Xmas Eve supper

[MoveAlongNowDear]

We normally have loads of people over to supper on Xmas eve, however this year its all change and there will only be 4 of us.
What do people have on Xmas eve? I want it to be simple and not a take away as I live in the middle of nowhere.
TIA

If you prepare a ham for Christmas it's a great option for Christmas eve. Serve it cold with a winter slaw, baked potatoes, raddichio salad, braised fennel and crusty bread.

Or warm with macaroni cheese, green beans, cauliflower cheese, potato gratin, mashed potato.... All can be pre-prepared to make the evening easier.

We usually go out for a meal but if at home we’ve had sirloin steak , dauphinois potatoes , green beans garlic mushrooms and asparagus.

We do a fish platter, bit of salad and different sauces, crusty bread, chips and champagne (just a little!).

For us takeaway but I’d keep it simple if cooking. So just a regular meal really - homemade lasagna, tray bake roasted veg and chicken thighs, chilli - the usual.

We usually do a little buffet of tasty supermarket nibbles, things in filo pastry etc, we each choose one thing and supplement with salad, crusty bread, cheese etc.

Last year we got a takeaway curry on Xmas eve. Worked really well, no major washing up etc afterwards, no prep, so we could spend time enjoying the day and getting ready for Xmas. I think we’ll do the same again this year!

We usually do fajitas or tacos

We have pizzas and movie snacks to settle down and watch a Christmas movie together.

Fish is some kind - a chowder or fish pie, nothing too rich though

I usually do christmas eve buffet with cheeseboard and mince pies but this year would have been my late brothers 40th birthday and i have christmas eve as annual leave. Saw someone post about doing festive burgers with brie and cranberry so think might do those with sweet potato fries and salad. And have a games afternoon.

Cheese fondue with crusty bread, charcuterie, roasted ratte potatoes, cornichons. It’s actually really easy and fun. Yum!

Appetizery things, sometimes with soup or salad to balance it. Mainly cheese, things with cheese inside, chocolate and cookies

Baby new potatoes, a side of salmon and broccoli or peas on the side. Simple, fast and very tasty but looks like a celebration meal with the salmon as the centrepiece.

Fish pie is our most common choice although if we are going elsewhere for Christmas Day lunch we have sometimes had a roast but with simpler accompaniments than for 25th. By choice I would prefer a simple meal.

We have hot ham on Christmas Eve with dauphinoise potatoes and purple sprouting broccoli. Sounds specific but, if we try and change it,there is always uproar! We do one that is big enough to have cold meat leftover for Boxing Day along with cold turkey. And then sandwiches after too depending on how many people we have for the festive period.

I do fish, I like something a bit lighter ahead of the big day. With. Only four you could pan fried sea bass or tuna steaks ora sea food platter.

Either seafood which I can cook quickly - mussels, gambas pil pil, smoked salmon, crab- with salad and bread, or a takeaway, usually a curry or Persian food.

This year am at my mother’s (although have been volunteered to cook for all 😭) so wondering whether to do a ham with stuffed baked potatoes instead. It feels like a sensible choice!

When I was married, we had a nice steak meal once the children had gone to bed.

After my divorce, as a single Mum of three, we always went to stay with my Mum for Christmas so we ate whatever my mum planned!

Now, I live alone and and go to my sisters locally for dinner, I don’t really have any firm plans re food. If my other sister is visiting from the US, we tend to book a later afternoon meal at a pub to avoid cooking. If I am on my own, I would probably have a light easy to prepare meal like cheese on toast or some home made soup.

I feel too old to stick to traditions now! This year, I have no idea what I’ll be doing!

Thanks all. Some good ideas and lots to think about.

That’s what we do too.

We sometimes have a fish pie or chicken fried rice but this year I'm thinking homemade sausage rolls, crust bread (part-baked and popped in the oven) baked camembert and cranberry sauce. Probably some cold meats/smoked salmon. Then a nice pud like pavlova or cheesecake and break out the Xmas nibbles and chocolates after with a nice glass of port ☺️

I normally glaze and bake the ham Christmas Eve so we have that with macaroni cheese and garlic bread.

We usually have a take away, but this year we're buying a build your own charcuterie board from tesco, fancied a change and both options require minimal prep and washing up afterwards!

We have a ham, cheeses, crusty bread, piccalilli, gherkins, picked onion etc.

We have a fancy fish pie, made with good quality fish and king prawns, with an indulgent mash with cream and butter.

Or smoked mackerel pate with toast (smoked mackerel, full fat cream cheese, butter, lemon juice, dill, horseradish, salt, pepper)