is a second buffet with a side of salmon and a big cheese and onion tart, different cheeses and the same other bits as before.

29th: toast and jam/ Christmas marmalade for breakfast. Roast lamb, new potatoes, green beans, broccoli and carrots for dinner. Christmas cake for pudding.

30th: bacon sarnies for breakfast. Smoked gammon, mustard mash and three types of cabbage for dinner. Spiced apple crumble for pudding.

31st: everyone sods off home, the kids go to parties and DH and I order a curry and start a new jigsaw puzzle Grin

MintJulia · 02/12/2023 18:33

Xmas eve, I do trays of party food, a huge salad and nice bread, with dips and chutneys, then I can relax and ds can help himself

Xmas evening, we have soup and bread, and left over chocolates. 🙂

Boxing day is cold meat and chips, and then I use all the left over food to make pies and curries.

sillnotseal · 02/12/2023 18:37

that’s our household’s first Christmas, the scandi one. We have a potato gratin dish, side of salmon, gammon, braised ribs in mulled spices, red cabbage. Nice breads, cheese and a rice pudding. Arranged as a buffet so you take a bit of what you fancy rather than a big dense meal.

Pineapplewaves · 02/12/2023 18:42

Eat out instead of a takeaway?

TotalOverhaul · 02/12/2023 18:43

My DC insist on spag bol on Christmas Eve. I used to make it because I knew they'd eat it and I couldn't be bothered with fussiness when I was so busy and it turned into a tradition, DS1 is veggie now so we do a Christmassy one with chestnuts and lentils (nicer than it sounds) that everyone likes. Would that work? With garlic bread and salad or broccoli. A chocolate yule log for dessert.

For NYE I am thinking of something that can be prepped in advance. Maybe Hairy Bikers beef curry or a venison and mushroom casserole. Big cheeseboard with fruit and a panettone pudding,

Foreverexhausted1 · 02/12/2023 18:57

Christmas eve we normally do something like a curry, chilli or if I've got time, lasagne. Nothing Christmassy, preferably veggie as my DH is a meat lover but I'm not and he'll have meat overload on Christmas day. NYE kids have whatever they want and once they've gone to bed DH cooks us a mean steak and chips! If I was cooking for guests I'd probably do something similar to Christmas eve but fancier or if I wanted to be really fancy, a salmon en croute as you can prep it all in advance. Mary Berry has a lovely recipe with roasted veg and red pesto.

Pinocolada · 02/12/2023 19:00

I would do tartiflette, you can prepare in advance and it is delicious.

marmaladeandpeanutbutter · 02/12/2023 19:03

I do a beef, onion and carrot red wine casserole and serve it with broccoli and mashed potatoes (or baked if I'm too busy). It cooks itself in the oven, and potatoes in the microwave if necessary. Also you could use a slow cooker if you need to, though I find an oven one tastes better. You can prep and even cook it in the morning and carry on with your day.

lazysundaymorningcoffee · 02/12/2023 19:07

@sprigatito wow! Room for a little one? That sounds superb!

stargirl1701 · 02/12/2023 19:09

We have picnic style food on a picnic rug beside the tree. We use the sledge for a table.

RJnomore1 · 02/12/2023 19:12

Xmas eve baked cheese, crusty bread, salad, nibbles, sweeties this year.

New year has to be steak pie. It’s the law in Scotland.

Jeannie88 · 02/12/2023 19:16

Buffet pick at food with a pan of something hot like curry or bolognaise. Pre prepared, eat when you want to! 😋

IdealisticCynic · 02/12/2023 19:25

On Christmas Eve we have loads of M&S or Waitrose party food and a baked cheese, nice bread, and crudités. We all eat on the sofas, sometimes while watching a film. It’s a welcome break from proper cooking over that period (most cooks at the same temp in the oven and takes very little time), and feels like a little family party. It’s lovely!

CheshireCat1 · 02/12/2023 19:33

We always have Lancashire hotpot for NYE. It varies for Christmas Eve.

StiffyByngsDogBartholomew · 02/12/2023 19:47

We have a Swedish Julbord on Christmas Eve with various fish dishes, Swedish meatballs in a special gravy, Janssens Frestelse, gravadlax, a special ham and a princess cake. It's my favourite meal of the festive season. I've made my meatballs, gravadlax already and have got some of the fish stuff in the freezer and a special loaf of bread. Then on the day all I need to do is cook the potatoes and make the gravy for the meatballs

christmas day will be brioche and homemade lychee/rose conserve for breakfast with fruit salad; lunch blinis with caviar and gravadlax, Boeuf bourgignon and cottage cheese cheesecake (family tradition); supper gammon sandwiches and Pringles with Christmas cake (I made a simnel cake as that's what we like)

boxing day will be a light breakfast then roast chicken fir lunch abd sticky toffee puddings. Supper I think will be a tear abd share cheese and olive bread
https://thefoodfox.com/2020/07/03/olive-and-cheese-bread-with-capers-and-thyme-with-step-by-step-pictures/ with some cold meats

as I am working nights Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as much as possible will be prepared in advance

fourelementary · 02/12/2023 19:55

Xmas eve- M & S pizza deal before we head to the cinema (recent ish family tradition) in the evening.
Xmas day. breakfast rolls for all the family. Kids can snack on sweets and toast in the afternoon while I’m at work. Mini Xmas dinner (chicken breasts wrapped in Parma ham with cranberry, potatoes, pig in blankets and parsnips at 7.30 for me and DH. Ds might eat some pigs in blankets at this point.
Big family buffet day Boxing Day- cheese board, chutneys, pate and oatcakes, home made soup and part baked rolls, sausage rolls and leftover meat brought by those who had full Xmas dinners (sister and BIL, parents etc) Cheese cake, chocolate Yule log and Xmas cake. And booze…
Will make and freeze a chilli, buy a gammon joint and do baked potatoes and fillings the next few days after as will be back at work. Steak pie for new year.

LaurieStrode · 02/12/2023 20:01

Lasagne, salad and garlic bread on Christmas Eve.

(Actually we now have our big dinner then, but used to do lasagne)

Or pizza, salad, brownies. Or jacket potatoes and soup.

Nonplusultra · 02/12/2023 20:18

@sprigatito I love the idea of afternoon tea!

@TotalOverhaul any chance you’d share your spaghetti bol recipe?

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