Christmas Day evening food

[OMGitsnotgood]

We have a late Chrismas lunch, a break then pudding late afternoon. We certainly don’t need another meal but we do tend to stay up late playing games/watching a movie/ just chatting. Usually it’s a cheese board, mainly because we all love cheese and it’s very easy to assemble after lots of boozeOccasionally add pate, sausage rolls and pork pies for the meat eaters, The usual crisps, nuts, chocolate on offer, anyone who wants a sandwich can go and make one, and Christmas cake/mince pies/Stollen for anyone who wants something sweet.
All adults.

Was pondering, as you do when it’s July and 25 degrees, what we could do to make it a bit different this year.

Any thoughts? More than happy to continue as above, just idle musing and thought I’d ask.

That sounds like our Xmas Eve meal but add in Parma ham as my DH doesn't like cheese! Sounds delish

I don’t think you can improve on what you’re doing. No one needs too much innovation at Christmas.

Christ , if I had to put something together on Christmas night I think Id leave home

We eat late afternoon, probably wont get up from the table much before 6pm where we would have had a starter, the Christmas dinner then coffee and mints

If anyone is peckish , theres the mince pies, maybe Christmas cake if we have bothered and of course the Stilton

But we are older, and over the years the Christmas shop has got smaller and smaller because it was dragging over days and days. Id love to be able to tackle a turkey sandwich late evening but the truth of it is, I cant be suffering the heartburn lol

I think you put together a feast and it sounds perfect

You could do a baked Camembert with pigs in blankets, bread cubes and roast potatoes to dip.

Choose different types of cheeses, I try to have some different ones from year to year in with the favourites. I also vary the nuts, fruits, relishes served with.

Theme the cheese? eg all British cheeses and accompaniments sourced locally.

I’m thinking of downsizing our cheeseboard this year and serving a single cheese plate or maybe offering a choice of either or like I used to with starters.

Cold roast potatoes out of the fridge dipped in mayonnaise. Homemade if you want to be fancy.

I was going to say this; great suggestion.

Anything crisp and cool after all the stodgy food. Icy green salad, etc.

Lots of pickles, olives, radish, carrots, a sweet corn salad. Or chilled haricot vert.

Or an American style strawberry/mixed berry & biscuit bowl, not too sweet.

Alternatively, just a huge batch of popcorn with numerous topping selection.

We usually have a bit of salad and some Prawns or those smoked salmon/cream cheese ready made things as well as what you're having.

Thank you all. I love that there are other people who are happy to discuss Christmas in July!
I like the idea of adding in prawn cocktail. We don't have a starter on Christmas Day so we can enjoy the 'main event, often feel I miss out on the opportunity for a prawn cocktail and it doesn't take much making.

' I also love the idea of different cheeses to usual ( although I'd be in trouble if there was no Brie or garlic roule!).

I tend not to go overly expensive on the cheese or the crackers as the younger male contingent just devour what ever is there without It touching the sides (and to PP, I honestly do do a big dinner, they just have hollow legs). I said to DH recently when we were in a local town with an award winning cheese mongers, next time thee is just the two of us, or more refined adults than the DSs on Christmas Day, I will splurge on some really fabulous cheese and some artisan crackers. Really would.be a waste of money with a couple of family members.

Personally I think there are many other days over Christmas to go off piste and try different things but I don’t want different on Christmas Eve ,Christmas day or Boxing Day.
i know it’s hard work but it’s part of the build up and quite soothing.

We have homemade pizza on Boxing Day, I make a freeze the sauce and put the dough ingredients in the bread maker first thing.
No turkey leftovers here , DS and the cats share some roast chicken and the rest of us are vegetarian.I read on here people say they would love to have curry for Christmas dinner . Not me, I like curry but it’s a weekend before or after meal

We do an afternoon buffet on Christmas Day, which always has to have a cranberry topped pork pie, and a few fancy salads, but the things that always disappear first is the tomato, basil and mozzarella skeweres and the melon wrapped in parma ham. To be honest, I think there'd be an outcry if those were missing off the buffet!

We do what you do but add cold cuts and chutney, gherkins, picked onions and leftover pigs in blankets.

We make rum ham on Christmas Eve so there are ham leftovers as well as turkey.

Maybe a baked Camembert with cranberry and port sauce and nice bread.

I’m of the opinion that you darent change anything about Christmas food!!

Theres only me and DP here now, and last year we had rib of beef & all the usual extras and it was really lovely … but… we talked about not doing a huge roast for just the two of us this year.
Maybe just doing a Turkey crown, ham, buffet & salady bits, just not a sit-down roast meal.

Fast forward to last week and looking through the diary, I said “ooh, only 140 days til Christmas, that’s crept up on us”. So started a discussion about Christmas dinner…

It seems that DPs idea of “not a big roast meal” still involves the Turkey crown, roast potatoes, parsnips, pigs in blankets, yorkies… (so basically a roast meal then)
When I pointed this out to him, his answer was “ well, it is Christmas, we’ve got to have the same food we always have - just not a roast meal”

Only the DS can manage more than a morsel. My Mum used to say ‘hollow legs’. I do not make trifle, sausage rolls and so on like she did. Bro ate most of them, everyone else watched Only Fools …

We just have a gammon sandwich and it's pretty much the only time of the year I'm prepared to buy Pringles. Followed by a mince pie.

I put a pork shoulder in the slow cooker first thing in the morning and then we have pulled pork and crusty rolls come evening. Plus the house smells really delicious and festive all day 😋

Sufficient unto the day is the need thereof! Don’t even give it a thought yet!

My family have our Christmas dinner in the evening but at lunchtime we have cold meats and cheese, pate, French bread and crisps etc. One of my favourite things about Christmas.
But this Christmas I think I will be at DP family for Christmas Day and they have Christmas dinner early afternoon so I'm going to miss it!

We have charcuterie and cheese. Don't know why. It it has always been that way.

Bubble and squeak with gravy for brunch which is my favourite Christmas meal.

But I want to!!

So do I!
Been planning since Boxing Day.
This is the Christmas thread, where we plan.

Fair enough, I’ll give it a miss,then!

I’m very partial to a slice of Christmas cake and a nice sharp cheddar.

What you have sounds ideal, add in some pickles because it’s not Christmas without pickled onions, beetroot and red cabbage.

I don't tend to stuff myself at Christmas lunch and definitely like another meal. We sometimes have make your own Christmas baguettes with part-baked baguettes which are amazing: pick from pigs in blankets, turkey, beef, cranberry sauce, gravy etc.

Christmas cake and Wendsleydale😋