Not a Christmas Dinner

[PoxyChristmas]

Ideas please for a Christmas dinner, that doesn’t need to be Christmas dinner

The pox has hit our house - both dc now have chicken pox with no chance of scabbing in time for Christmas.

We’d planned to go to my parents for Christmas dinner but can’t now so need to plan an impromptu one for four.

DC are good eaters-more grazers rather than sit down and devour a meal types-but whilst Christmas dinner is always lovely, it’s a bit of a waste for just the four of us (and DH and I not overly keen on turkey).

Not set on making a full blown Xmas dinner so feel like there is the opportunity to go rogue….What would you cook?

What do you have in? My food delivery was today so I would be cooking as normal if it were here. Otherwise omelette sc ramble,soup

What meal will the children happily sit and eat without any fuss? Have that, even if it's pizza.
Get some party type snacks too, that can just be popped in the oven or air fryer, that can be eaten easily, they might tempt a poorly child not up to eating a full meal.
Perhaps get in something like steak, that you & DH could have one evening once the children were settled in bed? I'm assuming the children are quite small.

I’m assuming the OP can actually go out and shop rather than having to make a Christmas Day omelette or beans on toast…

A nice honey roast gammon would work well & if you cook a large one you will have loads left for omelettes or sandwiches etc

I would have t with garlic potatoes or cauliflower cheese and baby spuds

If you can get to a shop, I would buy an oven-full's worth of party canapes - mini burgers, mini breaded chicken fillets, breaded mozzarella sticks, anything that at least one person will eat that comes in grazable bite-size pieces. Plus cheese and some salady veg. Stick it all on the coffee table and have Christmas day vegging on the sofa watching movies with everyone able to graze on what they fancy but no sit-at-table meal.

We’re doing salmon - new potatoes and a kale/sprout/pomegranate salad thing (dunno see what happens!) for me and DH. DS age 9 will eat about half a side of salmon, DD age 2 will have some with I dunno, broccoli or something, and DS age 7 will probably have some tuna mayo and a singular potato 😂

Agree no point doing a roast. We’re doing Xmas lunch when visitors come on 28th, can’t wait!

Sorry about the pox!

Christmas burgers www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/ultimate-christmas-burger with carrot and parsnip slaw and roast potato wedges

Something like this?
https://www.tiktok.com/@nikittalouise1/video/7350669696502467872

We’re veggie so when made it did it to suit us! Can easily sub in & out to suit you & fam!

Canapés.

Get crackers if you can. They’re always fun.

Oh I love this, with pigs in blankets would be perfect and easy

We did the party food extravaganza one year when I was on crutches and it was too snowy to travel to parents. It was lovely 😁 The most effort either of us had to make all day was pootling into the kitchen, opening a packet, and putting stuff on a tray. My top tip - you cannot have too many dips. I think that year we had something like Christmas tree shaped crumpets for breakfast then started cooking a couple of packs of party food at a time from around 2pm in between binge watching episodes of something we'd waited to watch.

Get mini Yorkshires and put pigs in blankets in them, serve with gravy or cranberry sauce

Cook a small stuffed turkey roule or gammon joint and have it sliced in sandwiches

Roast potatoes. Just a big dish of roasties for picking at.

Homemade salsa for a bit of a fresh clean taste with cheese or sliced meat - mixed peppers, tomatoes, red onion, deseeded cucumber all diced very finely and mixed with chopped mint and lime juice. Jalapeños optional.

A few dishes of nuts and crisps around for nibbling plus some chocolates and clementines.

We're not keen on turkey. I'm making kleftiko with a whole shoulder of lamb - feels quite luxurious as it was security-tagged when I bought it !

For two of us,
Prawn cocktail. Steak, jacket potato. Black forest gateau.
Didn't find the Mateus Rose in Majestic.😋

I’m hungry just reading these replies.

I think party food is the one. Sending DH out tomorrow to pick up a shed load - just need to compile a list of what to get- mini burgers a definite as they will do down a treat with the DC.

Really quite excited to have a lazy Christmas, enjoy playing with DC (they are still little) and not stress about cooking or travelling to relatives. Like a Covid Christmas all over again but without the doom.

Merry Christmas!