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?

I do a big joint of beef, and gammon, home made sauasage rolls then cheeses, pickles, chutneys, bread, crackers, crisps, etc. I always host in the evening on christmas eve and although I spend a chunk of the day preparing it, its nice so people can help themselves and we can focus on having fun

This is easy but delicious and sits in the oven for hours looking after itself while you do last minute Xmas prep!

in fact - all of her recipes are brilliant

annasfamilykitchen.com/recipes/asian-beef-stew/

We’re having an afternoon tea - out for lunch as it’s my mums birthday too then the panto So we want something we can prep in advance and just come back to.

We’re having similar to @Pompom12 - fishfinger tacos.
I like it because it’s easy to feed a big group, most of it doesn’t need to be kept hot, so can be prepped in advance, everyone enjoys getting stuck in and making their own filling, it’s really easy to customise for vegetarians, and if someone gets delayed on the journey, it’s such an informal meal it doesn’t really matter if they arrive when everyone else has already started eating.

I do mini size tortilla wraps, bowls of shredded lettuce, salsa, sliced tomatoes, sour cream, grated cheese, avocado, and crispy hot fishfingers, and halloumi fingers. Limes to squeeze over.
Then I’ve bought a chocolate Yule log for afterwards.

we’re having an m&s picky tea, everything cooks at the same temp and it’s much easier for me than cooking a big meal as I don’t have time on christmas eve

Jacket potatoes with coleslaw.

Have a couple of toppings - mine would be a cheesy tuna mix and a bean mix.

For lunch, with family, we'll have bollito misto (puy lentils, carrots, celery, herbs, with fennel sausages and chorizo) and salsa verde (parsley, basil, mint, mustard, anchovies, vinegar, olive oil).

The for dinner (just the three of us) we'll have baked beans on toast and grated cheese.

We do crispy duck with Chinese buffet bits - spring rolls, wontons etc.

We always go to the chippy. Sometimes we even eat it in front of the telly, if I've got as far as setting the Christmas table. I can't think what we did last time Christmas Eve was on a Sunday or Monday when it was closed. Total panic, I think.

We always have a ‘Bethlehem Supper’ which is Middle Eastern snacks food like pitta, hummus, dolmades, figs/dates, goats cheeses - that sort of thing.

Nigella’s Swedish salmon with new potatoes and salad. Quick, simple and nice and light.

I’m doing a large meze board. We were once invited to friends who served us a slice of ham and a hard boiled egg. It was what she always had on Christmas Eve as a child.

We often have salmon. Whole side of salmon usually go on special offer for Christmas so you can feed a lot of people and it’s a bit different from all the meat. You could serve with daal or boiled potatoes and a simple lemon juice and butter sauce. Very little cooking and if there is any salmon left over it’s delicious cold and doesn’t take up much space in the fridge.

My mum always poached it in a fish kettle but as I don’t have an aga or a fish kettle I roast mine en papillotte. (Stick a few lemon slices on it and wrap it in a foil/baking parchment parcel…)

We have “favourites” dinner on Christmas Eve - in the weeks leading up to Christmas I will make everyone’s favourite meal at least once, and freeze an additional portion so that on Christmas Eve DS can have paneer curry, DH can have spaghetti bolognaise and I can have houmous, feta, Greek salad and homemade pita, or we do homemade pizza and pick our own favourite toppings. If we’re hosting loads of people and I don’t want to cook when I’ll be cooking all the next day, I do a brisket ragu in the slow cooker with tagliatelle and loads of garlic bread.

Love the sound of that!

We either do a “buffet” of Christmas canapés from M&S bulked out with bread and cheese, or order a take away. All consumed on the sofas with cocktails and a Christmas film on.

We always have a shepherd’s pie. I inherited it from DH who always had a shepherd’s pie on Xmas Eve growing up and just sort of ran with it. He thinks it has something to do with the shepherd’s coming to visit the baby Jesus. Either way, it’s tradition in our house and it tastes like Xmas Eve to me (I don’t really make it the rest of the year!)

Pizza and picky bits

We usually have a little frozen party food buffet but always end up eating too much. This year I’ve decided to just do a couple of the fresh pizzas from the Asda pizza counter with some salad and halloumi fries. Not decided on a dessert yet.

@PortSalutPlease thats such a lovely idea :)

Massive plateful of cured meat, cheese, smoked fish and fancy bread. Olives, cornichons, pickled onions, tomatoes, dips, crisps etc. Any leftovers will do for tea on Christmas day.

Having lasagna (meat eaters) and pasta bake (vegans) here with salads, antipasti, garlic bread and my homemade focaccia. The two mains will be made earlier in the day my mum, I’ll make the bread at home and everything else is pretty much ready made. Very easy for 10 people.

Varies here every year. This year it’s lasagne for 18. It’s already made and in freezer. Will serve with green salad and garlic bread. Last year was take away and yes, everyone chips in.

Lol, I was thinking the same- I can only make one amount, and that is a fucking massive amount, thought it was just me. 😂

My go to is slow cooker pulled pork - delicious and easy!

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/slow-cooker-pulled-pork