My family makes pasta with sauce out of a jar, just because it's easy and everyone likes it.

DH's family has stone crabs.

Christmas Eve has always been grilled steak and lobster

Last Christmas Eve we had paninis and heavy hors d'oeuvres (a lot of appetizer type things from Trader Joe's). We also had a full bar and egg nog (just family that night, not a party, but we all enjoy boozing now and then). All of it was a hit. Christmas Day we had a more formal meal with a roast and potatoes, etc.

English. We have ham, roast potatoes, and salad. Ham can be done in advance so it is easy.

Big pot of beef stew.

We spend Christmas day with DH's family and typically have prime rib or another meat, so for Christmas Eve, we typically have either crabcakes or a shrimp dish.

Anonymous wrote:Giant meatless Polish meal, Dh's family tradition. Also don't recommend it for low key. Christmas Eve is my birthday, so when I was a kid, my mom always made my favorite, lasagna, and we had a carvel ice cream cake. That would be an easy way to go!

This made me smile. I'll be making a meatless Polish meal by myself for the 1st time this year. It's definitely no low key dinner.

Anonymous wrote:We always do cheese fondue and salad followed by chocolate fondue and spiked hot chocolate. Always a hit.

We do cheese fondue as well. It's my DH's family tradition.

French-Canadian tradition here: meat pies, lentil soup, champagne, buche noel.

Giant meatless Polish meal, Dh's family tradition. Also don't recommend it for low key. Christmas Eve is my birthday, so when I was a kid, my mom always made my favorite, lasagna, and we had a carvel ice cream cake. That would be an easy way to go!

We always do cheese fondue and salad followed by chocolate fondue and spiked hot chocolate. Always a hit.

Italian Christmas Eve - 7 fishes for the 7 sacraments. I don't think you want to go there.

My mother always does antipasti, mozzarella incarrozza, and ciopinno (we are Italian). However, i'M thinking that's more work than you want to do. Maybe make your own mini pizzas?

Do you have any family traditions you'd like to follow or want to come up with your own?

My parents are from Eastern Europe and Christmas Eve is a no-meat dinner. Since my husband doesn't eat some of the dishes I improvise and make our own dishes, but still keep it no-meat meals.

My DH and I are hosting Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner this year. We would like the dinner on Christmas to be more formal and are looking for a cozier and easier option on Christmas Eve. Our daughter is almost two so we will all be going to the early service (5:00) at church and then coming home to eat, get in pjs, put out cookies for Santa, have a fire, etc. Any ideas for something that could be yummy but not fussy? FWIW, there will be ten of us (including our little one).

Thank you!!!!