Christmas starters

[GettingStuffed]

We're going to DD's for Christmas,as it's her first hosting we've been working together on the menu but are having problems on starters. We usually do prawns and soup but DD only wants to do one

Our problems are

Prawns only liked by 3 of us
Ditto mushrooms, beetroot,blue cheese
I can't eat cheese except sheep or goat in small amounts
Soup is too boring

Any ideas? I can't digest saturated fat so a lot of meaty things are off the menu too

Mini tarts with a filling of sauteed down red onion tomatoes peppers garlic.you can stir through red pesto if u wish.some have chorizo.some cubes of feta.sprinkle with pine nuts.cook.really tasty little bites.

Gravadlax, celeriac and fennel salad

We have smoked salmon and cream cheese on German flat bread, cut into nibbles. Or a tray of mini filo tarts from Waitrose.

Gravadlax
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/smoked-salmon-avocado-terrines Smoked salmon terrines
Smoked mackerel pate
Cranberry and chestnut falafel
Stuffed peppers

You could just not have starters. Sounds like anything chosen would just be a compromise, not really pleasing anyone or special in any way. I’ve never had a starter on Christmas Day, and much prefer it that way.

We always have Yorkshire pudding with gravy as our starter instead of with the main. It is amazing and is apparently the traditional Yorkshire way.

Feta, watermelon, tomato, rocket and caramelized onion chutney. So tasty and easy to make.

Even better with mushy peas and mint sauce inside it too!!

have to say I agree with this entirely.

Starters don't do it for me on Christmas Day, I want to eat as much Christmas Dinner as possible and starters get in the way of that. I know many people enjoy them, but in this particular case it sounds like it will be a headache and extra effort all to end up with something no-one is that fussed on. Why bother?

Another vote here for no starters although maybe some canapés. Christmas lunch is so filling anyway and it's tricky for the cook to time the veg right while also eating a starter. Something like smoked salmon blinis?

I'll prob do melon and Parma ham. The main meal is the best bit so I don't like to be full.

Thanks for these but there's something in each that someone wont, or can't eat. One of us can't eat oily fish due t o allergies, the one who's allergic won't eat most veg.

smoked salmon is out as 3 people won't eat it. I did think of spinakotyrrapitta , or however it's spelt, but DH said it's boring

Why don’t you get a selection of canapés from M&S or elsewhere and then everyone can take what they want.

so...no meat, no vegetables, no mushrooms, no oily fish, no prawns, no strong cheese, no soup, and minimal other cheese. I presume you also want a very light starter to leave room for the main, so that also eliminates carb-based such as bruschetta, bread & butter/oil, ravioli... This really leaves almost no options, certainly nothing that your group will happily tuck into knowing the star course is yet to come.

Under these circumstances do you really want a starter? I would privately begrudge feeling obligated to eat a starter (so as not to be rude to my hosts who have put time, money, and effort into it) knowing it means one less roast potato!

Nibbles, canapes and champagne about an hour before dinner. That's as much effort as I would put into something "before Christmas Dinner". The main event is the main thing really.

Christmas Dinner is usually a large meal and I know no one in real life that makes a starter - honestly. There is nothing that you can come up with that would satisfy all diners, so I also would go for the champagne and canapé option. That way people can just help themselves to whichever option works for them. Some might even try something that they thought they wouldn't like if they are in a less formal, not around the table setting. I think your DD is being very brave hosting such a tricky group of people.

It's a tough call. Do you eat crab? What about a little dressed crab salad maybe with avocado. It's lovely with a Bloody Mary shot and very light. Plus easy to make in advance.

Ha, you sound like my mum and me; it’s also my first year hosting although I moved out a few years ago now.

We usually have smoke salmon salmon/prawns as a starter.. however this year we’re having DP’s family round and they are um.. a bit plain Jane on food. They don’t eat anything like salmon, or any kind of fish/sea food unless it’s battered fish from the chip shop.. they don’t care for the bacon or chestnuts in the sprouts, the don’t care for the drizzle of honey on the parsnips or the goose fat in the roast potatoes. Their idea of garnish is salt and pepper.

So, I’m doing soup. But I’m doing a spiced parsnip soup, with homemade croutons and some toasted fancy bread, I haven’t quite decided what bread yet, but something freshly baked and toasted.. with lashings of lurpak!

you can make soup fun.. I hope!!

Canapés at midday ish, no starter here. Can't think of anything worse than soup and then a Christmas dinner.

We don't have a starter, too much to contemplate eating along with the main. Desert doesn't get eaten till much later either.

I can't see the issue doing prawns for 3 and then soup
Neither of them are too difficult

Alternatively pate maybe?

Goats cheese mousse on toasted brioche with pear and walnuts.

Mil used to do a cucumber mousse - prepped day before. Think with bread, and pumpernickel might work OK with it. Here we just do nibbles with drinks, and then main course later on. Our boys like the breaded prawns, and we like a devil on horseback type thing- while blanched almost, stuffed into a date, wrapped in streaky bacon, and then cooked in oven for about 10 mins. Or homemade fennel pitta crisps with whatever dip you want. Slice pitta in half lengthways, then cut this into a few triangles. Place on a baking tray
Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and fennel seeds and put in oven for about 5 mins so pitta is crispy.
Or buy party food bits.

Whole blanched almonds....

We used to do mixed green salad with walnuts and clementines and served cheese and smoked salmon separately plus nice bread so some of us ate salad with salmon, some with cheese, some just salmon 😀. We don’t do this any more as it’s too much so no starters now but lots of veg dishes with meat.
I used to do soup and it’s not boring but too filling tbh.