Christmas Eve dinner recipes?

[DreamingOfTheMaldives]

Hi. My DH and I were hoping to have a nice meal on Christmas Eve, before we spend Christmas Day and Boxing Day with family.

What ideas do you have for a really nice meal (starter and main course) which doesn't take loads of prep (as we have other cooking to do on Christmas Eve for food over the next 2 days)

Any recipe suggestions greatly appreciated.

Do a buffet? Lots of interesting tasty stuff you could help yourself to. Doesn't have to be festive food as there will be lots of that to come.

Go out?! We always do!!! Otherwise, (assuming you aren't having Beef on Christmas Day) how about a really nice steak, home made chips and Tomato Salad?

Smoked mackerel pate on toasts/croutons as a starter?

We are having raclette cheese, potatoes and lots of nice pickles, a ham and salad. Then cheese and Xmas cake and lots of booze

Last year we did a buffet - lots of party food from Marks!!! 'twas a real novelty for the children. We finished off with a homemade yule log which disappeared pretty quickly! Doing the same this Christmas Eve.

I'm also looking for Xmas Eve ideas, ideally that I can make in advance. So far I've come up with lasagne or cannelloni with salad, goulash and rice, Moroccan lamb with cous cous, beef bourgignon and dauphinois potatoes or maybe a Jamie Oliver-style fishy tray bake. For starters I'm planning to make my own chicken liver pate or goats cheese crostini or prawn cocktail.

Boil a ham and then have crusty bread and pickles with it or some baby new pots and a cheese platter and salad... yum!

Usually have steak and chips but this year we are having a traditional Polish Christmas Eve - no idea waht it is apart from it involves fish! Soon-to-be SIL is in charge - I shall observe with interest

Love your festive name Ponsyettia!

Buy the M&S £10 meal deal, great value for two. And comes with a nice bottle of wine..

Thanks for all the suggestions and sorry for being such a bad MNer by only just coming back to this thread.

I was planning to cook a ham for us to eat over the festive season so a bit of a ham/pickle/cheese/pate/bread picnic sounds like a good idea. We haven't done a picnic like this for ages - blanket on the lounge floor, bottle of Prosecco, lots of nice things to eat and maybe cuddle up and watch a film. Sounds perfect. I was even planning to make some pate for Boxing Day so could just make some extra - sounds like doing this would mean we actually have very little work to do for dinner! Fantastic

Thanks again