Ideas for family pre-Christmas meal

What do your grandchildren like to eat?

I would be inclined to cook separately for the children leaving you free to cook something special for the adults. I make a one pot chicken casserole for my dgd.

I’d do the coq au vin and start it all off as usual, but before deglazing with brandy and adding the wine, etc just lift the children’s portions out to another dish, adding stock and the vegetables they like and cook separately.

Game is now in season, if the adults might like something more robust, or even lamb shanks.

I agree a ‘casserole’ meal is easier for the cook, especially near to Christmas. Hope it all goes well.

What about fish? A side of salmon, baked or poached with hot or cold veg/salad, whichever the family prefer.

I’d do something like Hungarian Goulash with baked potatoes. The children could skip the goulash if not keen and have baked potatoes with cheese & beans. Or chicken nuggets as a side … 😂

The children like chicken nuggets, pizza and fish fingers. When their mum is here we often have eat your broccoli meltdowns which i hope to avoid on this special occasion. I think i will try marry me chicken, sweetcorn and mash or jacket potatoes. Hopefully nothing to cause a food battle between mum and grandchildren. I think trifle will be a special pudding plus individual gingerbread men. I will ask their mum the best thing to do with presents.

Thanks for the advice gransnetters.

Don't over think this. You are preparing a meal for your family. By all means give the children what they like and cook an adult meal for the grown ups.
Good luck!

If you’re going to serve marry me chicken Newdawn you might find me on your doorstep 😂

Newdawn

We are having six adults, including us, and three year old and six year old granddaughters for part of the saturday before christmas and they will stay over for one night. I want to make it special without stealing the thunder from christmas which this year will be at other grannies. My husband is probably going to make baked Alaska. We feed the children quite often so not sure what special food to make. If it was just adults something like coq a vin might do ( daughter without children recently cooked us beef in red wine)It is too close to Christmas to do a roast dinner. Also not sure what to do with the presents. Giving them on the day might spoil Christmas. Any ideas most gratefully receved.

Pre-Christmas meal?

Next thing you know it'll be a Pre, Pre-Christmas meal......and so on and so forth.

Stamp on this now, or the Family Locusts will scoff you out of house and home.

Mary Berry serves a fish pie on Christmas Eve.

I realise you are not talking about Christmas Eve, but still….

Please do not worry. Treat this as a Christmas Day. The children will love it! Happy children makes happy adults.

I would go with something that was pre-assembled, like a luxurious cottage pie (you could use sweet and normal potatoes sprinkled with cheese, red wine and herbs in the meat layer). Served with a selection of vegetables along with cauliflower cheese.

Lasagne, with salad and garlic bread (most children love garlic bread)

A charcuterie board to start with.

Oh don’t worry about thunder stealing, it’s Christmas Eve. We’ve always made it a little bit special when children are around. Let them have a small little extra something gift just not the main gift you’ve bought. Could also have crackers and some kind of games just to jazz things up a bit if this is your time with them.

I’d give them their presents when you see them. They get plenty of presents on the day and its good to spread them out. Check with parents first .

FriedGreenTomatoes2

I’d do something like Hungarian Goulash with baked potatoes. The children could skip the goulash if not keen and have baked potatoes with cheese & beans. Or chicken nuggets as a side … 😂

A grannie after my own heart. I did a Railway Man’s curry for the nine adults, pushed the boat out making coconut rice and raided the Indian supermarket for chutneys and breads, yes a veg curry alongside.

I often make my own chicken nuggets with home made chips for the children but only if I’m feeding them not a gang of adults as well. So I’d prep home made nuggets and serve with frozen chips with sides of raw carrot, mango, cucumber, strawberries to avoid drowning in guilt on the veg front.

I’m going to lie down for a rest just reading this tired me, I last did this when mr I was here to chop, stir, wash up and sing as we prepped

This is my easy meal- a good ham with relushes ,coleslaw, salads and baked buttery potatoes - simple,but delicious .
If anyone is vegetarian -a baked Camembert .
I wouldn't attempt a baked Alaska with a houseful of visitors.
For dessert -a homemade ice cream cake .
Make a crumb base and slightly melt three different ice cream which go together .
One should vanilla and that goes in the middle of the "sandwich. "
I layer them on top of the crumbs .
Careful - you can bend a spoon doing it if the ice cream is a bit hard .
And finally decorate with whipped cream and cherries.
And refreeze.
Have a wonderful celebration.

I was going to suggest a ham, salad, coleslaw type of thing which could also include things the children would like.

Thanks..lots of ideas.

We usually have a nice big joint of gammon for our pre-Christmas meal, the children love it and we have leftovers to add to the white meat left after Christmas.
I boil it first, pull off the skin and then bake with sugar or honey on the fat. You can have pineapple and roast potatoes if you like though I like the traditional parsley sauce and mash or new potatoes myself.
Everybody seems to like a baked camembert as a starter, though you'd need to do a few if it was a meal for a large family.
The baked alaska sounds very nice, though I'm a big crumble fan myself and often use frozen berries with some chunks of apple to stop it being too wet.

I’d do pulled pork (I’ve got a large slow cooker) with rolls, coleslaw and pickles, it’s easy and informal. Something in a roll for the children, burgers? You could do a load of oven chips too.
A small gift for the children to open perhaps.

Festive nibbles to start.

Ham, cauliflower cheese, cold salad, rolls.

Bread and butter pudding.

Do give them presents!

We usually have a nice big joint of gammon for our pre-Christmas meal, the children love it and we have leftovers to add to the white meat left after Christmas

We used to do that as well, cc.

However, we're out on Christmas Eve this year.

I'd probably put something in a slow cooker eg boeuf bourguignon or beef in beer, goulash, a luxury cottage pie or lasagne.

Followed by a pavlova or fresh fruit salad.
Not poultry if you're having Turkey on Christmas Day.

Our grandchildren are with us on Christmas Eve. They absolutely love a buffet where they can pick their own food and have especially asked if we can have this on Christmas Eve. Just another suggestion, it could work for your family too. As for presents I would be guided by the children’s’ parents.