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Christmas

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Original poster

What do you eat over xmas eve and Boxing Day?

26 replies

Christmasideas · 05/12/2025 11:40

What do you eat on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. Particularly if you’re out Christmas Day?

We’re having Christmas Lunch out this year, normally I eat all the left overs during the Christmas period but now I’m lost.

What’s you’re go to meals or buffet ideas for a small family that’s not turkey leftovers?

OP posts:
MiddleAgedDread · 05/12/2025 12:01

last time we went out on Xmas Day we cooked turkey on Boxing Day 😂
I'd probably do a ham in the slow cooker and then you can have it with veg, salad or buffet type food and it keeps for days once cold to use up in sandwiches etc.

Original poster
Christmasideas · 05/12/2025 12:34

MiddleAgedDread · 05/12/2025 12:01

last time we went out on Xmas Day we cooked turkey on Boxing Day 😂
I'd probably do a ham in the slow cooker and then you can have it with veg, salad or buffet type food and it keeps for days once cold to use up in sandwiches etc.

A ham is a really good idea. I could do salads and a macaroni cheese.

OP posts:
Forgottenmyphone · 05/12/2025 12:35

On Christmas Eve, 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!
On Boxing Day, we’ll have our usual fancy cheeseboard, with all the extras like chutneys, pickles, figs, quince jelly, figs, posh crackers, sourdough, pate…

Grumpynan · 05/12/2025 12:42

I always cook the ham Christmas Eve which we have with jackets and salads.

Boxing Day is always a buffet of cold meats etc.

i think if I was you I would cook a ham Christmas Eve to give cold meat Boxing Day. You could always throw a chicken / Turkey in the oven Boxing Day no one says you have to have it with a roast. Just cook and serve with your buffet

failing that if you want easy but tasty meal Boxing Day. A leg of lamb cooked Moroccan style with wraps and salads. Or chicken breast of pork in the slow cooker again with wraps. Both easy to prep and a little more special than mac and cheese

ginasevern · 05/12/2025 13:14

We've gone to a restaurant for Christmas Day lunch for years now. I cook a ham the week before for boxing day and buy some nice cheese, pickles, other bits and pieces and some part baked bread so we've got warm crusty bread to go with it.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 05/12/2025 13:44

If we’re at home, fish pie on 🎄Eve, turkey/gammon leftovers, salad/coleslaw, jacket pots, macaroni pie on Boxing Day. Macaroni pie only for 6+ though.

sprigatito · 05/12/2025 13:52

Christmas Eve - most years we do a big afternoon tea, with savouries and homemade cakes, scones with jam and cream, biscuits etc. If it’s a year where I’m pushed for time and can’t make it all, we have a big Indian takeaway with homemade bhajis, samosas, naans etc.

Boxing Day we have a full English with bubble and squeak for brunch, then have friends over for a buffet with a big pork joint, a side of salmon, leftover turkey and all the usual cheeses/breads/pates/salad and pickles. Christmas cake, yule log and chocolate orange trifle for pudding.

saltnpepperchips · 05/12/2025 13:53

Chocolate

Mumsknot · 05/12/2025 13:58

I love turkey and would happily have it every day but to save everyone else’s sanity I cook a beef and a ham on other days

Tdcp · 05/12/2025 14:00

On a typical Xmas we have Xmas dinner on Xmas eve then eat left overs (usually quite a bit of gammon and chicken), crackers, cheeses, chutneys etc over the next 5 days or so.

This year is different, my baby is allergic to milk, soya and egg so I can't eat all of that and soya is in most things. Our oven has also just broken and I doubt we'll be able to get one before Xmas so it'll something that can go in the air fryer or hob and watching everyone else eat the cheese, chocolates, mince pies etc etc. good fun! 😂

tinyspiny · 05/12/2025 14:02

Christmas Eve : buffet at ours with party food type bits , salad , desserts etc
Christmas Day : go to relatives ( who come to us Christmas Eve )
Boxing Day : back to same relatives and we have turkey / ham / pork with sides .

RedToothBrush · 05/12/2025 14:03

Beige buffet from the freezer on Xmas eve.

Boxing day. Left overs and anything left from beige buffet.

Sod MasterChef

StillFeelingTired · 05/12/2025 14:09

Boxing Day is my favourite of the meals. I do a ham, cauliflower cheese, peas, leftover cranberry sauce and home sesame carrots. I like it more than Christmas dinner tbh

WearyCat · 05/12/2025 20:27

@tdcp why can’t you have the chicken, ham, veg parts of a Christmas meal? They don’t have soya in.

