I've lost the plot and invited family for dinner xmas eve. Can I have some dinner party ideas please?

[AwayinaKayzr]

I thought it would be a really good idea to invite my mum, step dad and younger brother over for dinner on xmas eve. We often have sunday dinners there and we go on Xmas day for the whole day.

We've had them round before. Weve done curry night and mexican night so far. Which went really well and was great fun.

But I'd like to do something festive as it is xmas eve. We always do a starter, main and pudding when they come round.

So please can I have any and all festive dinner recipes you might have? I am pregnant so can't have pate or blue cheese

Thank you!!

For Christmas eve will you really want 3 courses? Keep it easy & prepare ahead.
Starter: smoked salmon? Soup? Figs & Parma ham?
Main: lasagne? Seafood lasagne? casserole? Tagging & couscous?
Pudding: fruit salad? Cheese & biscuits?

Not tagging. Tagine

How about a spread? - Sliced Ham / Gammon (cna make this very pretty and festive - sliced oranges on top etc.) smoked salmon & cream cheese (or a whole side of cooked salmon - half price at Tescos at the mo), loads of nice fresh bread, loads of booze - Jacket spuds if you can't face doing without something hot, nice cheeses (blue for the others sadly) - posh pork pies from a farm shop, pasta salad etc. If you lay it all out with some festive napkins / tablecloth twill look lovely...

They can keep going back for as little or as much as they want - and it's more relaxing for the host

I am quite tempted by a spread of food, would make life a fair bit easier.

Especially with you being upduffed - and the big meal you'll all be having the next day...don't forget the hummus

I am sure that, even being pregnant, you could have a smoked mackeral pate. Lamb neck fillet to follow, and then lemon posset to finish?

Definitely make something self service - buffet or 'fork supper'

We always have a nice meal on Xmas eve as DH is French and that's when they have their celebration. We don't go the whole hog though, as we have traditional Xmas dinner on the 25th too and I have no desire to be tied to the stove for 24 hours
So we do a big "sit down buffet" with hot-smoked salmon, blinis, sour cream, crusty bread, foie gras (not for you if you are pregnant, obviously), cheeses, salad, grapes, figs, dates...
Bubbly to drink, and a bought Yule log for pud.

A special casserole for main course - something like boeuf bourgignon or coq au vin - make it ahead of time and freeze it, so all you have to do on the day is pull it out of the freezer in time to defrost and either bung potatoes in the oven or cook some new potatoes. Cold starter like smoked salmon or prawns, and lime cheesecake for dessert - my MIL's recipe. Crushed ginger biscuits and butter for base, chill in fridge. Whip together same amount of double cream and condensed milk, and add juice and zest of about 3 limes (to taste). Pour onto biscuit base and chill. The lime juice makes the cream and condensed milk mix set to a beautiful creamy consistency - easily sliced. Utterly delicious, easy to do and looks good.

We always have a big paella on Christmas Eve. No idea why, no Spanish links in our family but it is darn tasty. You could do some cold little tapas things to start with - olives, manchego, Iberian ham, tortilla etc And serve jugs of boozy sangria to get everyone (except you) nicely pished.

We've decided on a hot buffet type thing. So then we can all sit and watch some Christmas movie.