What's a traditional Xmas eve dinner?

[Samr85]

I know it's early but I want to be ready n plan ahead.

My family have invited themselves to spend Xmas eve with my partner and 2 children. I don't see them often so was thinking of cooking something traditional but simple. We are all going to other family Xmas day for Turkey so want to avoid that!

I will be cooking for 5 adults n 2 children. Something tasty but simple?! Any ideas? If I prepare now I can do a couple of trial runs lol. X

Chinese Takeaway & lots of Champagne

We do scrambled egg with smoked salmon on granary bread with lots of blck pepper and lemon.

Plus open the xhristmas choccies and drink cava or snowballs. :)

No real cooking allowed on christmas eve apart from baking.

French Onion Soup here, love Delia's recipe but x3 quantities or more depending on guests. I send everyone off for a walk while I make it (and enjoy a sneaky sherry while listening to carols and stirring onions.) Makes a massive pot and with the cheesy croutons is more than enough with good leftovers for Boxing Day.

Kids have a great big macaroni cheese and sausage rolls. Once bedtime is done DH and I share a baked Camembert and a glass or two of wine waiting for them to drop off... And frantic slightly tipsy stuffing of stockings and last minute wrapping can begin...

Hope you have a lovely time Sam

I think doing a ham is a good idea. Ham in coke/cherry coke is good and goes well with red cabbalge which you can cook in the coke liquid once ham is done.
In the Nigella Christmas book, there is a nice pork recipe with a maple and apple gravy
Have also done Nigella's Rudolph pie (shepherds pie made with minced venison basically).

Either fish pie which DP makes, or a proper ham (and then we have the leftovers on Boxing Day along with cold turkey and pork pies etc).

We do the ham, and serve with crusty bread, pickles, cheeses etc. Means we have ham to go with the turkey on Christmas day (my dad hates turkey) and also to make turkey and ham pies etc for after Christmas.

DH and I have had gammon on Christmas Eve for over ten years, now.

Every year, we eat the gammon on Christmas Eve with some sort of potatoes (dauphinoise have been popular of late) and then eat the rest cold with the cold Turkey etc for Boxing Day buffet. That's our tradition.

Every year, my mum asks if we're cooking fish and acts surprised we are having gammon. That's her tradition.

Party food and Birthday cake for me, plus lots of wine!

What stickysausages said to the letter whilst curled up watching a Christmasey film

I don't have traditions for Christmas Eve, I'd love to have some but we seem to do different things every year! Think I'm going to start my tradition this year (after 15 years)

This year I'll be cooking chilli con carne and rice for DS - his favourite meal, as Christmas Eve is also his birthday

I'm going I put it in the slow cooker and then we can go out for the day and come home to a lovely dinner :)

We have steak or venison.

When the dc are in bed (I'd say asleep but agree that's unlikely).

Goose?

Curry is our tradition too - try to get in at our local restaurant but its usually just a takeaway as we're busy in the day.

And then Boxing Day tea is in the pub watching football

Hot pork and gravy sandwiches - literally, my parents put out a big bowl of roast pork in gravy and slices of bread. It is amazing, one of my favourite Christmas traditions

Fish as it's a feast day. Carp is very common in middle Europe.

We have ham, jacket spuds, salad, etc. Then trifle.

My mum's having an op the week before Christmas so I'm reluctantly taking on the food. I'm cooking for between 12 & 19 for every meal between Christmas eve and boxing day, including a Coeliac and a veggi and a nephew who is allowed to be totally fussy so am also panicking planning ahead

I do a ham too
followed by 4 mince pies, half a tin of Roses and several large Sloe Gins
Followed by a large Gavisvon.

we have a slow cooker casserole, but that's because it's dh's birthday on xmas eve and we usually do open house from 1-3.30, then everyone goes to church while i clear up, slow cooker means i can chuck it all in that morning and tea is sorted.

We go out, usually for Thai.
We go quite early, about 7, then home by about 8.30.

I do as little cooking as possible at Christmas......

Cheese fondue with crudités, croutons, bread and cold breasts. It's ready, fun and the kids love it!

Sit down curry or marmite on toast.