Christmas eve dinner inspo please

[onthenightfeed]

We’ve moved into a new house this year and so are hosting Christmas for the first time - family live a few hours away so will be staying for a few days. Looking for some inspo for the christmas eve dinner! Don’t want to spend ages cooking as I will be the following day, don’t want anything that’s going to leave leftovers, but also don’t want to fork out for an expensive takeaway for everyone when the Xmas food shop is already costing enough!

Anyone got a go to meal they always do on xmas eve?

Chilli and rice always hits the spot here.

You could bake a giant ham as whatever is left is good with the turkey or sandwiches or whatever. We used to have it with Cumberland sauce, peas, carrots and potatoes boulengere (I cant spell, too tired).

Or just make some delicious soup and freeze it now and have it with some crusty bread.

Curry and jacket potatoes....takes about the same amount of oven time

Takeaway and everyone pays there own

It’s always a takeaway in this house! Don’t think it would be rude to ask everyone to chip in

We used to always have lasagna. But a big spaghetti bolognaise or a chilli or a curry would work.

Same here and if you're hosting cooking the next day, I think very acceptable to get everyone to share the cost of a takeaway. Frankly I would think it appropriate if they paid for yours as thanks for hosting, but I can also see you wouldn't want to raise that.

We always have a buffet style tea. Mini Pizza, Charcuterie, sausages rolls, salad, crisps and dips etc. Nice ease into the festive indigestion 😁

We normally get the Gressingham crispy aromatic duck and chop up from cucumber and spring option to go with. Buy some bug vege spring rolls to go along side it.

Is this your very very first Christmas in your new home? Oh that's lovely. It'll be special no matter what you have to eat. Trust me.
I do not believe in escalating Christmas / Christmas Eve to some unattainable standard, really bothers me to see all these posts and discussions about Christmas breakfast and Christmas dinners and Christmas Eve and a blah blah blah. Just because I feel that it's putting too much pressure on people who feel that they have to create the perfect Christmas atmosphere. Christmas is wonderful no matter what you do. It doesn't have to be picture perfect. As long as you have love in your heart, and whether you're celebrating alone, with a pet, with family, with friends, doesn't matter, it's perfect. Because we're here. Take it from someone who's been through so many losses in the last couple of years, lost so many people who were important, lost job, lost health, lost finances, lost so much, we're just happy to be here. I hate when people feel so much extra stress to try to make it magazine perfect. So, I'm afraid I can't give you any advice in that regard.
Myself, whatever we have on the table, it's going to be perfect because we're together. We don't know how much longer we have to be together. Trust me, I know, our loved ones can be taken from us way faster than you expect. Sorry to sound like a downer but, that's life.

We’re having tapas - a mix of things from the supermarket, a couple of things I’ll make in advance and freeze and then a couple of bits which are fresh made on the day. Max cooking time 20 minutes…

Something simple. Baked potatoes with cheese and beans or soup and a sandwich.

Cornish pasties? Easy to make ahead and cook on the day, a prper pastie has meat and veg so you don't need anything else.

Since DD became a veggie, we have macaroni cheese and salad. I prep it all the day before, leave it in the fridge and bung it in the oven when we are ready to eat.

I'm going with my 7 layer dip, with heaps of corn chips, sausages in bread and a pavlova slathered with cream and fruit. Plus caramel slice and probs cheese and bikkies

@QuirkyMooseyes it is! Our eldest is nearly 3 too so we’re sooo excited for him to wake up at home this year as he’s really understanding the concept of Santa which is just magical 🥰 Totally agree, it’s definitely going to be a no pressure Christmas, I’m just so thrilled that we have the space to have people at ours now! But saying that, I do love traditions especially around food, so was trying to think of something super simple but yummy that hits the spot that we can just do year on year ☺️

thanks for all the suggestions!! Some of them like chilli / pasta ect are definitely out of the question for me as I can’t help but make absolute vats of them and so we always have tonnes leftover (which isn’t ideal for xmas day as the fridge/freezer is already rammed 😅) I really like the idea of jacket potatoes though!! super super simple / easy!

We’re having a veg lasagne.

Another vote for baked potatoes and a selection of fillings. Big salad on the side. Easy, caters for all tastes and a real baked potato with a crispy skin is a thing of joy!

Definitely something I would look forward to as a tradition going forward…”ooh and we’ll be having @onthenightfeed ‘s lovely baked potatoes on Christmas Eve” kind of thing. Enjoy your first Christmas in your new home!

Fish finger sandwiches are a winner because

• Don't take up too much room in the freezer to store in advance
• You can cook a lot of them at once in the oven
• You can make them premium for the grown ups with the birds eye chunky ones in batter, granary bread, fancy lettuce and side dishes
• Kid friendly meal
• Doesn't take up storage space in the fridge
• Feels lighter because it's fish ahead of the meat next day
• Would potentially give you legendary status!

We have French dip sandwiches

For years we had an ‘Alpine Supper’ on Christmas Eve. Cheese fondue, raclette (little shovels with toasted potato, ham and sliced gherkins) , plus pierrade, meat cooked on the hot stone above the raclette.
But it was a surprising amount of work. DH sorted it all out but it involved trailing electric cables for the pierrade/raclette machine plus oil burners for the fondue. The DGCs loved it but a bit hazardous for the little one.

So for the last three years we have gone to DS2. His partner is Italian and she celebrates on Christmas Eve rather than the next day. She produces a wonderful meal, much enjoyed by everyone.

The Alpine supper was a very nice start to Christmas though.

Pizza. Normally get cheap basic pizzas and then mozzarella and toppings as a top your own pizza kind of thing. If there’s a lot of people though, I would perhaps just get a variety and stick in the middle for people to choose slices from (I don’t have loads of oven space and prefer everyone to be eating at the same time). You do need some cold storage for it though.

We make a giant Christmas tree shaped pizza - the kids get involved so it’s fun. We have a few things on the side like salad, halloumi fries etc. but it’s easy to keep it light and you can add or takeaway things to suit people’s tastes. My 13 year old still checks we’re going to make it every year 🙂

I’m doing fish pie- Mary Berry recipe. You can make in advance and freeze or chill.

Previously I’ve done a lamb tagine with rice and flat breads, and venison stew/casserole with boulangerie poratoes. Both easy to prep th day before Xmas eve then chuck in the slow cooker Xmas eve morning x

This year I’m not sure what to make as it’s just us 4 foR Xmas eve. Might do ham or maybe crispy duck x