For years, we have done”platter”.
Basically, a fancy sounding “ throw everything in the fridge on the table” type of meal.
it’s never all of this at once, but a mix of the elements below -
2/3 cooked and cured meats (ham, Parma ham, salami, cooked chicken/turkey, braseola, proper corned beef…)
some fish element - smoked salmon, hot smoked salmon, cooked prawns, cooked squid rings
probably a tub of pâté
salad bits - carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, green and black olives, pickled onions, bowl of leaves
crusty french bread, breadsticks, good crackers
sometimes a hot thing like a pack or 2 of M&S party food or some HM sausage rolls or some chicken wings
christmas cheeseboard - usually a mix of 4/5 cheeses which always includes a blue, a soft (Brie, Camembert, caprice des dieux) and a hard (cheddar, compte, sheep’s cheese from Clare), and a mix of mild and mature flavours
Everyone can take what they want. Everyone can try things they are not used to. It can be adapted to have blander things for those who has less adventurous palates and stronger things for those who want more complexity. And because it is mostly “empty packets and throw at the table” (as fancy or plain as you like) and doesn’t matter if things get delayed because it’s mostly cold, but can have lots of nice treats - it works really well for us. And is filling but relatively light in a season of big feasting.