< Back to Main Blog Posted: Oct 2024

Fuss-free Christmas Eve dinner ideas

The meal on Christmas Eve can be a tricky one … you want to make a bit of a fuss, but you don't want to overdo things before Christmas dinner on the big day; you want some Christmas eve dinner ideas to keep it easy, but you don’t want to downplay it so much that it becomes a culinary damp squib.

It’s also tricky because, with the best will in the world, the reality of Xmas Eve is that it’s often a bit frantic with mad, last-minute dashes to the shops to buy the bits we’re missing. After running around like a crazy thing, the last thing you’ll want to do is think about dinner, when you know that in a few hours’ time you’ll be cooking possibly the biggest meal you’ve cooked all year.

So, on this day of days, we think it’s perfectly acceptable to make things a bit easier and delegate. Good news is, we’re here to help. Here are a few Christmas eve dinner suggestions to help lighten the load:

Keep Christmas Eve Dinner Light

There’s no need to be overly fancy the night before the Big One. For something light but seriously tasty, our Ham Frittata is perfect. You can also check out our Fennel, Chicory and Apple Salad recipe, which would make for a lovely, fresh contrast to the rich cheesy flavour of the frittata.

A nice warm, hearty and wintery soup would also hit the spot, as it won’t be too filling before your grand meal the next day. Think along the lines of a vibrant roasted tomato and basil soup, or maybe a creamy butternut squash soup paired with some crusty bread; easy but satisfying.

Alternatively, some nice vegetarian Christmas dinner options would do the trick whether you have dietary restrictions or not. Something like our Roasted Butternut Squash, Leek & Pearl Barley Filo Parcels or Caramelised Shallot, Celeriac & Stilton Tarte Tatin would be a delicious and luxurious yet slightly lighter meal before tackling the Christmas turkey on the big day.

A Picky Tea

A picky dinner ahead of the following day's excesses, comprising Christmas Canapés, and Christmas Buffet Food is always good. The informal grab-and-go approach is perfect as you want something that's ready whenever people finish wrapping presents. A buffet’s also an easy way to cater for differing appetites and dietary requirements … don’t forget to always get a range of meat and veggie options. You can also keep our winter slaw recipe in your back pocket - it’s perfect to add a bit of colour and freshness to a buffet spread.

If you want a bit more substance to your Christmas eve buffet food spread, another idea is to prepare a couple of your regular favourite festive dishes (or get a couple from our range) and cut them up into smaller, bite size servings. That way you can easily have enough for your spread whilst guests can still have a manageable selection of food the night before the main occasion - the best of both worlds.

An Easy Christmas Eve Dinner

You might have a full house by now, so you can always pop one of our Christmas mains in the oven and let everyone help themselves - this is a great way to enjoy a traditional Christmas Eve dinner without the hassle. If you fancy sitting down for dinner but don’t have lots of time to spare in the kitchen, then just make Christmas Eve a COOK night. A shameless plug, but delegation is the name of the game.

Here are a few delicious but easy Christmas eve dinner ideas from our range to make life a bit simpler if you’re planning on preparing a large meal the next day:

Starter:

For starters, you can’t go wrong with a Baked Camembert with Port & Red Onion Chutney, served with crudités to dip into the oozing cheese - a crowd favourite everyone can get stuck into. Alternatively, either some Three Cheese Fondant Souffles or Lobster Thermidor Fondant Souffles are a tad lighter; and it’s always nice to have a starter that accommodates both the lovers and haters of seafood!

Main course:

Light and often quick to cook, a fish dish ahead of the sometimes meat-heavy Christmas Day dinner is a good option. You could go for Salmon Wellington, Salmon en Croute or a simple Side of Scottish Salmon served with some hollandaise sauce, roasted new potatoes, and a salad … the fennel, chicory and apple recipe mentioned above would be perfect.

Even with dinner sorted, we know you’ll be busy on Christmas Eve, but please don’t forget to defrost anything that needs defrosting.

Enjoy yourself and remember, if anything does go wrong (which it won’t): “This Christmas’s disaster is next Christmas’s best anecdote!”

< Back to Main Blog Posted: Oct 2024