@Christmasideas we are away this year, and I am going to get a small chicken and a small ham for when we get back because I too love the cold meats as well as the hot roast! Normally I would serve the baked ham on Christmas Eve with jackets, braised red cabbage, and maybe a cauliflower cheese. Then the rest with the cold cuts on Boxing Day.

if I didn’t do ham on Christmas Eve I would be tempted by fish or seafood- maybe a paella or a lighter seafood platter, with samphire, salad leaves, and cucumber. Maybe some grapefruit or orange slices in the salad and a bulb of fennel which is a lovely fresh salad with salmon or richer fish dishes. Any leftovers would also come out again on Boxing Day.

(actually I might do that next year and serve the ham for the first time on Boxing Day.)

and the day after Boxing Day, if there’s anything left of the feast foods, I’d make a big fry-up of all of it. Maybe add an egg. Or make a turkey curry (which always makes me think of Bridget Jones) and have that with some nice crunchy, spicy vegetable sides to counter the richness of the preceding days.

For me it’s all about (a) making it do-able with minimum stress; (b) making it food I really like and rarely eat through the rest of the year, and (c) using all the food so there is minimal wastage.

CoastalCalm · 05/12/2025 20:38

Seafood Christmas Eve , Roast Ham and pickles on Boxing Day plus party food

huuskymam · 05/12/2025 20:46

We'd order a curry on Xmas eve and go to a multi national cuisine place on St Stephens day.

nannyl · 05/12/2025 21:18

I always make a giant sausage roll on Xmas eve lunch

Then have picky bits for tea. Like nice cheeses, crackers, pickles, chutneys a homemade sourdough stuffed with camembert, home made mince pies and a home made yule log.

This year I'm doing a big gammon, with jack pots, braised red cabbage and cauliflower cheese on Boxing day. Followed by my own invention / recipie "Christmas Eves pudding"

Rockfordpeach · 05/12/2025 22:20

Steak and chips for me and DP on xmas eve (the kids are having maccies), i cook a ham and beef joint from the local farm shop for sandwiches Xmas day evening and boxing day. We spend the day out at DP's family on boxing day but when he get home we do cold meats, warm rolls, cheeses, beige party food and i cook some homemade sausage rolls

Theslummymummy · 05/12/2025 23:05

Meal out Xmas eve (don't agree with eating out on Xmas day) and then carry on with a roast every day after Xmas till the food runs out.

sprigatito · 05/12/2025 23:07

Theslummymummy · 05/12/2025 23:05

Meal out Xmas eve (don't agree with eating out on Xmas day) and then carry on with a roast every day after Xmas till the food runs out.

I love your uncompromising attitude 😆 I also have a visceral dislike of the idea of eating out on Christmas Day! We alternate roasts and buffets until New Year.

Tdcp · 05/12/2025 23:20

WearyCat · 05/12/2025 20:27

@tdcp why can’t you have the chicken, ham, veg parts of a Christmas meal? They don’t have soya in.

@Christmasideas we are away this year, and I am going to get a small chicken and a small ham for when we get back because I too love the cold meats as well as the hot roast! Normally I would serve the baked ham on Christmas Eve with jackets, braised red cabbage, and maybe a cauliflower cheese. Then the rest with the cold cuts on Boxing Day.

if I didn’t do ham on Christmas Eve I would be tempted by fish or seafood- maybe a paella or a lighter seafood platter, with samphire, salad leaves, and cucumber. Maybe some grapefruit or orange slices in the salad and a bulb of fennel which is a lovely fresh salad with salmon or richer fish dishes. Any leftovers would also come out again on Boxing Day.

(actually I might do that next year and serve the ham for the first time on Boxing Day.)

and the day after Boxing Day, if there’s anything left of the feast foods, I’d make a big fry-up of all of it. Maybe add an egg. Or make a turkey curry (which always makes me think of Bridget Jones) and have that with some nice crunchy, spicy vegetable sides to counter the richness of the preceding days.

For me it’s all about (a) making it do-able with minimum stress; (b) making it food I really like and rarely eat through the rest of the year, and (c) using all the food so there is minimal wastage.

We don't have an oven as it's broken. I'm doing bare minimum as we have an air fryer.

Kickinthenostalgia · 05/12/2025 23:26

Christmas Eve is Chinese, same every year…
Boxing Day is leftovers and whatever picky bit Buffett meals I fancy from the supermarkets. We literally to every single one to find the stuff we like the look of and then split it between Boxing Day and New Year’s Day ☺️

Ladybird69 · 05/12/2025 23:27

@Grumpynan Ooo Moroccan style lamb sounds lovely can you share the recipe please 🙏

Grumpynan · 06/12/2025 13:30

Ladybird69 · 05/12/2025 23:27

@Grumpynan Ooo Moroccan style lamb sounds lovely can you share the recipe please 🙏

I followed jamie Oliver Moroccan lamb, I think he used shoulder but I used leg cooking long so it fell apart

HollyBollyBooBoo · 06/12/2025 13:35

Seafood on Xmas Eve, ham with jacket pots on Boxing Day.