christmas food - your best (ie yummy but simple) non-Christmas dinner ideas

[hatwoman]

I have family in and out from 23rd until 28th. so I need some ideas for easy but nice dinners. possibly light and simple ones too as there'll be all the usual richness of Christmas dinner and too much cheese and chocolate and booze. Plus any ideas for nice nibbly things. and anything that can go in the freezer ahead of time gets bonus points. also minimum cook lunch ideas that aren't soup, cold meat and cheese. I thank you ladies. My sanity is in your hands.

the hyphen's confusing isn't it? it should say non Christmas dinner

Asparagus wrapped in parma ham then roasted in the oven is yummy nibble/starter and you can make the kids do the wrapping!

What about chilli? Then you could freeze and have with rice or tortillas and the trimmings.

This chorizo stew is delicious!

i have an AWESOME recipe for meatballs. but i do'nt have it with me so i'll post it later. they're easy to make and make LOTS and you can freeze them.

thanks - the chorizo stew looks ideal and meatballs recipe very welcome too. taht leaves me a couple more to cover...I quite fancy doing a shepherds pie - you get so much fancy stuff over christmas I find myself longing for something plain and traditional

Is lasagne your thing?

I love lasagne and do make quite a good one - but I don;t fancy making it with everyone around - do home made ones freeze ok? at what stage would you freeze it? part of my thinks construct it, then freeze - but then the pasta would be frozen uncooked - is that ok?

right, meatball recipe coming up....

Party Meatballs (AKA sweet and sour meatballs)

1/2 cup bread crumbs
1.5 lbs lean ground beef
1 egg slgihtly beaten
1/4 cup grated italian hard cheese
1/4 cup warm water
salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients. form into tiny meatballs. bake in a 350F oven till done (my mom fries them but that takes FOREVER and i'm much too lazy. this works better IMO)

For the sauce:

1.5 cups ketchup
4 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp soya sauce

mix all ingredients and pour over cooked meatballs. the longer this cooks the better this tastes. in fact you can do it in the slow cooker and it's awesome.
My mom would have all us kids making meatballs the night before christmas (obviously in the days before salmonella!) and would put them and the sauce in the slow cooker pot in the fridge then pot it on in the morning on low.
in our family christmas just isn;t christmas without them! now that i'm over here (i;m canadian) my husband and in laws are the same. they HAVE to have them! we usually have them as a side dish with our christmas meal (wierdos that we are!!)

The recipe can be doubled or tripled or whatever. you can freeze the cooked meatballs (without sauce - make that fresh) or mix up the meat and freeze it like you would plain mince.

forgot to say that when you cook them in the oven if you line your baking trays with aluminum foil then there's very little clean up involved!

Cheese fondue ? with crusty bread and whatever meat/and/or veggies you fancy (apple is always suprisingly popular).

thanks pmdw - sounds good.

I've got a recipe for chicken pieces baked with lemon and tarragon somewhere. Can be served with rice or new pots and some plain veg. It is v light.

Ready rolled puff pastry sheets (yes I know they're probably full of the Wrong Sort of Fat) are a bit of a godsend for a virtually instant mushroom tart - take a sheet out of the freezer and defrost, score a border round it, cook mushrooms in garlic butter, bung into oven, bingo.

(The divine Nige's idea.)

How about fish? Can get a bit expensive if feeding several people though - but it's generally pretty easy.

By about the 27th I'm always fancying a veggie curry after too much bland.over-rich food. Non-festive, cheap, really easy to make, can feed loads of people easily and just needs rice and minty yoghurt to go with.

Hungarian goulash is good for lots of people. My mum does it with rice but I find that a faff for lots of people. I do crusty bread.

As regards quick lunches then you can knock out loads of omlettes one after another and people can put their own filling in.You could put four or so bowls of fillings on the side and let them help themselves. Grated cheese (ready bought is so easy) ,diced tomato and spring onion,crispy bacon (again can be ready bought or you can do it in advance),mushrooms etc.

I agree on the veggie/fish options. you do start to need something like that.