Christmas Eve meal traditions!

[RaisingABabyBell]

Sorry to use the C word already, but thinking of starting a new tradition for Christmas Eve! My husband and I have always done a spread of party food - pizza, mozzarella sticks, spring rolls etc. What else do you guys do? All suggestions and ideas welcome 🥰

Lunch of ham, hasselback potatoes, salads and bread. I did ham one year to try it and dc1 proclaimed it tradition.

Late tea of "picky" foods eaten picnic style by the Christmas tree after church. I usually get some rolls so people can make their own sandwiches, leftover ham, tomatoes, Cucumber, hardboiled egg slices etc. Quiches, vol au vents for the nostalgia factor, crisps etc.

Basically as stress free as possible.

We have pork rolls with stuffing and apple sauce. It goes in the slow cooker in the morning and we go to the pub in the afternoon. Always end up with a few add ons so it’s quick and easy for everyone!

We have always had fish pie on Christmas Eve, as a deliberate decision to have something as un-Christmassy as possible so that Christmas Day itself is a complete contrast. All my family love it, and it can be prepared well in advance so it cuts down on last minute work.

If we're hosting then it's a walk around the neighbourhood to look at the lights, home for hot chocolate or mulled wine. Carols from Kings then an easy mixed buffet. Everyone has to choose one thing as part of it so we end up with a slightly random selection but at least something that everyone likes.

Leftovers go in the fridge / cupboard and are augmented over the next few days with cold turkey, pigs in blankets etc. Sees us through lunches during the holiday period and means I'm only cooking one meal per day.

Christmas dinner at our fave pub. Then I cook one at home Xmas day. The pub one is always better!

Any suggestions for vegetation alternatives to pork rolls? (Not Jack fruit as vegetarian guest not a fan)

Such lovely suggestions. We tend to go for a long walk to look at the beautiful lights, oftentimes we have a flask of mulled wine and hot chocolate to keep us warm.

We’ll do some light Christmas baking with the DC.

We cook the turkey on Christmas Eve so we typically have hot turkey rolls with stuffing and cranners, a packed cheese board and some good red wine. Dessert will be the DCs bakes.

DH makes seafood crepes. We used to have them as a started for Christmas lunch but they were just too filling. They are perfect for a light meal on Christmas Eve.

Try the veg Richmond sausages, use that as the filling. Cauldron are also just as good. Nice with some caramelised onion chutney added in!

Thanks @Maloneyb - I should have said probably not vegetarian sausages a they will be part of the Christmas Day menu. But I know they do like veggie sausages, and even our meat eaters have enjoyed Richmond.

The last few years I’ve done a charcuterie board. I’ll do it again.

I can’t believe how many are posting that they have rich meats, assuming they’re having a traditional Christmas lunch the next day obviously.

When the DC were little we had our main Christmas Eve meal at lunchtime then a late night buffet of french bread, salsa, cheese, crisps . It meant we could go out in the afternoon to feed ducks or reindeer.
We still do the lunch as before -- DC are adults so don't roll out of bed till gone 9am over Christmas !
Vegetable grills for us , fish for DS , triple cooked chips , dips
Trifle or ice cream sundae .

On the 23rd we have a Chinese takeaway (really good local one) , DS has McD or KFC

Boxing Day is our home-made pizza , I start the dough in the morning in the breadmaker , I have pizza sauce made and frozen.

We have our gammon on Christmas Eve with apple sauce. Husband does an amazing gammon!

This year, we may have to have our Christmas Dinner on Christmas Eve as I might be working on the day itself (no off duty done yet).

We usually get a Chinese or Indian takeaway

Something with fish (pre DCs it was always Delia's parmesan crusted fish) and rice pudding. A mishmash of different traditions really.