Christmas Eve is always duck foie gras with various toasts and nibbles. DH is in charge, so there will probably be few vegetables

we do takeout every year for Christmas eve and a formal dinner on Christmas day.

We take turns choosing every year who gets to choose what we get for next year!

Also makes it fun and casual and the kids get to open one gift on Christmas eve

Roast
Mashed potatoes
Macaroni and Cheese
Baked Beans

Paela

Beef tenderloin, salad, Brussel sprouts, roast potatoes. Apple pie with whipped cream and ice cream for dessert. No appetizers

We do fondue for Xmas eve, easy to prep and then put on to warm while we go to church. I do a cheese fondue in a crockpot w/ meatballs, peppers, bread. Salad. Chocolate fondue for dessert w/ poundcake, fruit, marshmallows.

This works for us because we are usually a small group -- me and DH, two kids, and usually two grandparents.

Cheese plate w/crackers + chutney
Standing prime rib
Roasted asparagus
Buttermilk garlic mashed potatoes
Sour cream + chive dinner rolls
Green salad with vinaigrette
Sticky date pudding with toffee sauce
Steamed persimmon pudding lit with bourbon + hard sauce
Shortbread cookies

Anonymous wrote:Parmesan polenta?? Recipe please!!

DP but I use the Trader Joe’s tube of polenta and warm it on the stove with veggie broth and parm. It’s delicious and very easy! I usually serve with sautéed mushrooms and meatballs.

Anonymous wrote:No. I did mean Christmas Eve.

New family decided that I will host next year and it will be apps mostly.

However, won't the same menu also work for NYE???

No, after Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the holidays in general, I don’t want heavy foods for NYE. Oysters, caviar, champagne - that’s a proper NYE.

Cheese and Crackers
Chex Mix

Pork Roast with 40 cloves of Garlic
Polenta
Chopped Raddichio Salad

Assorted Cookies for dessert

Beef skewers with aioli sauce
Crab cakes
Coconut shrimp
Meatballs in the crockpot with grape jelly and bbq sauce (we usually do little smokies but they were sold out)
Goat cheese strudels topped with poppy seeds
(Cold) shrimp cocktail (we like shrimp!)
Sweet and spicy mixed nuts
Charcuterie platter with cheese and meats, jellies, fruits
Punch made with sparkling wine

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Cheese board and charcuterie platter
Shrimp cocktail
Cioppino over linguine
Sourdough bread for dipping
Mushroom Wellington
Roasted broccolini with lemon and Parmesan
Burnt almond torte from Prantl’s

For NYE we are doing a mezze spread

Tuna mousse (butter,capers,dash Tabasco)served with a pile of toasted thin baguette slices.
Cold King crab with normal accessories and Atomic horseradish
Baked clams
Seafood salad (lobster, shrimp, octopus, squid, mussels with rice wine vinegar, red&green pepper, scallion, pink pepper and celery)
Salmon on alder planks in the grill

We keep it very simple. We do beef tenderloin with a blue cheese compound butter, homemade macaroni and cheese, and creamed spinach. We don’t do any appetizers because we go to an early evening church service and eat dinner when we get home.

When my mom hosted Christmas Eve years ago, she would make the following for a buffet dinner for 16-20 people:

Spiral ham and rolls, Mac n cheese, scalloped potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and green salad. Some years she would also make a turkey breast in addition to the ham.