Boxing Day menu inspiration

[LastNovember]

After several years of hosting Christmas, I’ve said I don’t want to this year, and it will just be us as a nuclear family.

but… I do have people for lunch Boxing Day.

hit me with your Boxing Day meal ideas. 10 people aged across 10 decades.

Needs to be…
Not a roast
Something that isn’t going to take all the day before to prepare
no nuts
not the most expensive ingredients in the world
A bit special.

years ago I made paella, and some sort of baked rice dish appeals, but I’m out of oomph for the year and keen to hear your ideas. Competent cook but a bit bored of meal planning.

Pulled pork with spicy rice, wraps, Guac etc
Moussaka with Greek salad
Tagine

all can be cooked before and heated up

I would do lasagne, salad, garlic bread, parmentier potatoes. Either a veggie one or a spinach and ricotta cannelloni too if there are vegetarians.

This is what I do for Boxing Day buffet

Leftovers from Xmas Day:

Turkey
Pigs in blankets
Stuffing balls
Cranberry sauce
Sausage rolls
Vol-au-vents

Made on Xmas Eve and kept in fridge:

Ham joint
Garlic bread
Guacamole

Made in the morning:

Green salad
Tomato & red onion salad with balsamic dressing
Potato salad
Garlic dressing

Plonk on the table:

Hellmans
Mustard
Pickles

This is my H’s favourite meal of the year and has been refined over the years for optimum crowd-pleasing.

I do trad Boxing Day buffet - honey glazed ham, left over turkey and pigs in blankets, a really easy Jamie Oliver sort-of spanakopita with fresh spinach and mint, feta, sun dried tomatoes and pine nuts (you could leave those out), then potato salad, red Camargue rice salad with Mediterranean roast veg and if people want hot veg, purple sprouting broccoli tossed in lemon butter.

A good cheese board with crackers, grapes, chutneys. Nice crisps and olives.

Trifle or tiramisu, home made yule log or roulade, clementines and chocolates for dessert.

Bucks fizz or peach bellinis to start, then some red and white wine.

Good Housekeeping Turkey & Ham Crumble - yummy, uses up leftovers. Just needs bread & salad to go with it.

Can you share the Jamie recipe please?

I always serve a buffet on Boxing Day.
Cold Turkey
Gammon ham cooked on Xmas Eve
Pigs in blankets
Cherry tomatoes
Salad leaves/rocket
Semi Hard boiled eggs
Potato salad
Coleslaw
Beetroot balls
Soft Bread rolls
Pringles
Mini Vol au vents
Hot mini sausage rolls
Crisps
Cheese board
Selection of crackers
DH makes a couple of large pizzas which he slices up as we have a pizza oven.
Raspberry Pavlova
Lemon cheesecake
Mince pies

If paella was a hit previously, how about a special lamb biryani?

Serious Eats is a good source of really excellent recipes, & the comments below this one indicate this is another. Easy to do in one big pot, & serve with a cucumber raita & mango chutney (Geetas is easily the best shop-bought one).

https://www.seriouseats.com/lamb-biryani

I’d make goulash (or what is known here as goulash - a paprika heavy stew) with red cabbage and potatoes and sour cream.

Thanks everyone - should have said there will no turkey leftovers. Am liking the thick stew idea, maybe also beef Bourginon or coq or vin.

but then someone said vol au vents and I don’t think I’ve had them this century and am now weirdly nostalgic for them.

Either a spicy shepherds pie or a cottage pie made with venison mince.
Duck or goose biryani
Venison lasagne.

If beef bourguinon appeals, how about venison bourguinon or make the beef bourguinon into a pie (with bought puff pastry)? Either way, both will probably be better made on Christmas Eve and refrigerated if you have room, then top with pastry and bake on the day

we usually have ham, duck egg and chips. We have bubble and squeak for Boxing Day breakfast.

Stifado.

Jamie Oliver turkey & leek pie is good for Boxing Day.

I’ve ordered a big lasagne from Marks.
The plan is to get the kids wrapped up and out in the morning to go to the beach for them to use their new scooters up and down the promenade and then home to pop that in the oven. Very little fuss.