Christmas Eve dinner

[MummyPig24]

Hi everyone. Looking for something that I can make in advance or that is very quick to serve on Christmas Eve for 5 adults and 2 children.

We go to a Christingle service at the church at 3 and get home around 4.30. Would like to eat about 6 so its not too late for the children.

Last year I got a pie from the butchers which was lovely but I wondered if anyone had any good ideas, festive or not. I was thinking of doing Nigellas pear and chocolate pudding, any good? Thanks!

Lasagne tis the law

We usually have a light meal on Christmas Eve, knowing what will come the next day! Often just do an antipasto platter with some nice bread, and dessert is always eggnog cupcakes

Fish (if your family haveany catholicism in them ) or pork (what much of eurrope have, especially as christmas eve is their main celebration).

We're Catholic and we always have steak and chips.

We always have Chinese as an antidote to the rich food on Christmas day. This year I'll be doing Crispy Chilli Beef as I'll be working until 6 and its quick to make.

My mum always used to do a whole salmon. Not sure I'm brave enough for that though!

frootshoots I need your eggnog cupcake recipe!

Fish and chips from the chippy has become our Christmas Eve traditional dinner.

Vicky we always had that but now the bloody chippy closes on the 23rd.

We're Catholic and we always have steak and chips

Do you go to confession afterwards?

MummyPig24

What about the good old Irish soup and a sandwich. I made the hairy diester's golden veg soup this week - is wonderful. You could have that in a slow cooker and make some sandwiches before hand.

Tbh I've never heard of a restriction on meat for Catholics on Christmas Eve. My dad is old school, very observant, no meat on Fridays but he started the steak tradition!

We have macaroni cheese and ham.

Fish pie here. With peas

I'll be cooking a ham joint glazed with honey and mustard - can be done a couple of days in advance then either serve cold with salad or make into sandwiches and have other Christmassy bits like sausage rolls, cheese straws and mince pies

My mum normally puts a stew in the slow cooker on the 24th so she doesn't have to think about it while she preps the stuff for Christmas day

We used to have takeaway when I lived at home so that there was no washing up to do! We used to set the table for Christmas dinner and get everything ready before sitting down to relax.

We also used to make mulled wine and my mother and I would be fairly legless by 9:30

JiltedJohnsJulie can't you find another chippy? I wouldn't be happy about that! It's part of the fun of xmas for me, after spending all year trying to be good, I see xmas as the season to have a blow out and eat all those calories I've avoided through the year and my xmas eve fish and chips contributes nicely to that

I'm already looking forward to it, with a few glasses of of course :)

We go out

Soup, smoked salmon, bread and butter.

I buy a ham and we have a sit round the table buffet with salad and a bit of everything.

We have fondue

I have tended to do that old classic beef boeg on Christmas eve so its ready when we get back from carol on the village green. Nothing like the smell of a proper beef boeg when you've been freezing outside!

Pre dc we would always go to the pub (which serve up mince pies too) after but not really an option with a preschooler

Antoibette if you have those on Christmas Eve what do you have for starters on Christmas Day? Just trying to plan my menu

Well we are catholic and have fish! But we really really like fish so we have to go to confession afterwards for that!

We don't have a starter on Christmas Day-figure there's so much food for the main course we want to be able to manage