What do you eat Christmas Eve?

[Magnalux]

So I always host Christmas dinner, I’ve 22 to cook for this year! Needless to say I don’t fancy cooking much on Christmas Eve, I’m also doing some prep for the next day. I’ve a DH and three teenagers to cook for.Just wondering what kinds of meals you serve up on Christmas Eve that are low effort but still nice ! Looking for inspiration. Thanks

Home made pizza. Dh makes the dough in the morning then it's just topping them before cooking.

We used to have a Christmas eve buffet with family but having a party on 28th this year. Think I might just do a small buffet at home as we are having a board game night. Be nice to have a cheese board to go with it!/

Whatever falls out the freezer! There is little effort tbh when I'm cooking for 16 the next day.

A beige buffet! Basically party food galore in front of an Xmas film

Growing up we had a buffet on Christmas Eve and now we go to Toby Carvery on Christmas Eve and I do the buffet on Christmas Day 😋

We always have a buffet style dinner and it’s always laid out on the ironing board in the living room 🫣🤣 We really should get a table or something to put it on but it’s tradition now haha

Fish pie?
Chilli?

Fish & chips! We always had fish pie when I was a kid. My last job was in a church which meant I finished at about 6pm on Christmas Eve and Dh suggested fish and chips. The kids loved it and it’s been how we’ve done it ever since. X

Steak and Merlot pie from Cook and frozen peas.

We always have the same thing which is the scallops in shells with mornay sauce or champagne sauce that you get in the freezer section at Aldi, with skinny fries and some aioli for dipping the fries in.

And a bottle of fizz.

Very easy, just put it all in the oven with no prep and minimal washing up.

When family stayed, pre small granddaughter we went out for a meal. Post small granddaughter, a casserole made several weeks in advance and frozen. Minimal cooking on Christmas Eve apart from any prep for the big event the following day.

Haha I love this! Do you stick a nice table cover on it on leave the ironing board in its natural state?

Raclette usually.

A beige buffet of M&S party food. Way too much cooking to do the next day to put any real effort into anything

Haha nope just the ironing board as it is. We don’t have a table cloth or anything. We’ve done it the same way for 15yrs now. It’s one of the DC traditions now, when we’ve spoken about changing it the DC always beg us not too!

I'm far too in awe of you cooking for 22 people to offer any constructive for Christmas Eve eats.

22? How, just how do you do that? I have a meltdown for anything beyond 6!

We keep it super simple in anticipation of stuffing our faces the next day - just soup and some nice bread (and a few treats 😬)

We’ve always had a picky food buffet with my parents.

Pizza Hut, it's a tradition! Except for one child who didn't want pizza one year, so we had to Google what Santa eats on Christmas Eve and now to this day he has fish fingers, mash and carrots on Christmas Eve!

We always have a creamy Italian sausage pasta with sundried tomatoes, olives and mushrooms. We’ve had it most years apart from those when we haven’t been at home.
DD loves it and has done since she was a toddler.

Party food from Waitrose or M and S !

Xmas Eve for us is picky finger food. Usually from M&S and then some nice cheese and biscuits for dessert.

This has been lovely to read everyone's traditions.
We have sandwiches cut into triangles, lots of them served on the big rectangle serving plate we got as a wedding gift. Tuna, cheese, chicken as fillings and some beige pastry things alongside the sandwich extravaganza! There will always be a king prawn ring served too.

A spiced shepherds pie this year and green salad. A tub of bought hummus and toasted pita’s. Tinned fruit salad (only time of year we have this) for dessert. Turkish delight and stuffed dates.