Easy Christmas Party food: please share your top tips with Lidl #SchoolofChristmas: chance to win one of 5 £50 vouchers NOW CLOSED

[ZaneMumsnet]

Ahead of the festive season the Lidl team at #SchoolofChristmas would love to hear your top tips for tip top Christmas party food - what lessons have you learnt for hosting parties at Christmas that you can share with Lidl and MN?

VDd28

Please share your tips which can help make hosting a Christmas party (for kids or adults) a dream - whether an amazing recipe, short-cut, or your nod-and-a-wink trick to ensure you get to spend less time in the kitchen, and more time enjoying the party.

Everyone who posts their tip on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where 5 Mumsnetters will each win a £50 Lidl voucher.

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

Pre plan: DH often takes the piss out of my list obsession but they do really help. Write out your timetable for Christmas dinner cooking and keep a timer on you so you don't miss the oven beep!

Pre-prep: Make as much as possible in advance, for example red cabbage can be done in the slow cooker meaning one less thing to have to do on the day. Nigella's Christmas book has loads of "make ahead" tips.

Foil trays: Buy foil trays for the turkey and potatoes to cut down on the washing up after Christmas dinner.

Smoked salmon wrapped around cream cheese so simple and so tasty

It's all in the prep! Make as much as possible before and freeze :) also take up offers of help from everyone who offers

Desserts:
Eton mess is really quick and easy
Cheesecake also fairly quick.
I make loads of fairy cakes and freeze them in batches. Then I take as many as we need out for each day and decorate them using stars, edible glitter etc.

I make a trifle just like we used to eat in the 80s which is incredibly easy but always gets a wow - we are not very cultured though. No fiddling about - just sponge fingers in the bottom of a bowl, the contents of one or two tins of fruit cocktail on top, a set jelly spooned on top of that, then custard out of a tin then whipped cream, and then hundreds and thousands and grated chocolate, or sweets, or banana slices, or whatever. Is it posh? No. Is it incredibly easy? Yes. We have it for Christmas tea, or Boxing Day tea. (Boxing Day is as big as Christmas for our family but at someone else's house and more about tea).

For me, it's all about preparation and lists. I make sure I have all the recipes ready and a list of what can be made in advance before the day. Then it's a simple case of popping stuff in the oven or straight in to the table. It's taken a few years to get the hang of it but I've now got the hang of it rather than panicking at the last minute. #SchoolOfChristmas

Slow cookers are excellent: use them to mull apple juice or wine to serve with mince pies, or to make a mild chilli to serve with corn chips, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, cheese and salad. You can make some chilli butter for people who want more kick.

My other top is to make canapé bases from bagel croutons. Slice a bagel vertically into lots of thin rounds, brush or spray with a tiny bit of oil and bake until crispy. They are very good with pate.

Clear your fridge out a week or two before, so there are no ancient jars of pickles and jam hogging precious space.

Start buying things well in advance

Prep as much as you can before the big day

Get the kids (or grown ups) involved ie. cutting veg, setting the table, washing up

Have a bottle of wine open at the ready!

We have 4-5 waves of family, friends, kids and dogs through the door over Christmas and my tip is keep it simple.

Make traditional favourites like bubble and speak or turkey and ham pies where you can't buy better and where shop quality excels like Christmas pud, then buy things in.

Take time to make lists, create timetables for big lunches or buffets, rope in people to help with kitchen prep and lastly always have kettle on before 3pm and prosecco open after then!

I think to survive, you need a good mixture between things that need no preparation at all (chips, dips, nibbles, fruit) and things that you can really spend time on to get them right and make the party special (showstopper cake, homemade pizza.. ):)

Make sure you have the seasonal store cupboard essentials...eg Curry sauce and rice to make turkey curry for a easy boxing day lunch. puff pastry is a must to whip up canapes in a hurry if you get unexpected extra guests. Cheese straws are dead easy. Or a dollop of pasta sauce, cheese and a bit of Parma ham on top of little squares of puff pastry.

Crudite and dip - no need to be unhealthy because it's Christmas.

I made the potatoes myself. Tenderly steamed them seasoned with rosemary and garlic and other all purpose seasoning with a tinge of extra Virginia oil. I tossed the about first on the hub before putting in the oven then baked then for 45 min. Taste.

My tip is to be prepared and organised ! my food shopping done and frozen two/three weeks before baking done then what can be frozen is, and i make the trifle on christmas eve

For a quick and easy sweet canape. Take a roll of puff pastry, spread a jar of mincemeat over top, splash on some brandy and sprinkle on flaked almonds. Roll like a swiss roll and then cut slices and place on a baking tray. Cook and then dust with icing sugar. Serve with a bowl of Cornish clotted cream. Really quick, delicious and christmassy.

Keep it simple. I usually provide a mix of healthy salads & junk food so anyone craving fresh food can indulge as well. I plan ahead and have 'to do lists'. I rope in anyone willing to help, lots of jolly music to keep the spirits up and a hot chocolate or something a little stronger (depending on the time) for the cook

Slow cookers are great for stress free catering. The bulk of the work can be done well in advance so you can focus on enjoying yourself when your guests arrive.

I like a hot buffet on Boxing Day. So I work out all the cooking times, and then work backwards from there. Last will be food that needs to be piping hot, I don't worry so much about the food that can be warm - like pizza.

Lot's of cheese! Nibbly bits for the Kids, and my Dad's spicy pickled onions..wouldn't be Christmas without them!

20 min oven food - job done - noone needs the hassle at such a busy time!

Buy it all ready made! ;) Tastes better than anything I could make and saves time too!

Buy food that only needs a little preparation, just warming thru of straight out of the packet

Fridge space can be tight when catering a get together, so now the weather is cold, you can store drinks outside, where they will be chilled to perfection

I make pots of salad - coleslaw, florida salad etc and serve them in christmassy dishes.