Christmas Eve Meal Ideas

My son and his girlfriend are coming so I’ll be making a crab and prawn macaroni cheese a La Nigella with a salad, followed by Mary Berry’s pear trifle shown on her programme last night. Simple but the crab gives it a touch of luxury. I’d have used lobster if they didn’t cost a fortune.

We're having steak and home-made chips with grilled tomatoes and peas, and a Cornetto later while we're watching Love Actually for the umpteenth time (you will probably hear DH shouting NOT AGAIN wherever you are in the UK - so I might just relent and we'll have Notting Hill instead).

A chippy lunch then rolls of hot turkey with cranberry sauce and stuffing in the evening. I have to cook the turkey Christmas Eve as there's a joint of beef and so much other stuff in the oven on Christmas morning. There's 12 of us here on Christmas morning but only 7 of us for lunch.

Re-arranged my menu plans.

Decided to have the venison and beef casserole with panetonne
Chocolate and brandy bread pudding, as we are have a NYE meal for friends and thought it would be easier than anything else. (Not sure about starters yet)

So Christmas Eve is now fish pie with veggies, mincemeat and apple pie and ice cream.

We always used to have fish pie Christmas Eve. But this year I am going with family to my SILs as her family are coming over from Sweden for Christmas so we are having a traditional Julbord which will be ham, meatballs, sausages, salmon, pickled fish, red cabbage, potatoes in cream. A Swedish rice pudding or cheese for dessert.

We always have Xmas Eve buffet spread out on the kitchen table for people to ‘pick at’ as they choose throughout the evening. It’s nothing fancy; just food that we like as a family - sandwiches, quiches, scotch eggs, smoked salmon, cheese board, dips, crackers etc. Not much prep (most things bought in) and, by the end of the evening, usually nothing left, so no waste. It’s for six of us so not sure how this would translate for two.

My daughter serves up the Xmas dinner on Xmas eve on \Xmas day we polish off what's left while the children open their presents!

Salad with cold fish - salmon, trout etc.

When our Portuguese family is here we have Bacalhau, salted cod, potatoes, and egg cooked in the oven. We love it and there are supposedly 365 versions of it.
This year we are having cold meats, alongside an Indian snack selection from the freezer for the hot bites.

we have takeaway - chips peas and gravy for me and probably fish and chips for OH

We will be cooking the gammon for Christmas Day, so will have that hot with new potatoes and veggies. We have done this for years.

Homemade French onion soup with big gruyere croutons - soup made in advance so I can just sling it on the the hob to defrost and warm through. It’s glorious and a real antidote for all the fancy food to come.

We always have gammon, egg and chips. DD and DGC always join us.

Only three of us for Christmas Eve and decision not yet made. On offer is a choice of squash wellington or prawn risotto. DH prefers wellington (which he will cook) but I find pastry a bit heavy before Christmas feasting; I prefer risotto (which I will cook - quick & easy). Final vote goes to DD. Waiting for her response... DH grew up in a continental family and Christmas Eve was the most important and elaborate meal - anyone for stuffed pike?

We are going out too. Christmas Eve tradition.

We have shepherds pie

We often used to have kedgeree made with smoked haddock and brown rice and boiled eggs. Not hard to make and we all enjoyed it and definitely a non christmas meal before all the riches to follow

Something frozen from a batch cook, and that's even though I am going to my son's for Christmas so will have nothing to do on Christmas day. I do have to make the mince pies though, both normal and vegan ones.

Fillet steak, mushrooms, sweetcorn jacket potato and side salad plus Fizz! Family tradition for us. Happy Christmas Gransnetters!

Take away

Maybe cheese and crackers with a wee glass of wine. Or maybe even a large glass!

I'm on my own so I have a 'bitsa' dinner, bits of this and that. I usually just make garlic bread, bits for dips and cheese and crackers. I know I'm going to eat so much the next day, I don't have that much on Christmas Eve.

Roast pork, apple sauce with sage and onion rolls from M&S 😋 I'm drooling at the thought!

We always have melted brie & crusty bread

Just something easy after all that prep and in advance of the Right Royal Gut Bash the next day. Baked potato with cheese and salad? Tartiflette (Hairy Bikers recipe is good). You'll just be glad to sit down and relax!