Need help with food recommendations over 4 days of entertaining

[OnTheNiceishList]

I've been stitched up a bit of a kipper this Christmas with people coming over. Feeling stressed as working a lot around Christmas week.

I need some menu recommendations.

Christmas Eve - 3 teens, DH and I and grandparent. A light meal recommendation please.

Christmas lunch and supper - sorted. Beef main course.

Boxing Day - buffet for 3 teens and 5 adults. Please recommend essential buffet items please. Since no turkey on Christmas Day, I am thinking a breast of turkey and a ham cooked and sliced. What else?

27th - In addition to the 5 of us here, I will have lots of extended family coming in and out to see people staying with me. I'm not cooking a meal but would like to put on some nibbles, mince pies/ bakes and wine. Please give ideas.

Our traditional Boxing Day menu goes down a storm- jacket potato, salad, various pickled veg, some cheese, cold meats (leftover Xmas meats). All goes in the middle of the table and gets passed around for people to help themselves. It would be filling for the teens too.

I’d crack the cheeseboard out on the 27th- variety of cheeses, crackers, chutney, few bowls of crisps and nuts. Stuff that’s easy to serve up and hopefully instruct other people to help with, if you’re the main cook and have done the brunt of it on the 25th!

We have 2 favourite meals for Xmas Eve but sadly none of them are light so might not fit your bill- sausage and lentil casserole if hosting. The other is a verrrrrry cheeky Christmas Mac and Cheese! We add chopped walnuts, caramelised red onion, cranberry, bacon bits and brie. It does work well because we are doing lots of lunch prep on Xmas eve so is a bit of a chuck it in the over, get on with other bits and then it’s ready!

That all sounds delicious user147

Christmas eve ; omelette and chips/ salad / new spuds.
Quick easy min fuss.

Buffet , I'd probably avoid turkey as a lot of people will of had it the day before but ham / beef would be fine with
Mix leaf salad
Hot / cold new spuds
Coleslaw
Nice bread
Tomato salad
Crudités
Hummus
Dips
Quinch
Sausage rolls
Pork pies

Or
Frozen party food like
Mini spring rolls
Chicken wings
Prawn toast
Pakora
Samosas
Nan bread

27th
Crisp
Nuts
Christmas cake
Mince pies
Baked cheese
Pita bread
Bread sticks
Cheese
Crackers
Pickles

Jacket potato ‘bar’ - bowls of beans, tuna, chilli, grated cheese and coleslaw for help yourself. You could buy the bannisters frozen jackets. They’re a bit pants cooked in the microwave but actually really nice from the oven.

chicken strips, salady bits, cheese, salsa, to make wraps. Can buy frozen chicken in different flavours to make it quicker.

curry done in the slow cooker with rice and naans.

soup and nice breads - could get the part baked types.