What’s your fave Xmas eve dinner?

[Mamabear0202]

Usually go here there and everywhere on Christmas Day so don’t actually do much cooking.

I would like to do something special / a bit different for our Xmas eve dinner, any ideas? What do you usually have?

I could do a take away but would rather cook something nice / get nice food in.

We always have baked camembert and crusty bread. Easy, delicious and a bit special. Usually accompanied by a Christmas movie. Followed by mulled wine and chocolate. I love Christmas Eve!

We have a chestnut and shredded brussel sprout risotto. It’s a lots nicer than it sounds, the sprouts are added raw at the end so are mustardy and peppery!

Last year we had a picky tea with all the special Christmas picky bits from M&S and it was amazing!

last year we had Xmas Eve hot chocolates, but we had hand whipped cream, proper chocolate for the hot chocolates with milk made on a big pan, wafer straws, chocolate coins, chocolate shavings, personalised mugs for everyone, and homemade mince pies. It turned simple moment into a really memorable time with all hands on deck prepping and my 92 year old stoic grandmother declaring it was the best hot chocolate she’d ever had

We get a seafood platter usually and some crusty bread from bakery. This is my first year not living by the sea so may change but used to be a beach walk followed by picking it up from the harbour

Raclette.

We usually have something fishy. Sometimes fish pie but chowder and crusty bread goes down well too. One year I tried bouillabaisse but it was more faff and worked out quite expensive

When DC were small they always insisted on spaghetti bolognese for Christmas eve as it was their favourite dinner. Then one of them turned vegetarian. Now we have veggie spaghetti bolognese on Christmas Eve - with black lentils and aubergine. DH makes it. DC (adults) love it

There’s an ongoing thread about this already OP, lots of ideas on there www.mumsnet.com/talk/christmas/5226592-what-do-you-eat-christmas-eve?page=6&reply=147786557

Macaroni cheese 🧀 🧀 🧀

I always cook a large gammon. Then I can serve it along with cold turkey on Boxing day with a buffet.

Chinese… been having it for the last 20 years. The only year we didn’t was covid 2020 because my local Chinese all came down with covid (dd is friends with thier youngest son) before that was any takeaway we felt like, mostly McDonald’s or kfc tbh.

Christmas burger.
Brie, cranberry sauce, crispy bacon
And chips with cheese sauce

Rudolph Pie.
I make a cottage pie, and stick a large glacé cherry on the top before taking to the table.
It started the year my kids were being little wotsits in the run-up, so I'd threatened "to cancel Christmas". So I served a "reindeer" in pie, complete with red nose. We all have a dark sense of humour, so no long-term trauma! In fact they insist on it every year.

Smoked salmon, green salad with lemony dressing, crunchy bread, fizzy wine then baked Alaska for afters.

Chinese takeaway.

Too busy prepping food for the next day to worry about cooking dinner.

A huge Christmas ham with a cheesy potato gratin and green veg. Then we have the ham cold between Christmas and New Year

Lasagne. I can have it all ready just to pop in the oven.

I love smoked haddock chowder on xmas eve.

Takeaway, generally a pizza.......and wine

We usually do something completely non-Christmassy like fajitas - we know we’ll be eating lots of rich Christmas food for the next few days so tend to avoid starting it a day early!

We always get a takeaway

We pick up a McDonald’s on the way home from whatever we’ve done, then we always also have hot chocolate and warm mince pies/cheese board around to pick at as well.

We always settle down with Home Alone, lots of picky bits and a tub of choccies 😊 all eaten off Christmas paper plates so no washing up!

I often make my own version of kedgeree as I think fish is fairly traditional for Christmas Eve.