Christmas Eve menu suggestions

[HappySonHappyMum]

Am hoping that everyone will share what they will be eating on Christmas Eve in the hopes of finding some inspiration. I have seven people to feed - including a couple of fussy oldies - and haven't got a clue what I should dish up!

I keep it very simple and cook a massive ham. Yummy hot with heaps of mash and peas etc and it keeps well for grazing over the next few days.

Chinese ( from the takeaway)

Main Dish: Roast Chicken or a Turkey Breast (easy and not too heavy).
If you want something more casual, a taco bar or pasta station works great .

We’re having seafood lasagne, which I’ll be making and freezing this weekend as I know I’ll be busy with last minute jobs on Christmas Eve so just want something I can bung in the oven.
Poached mulled wine pears for dessert, to counteract over-indulgence over the next few days!

We'll have homemade pizza, it's our tradition!

We go out to do christmas things so I do a stew like Irish stew in the slow cooker and serve with crusty bread and break into the cheese board. Main things are it needs to take minimal hands on effort, few dishes as possible and be flexible for eat times.

We always have a buffet so things like quiche, mini pizzas, sausage rolls, cheeseboard and crackers, appeteasers, crisps, breadsticks and dips, garlic bread Christmas tree, mozzarella sticks, homemade mince pies and chocolates.

We always have ham, pork pie, cheeseboard, coleslaw, salad, new potatoes, stuffed eggs, salmon. It means there’s something to please everyone. (I normally have a crowd on Christmas Eve.)

We always have a Chinese takeaway on Christnas Eve.

I do a ham, glazed in wholegrain mustard and maple syrup, roast potatoes and veg usually green beans or tender stem broccoli. But then I don't cook Christmas lunch my sister does so I am not doing two roast lunches in a row.

The ham is bigger than needed so that we can have it as leftovers on Boxing Day in part baked bread rolls with extra glaze to dip them in.

The ham is cooked in the instant pot, then removed when needed as it stays hot, remove the fat, cover in the glaze and into the oven. It helps with timings.

We pick up a seafood platter and have warm baguettes and various accompaniments like a spicy cocktail sauce , melted butter , mignolet and pickles. Cost us £70 this year which is reasonable and leaves us with some leftovers for supper on Christmas Day - going out to Indian Restaurant for Lunch

We also do a ham (Dc1 is a big believer in "tradition"). Served with crusty bread, potato salad, Greek salad, hard boiled eggs and the fabulous quiches from our local bakery. I cook it the night before so less to do Christmas Eve.

The leftovers are consumed over Christmas day/Boxing day.

Simple here - a stir fry. Flavour can be adjusted if you're adding your own ingredients and it can be split to add different proteins.

Seafood here - smoked salmon, prawns, etc. and other delicacies plus celery/cucumber, cream cheese, bread/crackers - this is easy to organise.

Teen DDs and their friends/cousins often have pizza since they don't like ^^ much.

We have an easy, on the lighter side, almost buffet, so everyone is starving the next day.

So dad and teens make, construct, sausage rolls and pigs in blankets, that's the meat side, warm winter salad, and have nuts and tangerines, the usual to graze on after.

Nothing fancy.

We have no specific meal and TBH, haven't even thought about it. Its just DH and myself.

I'd keep it simple like a shepherds pie, fish pie, lasagne, pasta etc.

If you wanted something a bit special then maybe prawn cocktails, pate/chutney on toasts or this salmon terrine as entrees www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/individual-smoked-salmon-terrines-for-christmas/

When we had bigger Christmases, I always did baked, glazed ham, roasties, broad beans in parsley sauce and carrots, mince pies and boozy cream for pud. Now we have tiny christmases, it's smoked salmon, a side of fresh salmon, with salad and new potatoes and a bought deluxe pud.

We always have Chinese takeaway after meeting friends in the pub!

A fish stew with crusty bread

Spag bol and garlic bread here - easy

Like others, I usually do a baked ham. I serve mine with baked potatoes and parsley sauce. I like having plenty of turkey and ham left to eat cold after Christmas and I always make a big turkey and ham pie too.

I haven’t decided what to do for the vegan yet. She’ll be having a Wellington on Christmas Day.

We do a festive buffet on Christmas Eve, it’s one of my fave meals of the year!
Sausages cooked in equal parts sesame oil, honey and soy.
”Oven bits” from M&S party range (breaded chicken stars, mini loaded potato skins, that sort of thing).
Huge cheese board. At least five different cheeses, chutney, cured meats, pate, dried apricots etc.

We do a massive cheeseboard with all the fruit, nut and chutney/jelly pairings with bread, crackers, flatbreads. It looks super pretty and it’s hugely filling and everyone just takes what they want. You could add nibbles or charcuterie and pickles and honestly, it’s enough. It’s just a case of remove from fridge, assemble and dive in. Warm crusty bread and nice butter is a bonus!

Have something prepared for dessert that’s easy too. Christmas Day is quite busy enough.

Good luck, I hope you have a lovely Christmas Eve.

Stew which has been slow cooking for as long as you want. I serve cheesy mash which I previously cooked and froze a few days before and cauliflower cheese, also previously cooked and frozen, with extra veg if you want .

Nothing special, but there will just be the two of us. Normally have baked potatoes.