This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
With tips for planning and preparation, as well as ideas for every course, this collection of Christmas dinner ideas has it all to pull off a fabulous Christmas dinner!
More Collections: Christmas Appetizers, Christmas Desserts, Christmas Side Dishes
Dinners We Love!
In my family, we always gather together to enjoy dinner on Christmas Eve (Mexican food is always on the Christmas menu).
Christmas day is a little different – usually fewer people, but always a traditional Christmas dinner that we love and want to help you with.
The perfect classic Christmas dinner menu:
- Go traditional. With meat (usually Ham or Steak), Potatoes, Rolls, and more.
- Keep it easy. Roast Chicken is an appealing choice.
- Mix it up. Consider meatloaf, Pot Roast, pork loin, goose, lamb, or duck.
I know everyone does things differently, but today I’ve gathered together some of our traditional Christmas dinner ideas, along with helpful dinner planning tips to help you out this season.
Christmas Dinner Tips
I’ve included some of our top tips to help things go as smoothly as possible!
PLAN YOUR HOLIDAY MENU IN ADVANCE. First, ask yourself these questions:
- How many courses do I want to serve?
- How many dishes in each course will I need?
- Which dishes would I appreciate guests bringing, should they offer?
- What can be cooked on the stove or crock pot, and how many dishes can I realistically cook in the oven?
Calculating How Much You’ll Need
When you start adding extended family it can be a bit harder to estimate.
- Appetizers. Plan to serve 3-5 appetizer pieces per person.
- Sides. Plan about 6 ounces of vegetables per person and 4 ounces of veggies per person.
- Meat dish. Plan on serving each adult 6 to 8 ounces of meat. Children will only need 3-4 ounces.
- Desserts. For 8 or fewer guests plan for 1 type of dessert.
Things to do Ahead of Time
Make the holiday less stressful by using these simple tips and working ahead!
- Go shopping early. Use your menu as a shopping guide (be sure to print out the recipes in advance to help with this).
- Plan a cooking schedule. Work backward from your intended serving time.
- In what order do the items need to be cooked?
- Can anything go in the oven at the same time?
- What can be cooked on the stovetop? Crockpot?
- What can be made ahead of time? Will it need to be reheated?
- Do as much prep work ahead of time as you can.
Traditional Christmas Dinner Ideas
We love all of these recipes for the main dish for Christmas, and we think you will too! Whether Turkey Breast, beef tenderloin, Pot Roast, or Pork Roast, there is sure to be a delicious centerpiece.
1 Crockpot Ham Recipe
2 Easy Prime Rib Recipe
3 Best Roast Chicken Recipe
4 Best Pork Chop Recipe
5 Crock Pot Pot Roast
6 Easy Swedish Meatballs Recipe
7 Honey Glazed Ham
8 Steak Marinade
9 Breaded Pork Chops Recipe
10 Roast Turkey Recipe
Appetizers
We love to start any celebration with a few munchies to tie people over before the main event. Whip up any of our simple and tasty appetizers!
11 Christmas Charcuterie Board Recipe
12 Christmas Tree Charcuterie Board Recipe
13 Christmas Veggie Tray
14 Grape Jelly Meatball Recipe
Recipe Video
Get the recipe15 Cranberry Brie Bites Recipe
16 Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe
17 Deviled Eggs Recipe
18 Sausage Balls Recipe
19 Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball Recipe
20 Cranberry Salsa Recipe
Soups and Salads
It’s a good idea to include a few lighter sides in your spreads, and these soups and salads will deliver!
21 Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
22 Crockpot Tortellini Soup Recipe
Recipe Video
Get the recipe23 Cheesy Potato Soup
24 Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe
25 Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe
26 Kale Salad Recipe
27 7 Layer Salad Recipe
28 Chicken Caesar Salad
29 Easy Tortellini Salad Recipe
30 Waldorf Salad Recipe
Sides
It’s great to have a few side dish recipes on hand to fill in when you are quickly adding more guests, or to complete your dinner spread! These are some of our favorites.
31 Dinner Rolls Recipe
32 Glazed Carrots
33 Best Mashed Potatoes
34 Roasted Brussel Sprouts
35 Funeral Potatoes Recipe
36 Twice Baked Potatoes
37 Best Homemade Mac and Cheese
38 Creamed Corn Recipe
39 Roasted Sweet Potato Cubes
40 Easy Green Bean Casserole
Drinks
A festive drink takes any celebration to the next level! These holiday drinks look beautiful and taste delicious. They are all non-alcoholic and can be enjoyed by all!
41 Easy Eggnog Recipe
42 Holiday Punch Recipe
43 Wassail Recipe
44 Shirley Temple Recipe
45 Hot Chocolate Recipe
46 Apple Cider Recipe
47 Mexican Hot Chocolate Recipe
48 Peppermint Punch
49 Non Alcoholic Mint Julep
50 Horchata Recipe
Desserts
Christmas desserts are the perfect ending to a special meal. We love to have a few (or several) to choose from! We’ve rounded up our favorites, good luck choosing!
51 Yule Log Recipe
52 Turtle Cheesecake Recipe
53 Pistachio Dessert Recipe
54 Peppermint Chocolate Delight Recipe
55 Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe
56 Crème Brûlée Recipe
57 Buttermilk Pie Recipe
58 Peppermint Brownie Trifle Recipe
59 German Chocolate Cake
60 Chocolate Cream Pie Recipe
Our Go-To Christmas Ham
If you’re anything like us then you have a ham on Christmas Day.
It’s great because it’s typically simple, feeds a lot, and is delicious!
We are sharing our go-to Honey Glazed Christmas Ham recipe because it’s a favorite and is the perfect dinner for the 25th. We hope you love it as much as we do.
Here is the recipe:
BEST Christmas Dinner Ideas
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup water
- 2 TB Dijon mustard
- 10 whole cloves
- 1 4-5 pound Sam’s Choice spiral cut ham (cooked)
Instructions
- Place cut ham slices into your crock pot.
- Add brown sugar, honey, water, Dijon mustard, and cloves to a small pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove cloves from the glaze and pour over ham. Cook on LOW for 4 hours making sure to baste ham with the glaze every hour or so.
- Serve warm with the glaze poured over the top.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
A Perfect Christmas Feast!
Hopefully, this list helps you plan a delicious meal this holiday season! Just remember, as long as you’re with the ones you love, anything you make will be perfect.
Be sure to check out all of our Christmas Recipes.
More Collections: Mexican Christmas Food, Italian Christmas, Christmas Drink Recipes
