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    Home » Blog » Christmas Recipes » Christmas Dinner

    18 Best Christmas Dinner Ideas

    Published: Dec 20, 2019 · Modified: Nov 6, 2021 by Tiffany Dahle · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Pick one of these easy Christmas dinner ideas and pair it with all the recommended side dishes for Christmas menu your family will love to enjoy on Christmas Eve or Day.

    A family table is set with fresh flowers for Christmas dinner, a Christmas tree twinkles in the background.

    Planning your Christmas dinner menu doesn't need to be complicated.

    To save you the time in matching main dishes and entrees, I'm sharing 16 completely organized Christmas menus that feature my very best make-ahead recipes for special occasions.

    For Christmas Eve, we tend to do a more formal, fancy meal at the table with recipes that are easy to prep-ahead and just finish off after we walk in the door from Christmas Eve Mass.

    Christmas Day tends to be more laid back and this year we're trying a slowcooker approach to the meal. I plan to dump everything into the Crockpot in the morning and get back to the living room to enjoy my family. 

    Whether your family approaches the holiday feast with an Open House style celebration or you've got picky eaters at the table, or you need a Christmas dinner for 2, there's a Christmas dinner menu to help you plan a meal everyone will love.

    Bonus: Since they're easy, they'll get you out of the kitchen to be with your kids as much as possible!

    18 Best Christmas Dinners

    Fancy magazines love to encourage complicated holiday menus that would leave most home chefs utterly exhausted.

    These easy and ELEGANT Christmas dinners are perfect for real families who want to enjoy a festive feast with their loved ones without spending the entire holiday in the kitchen.

    You'll find the perfect Christmas menu idea featuring everything from chicken recipes, make-ahead pasta recipes, easy seafood dishes, and delicious ways to serve both pork or beef that will make your Christmas dinner extra special.

    Prep-Ahead Macadamia Crusted Halibut

    This amazing macadamia halibut has been our family's special occasion dinner for Christmas Eve, birthdays, anniversaries, and more.

    You can completely prep the fish in the morning and simply bake it before serving, giving it the perfect crispy crunch. Don't skip the lemon cream sauce to drizzle over the top.

    Serve with roasted asparagus or broccoli, they can cook on a second pan in the oven at the same time.

    Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Butter Pasta

    This dish is affectionately known in our family as "steak and tubes," my mom's nickname for it when we were going up. It was our annual Christmas Eve dinner for more years than I can even remember.

    The beef is marinaded in a 2-ingredient steak marinade and then sauteed in butter. It tastes amazing with the buttered noodles and is very kid-friendly.

    Serve it with steamed baby carrots topped with butter and brown sugar.

    Make-Ahead Lasagna

    If you have never made a homemade lasagna and are nervous to try, this is the BEST lasagna recipe for beginners. Step by step photos walk you through how to prep and assemble an easy lasagna ahead of time that you can bake for a delicious Christmas dinner.

    Serve it with a light salad and homemade garlic bread or my super-easy bread machine focaccia.

    Best Italian Christmas Dinner Menu

    While you're at it, you may as well plan an entire Italian Christmas dinner menu!

    If my favorite lasagna isn't what you're looking for, one of the other delicious and easy pasta recipes, fresh breads, or Italian desserts might be.

    Check out the whole list of ideas here:

    Cranberry Blue Cheese Stuffed Pork Tenderloins

    I still remember my mom prepping these elegant and festive pork tenderloins for holiday dinner parties when I was young.

    When you slice the tenderloins, you'll see a swirl of festive red cranberries mixed with a creamy blue cheese filling. They can be completely prepped ahead of time and just baked before serving.

    Serve them with roasted sweet potatoes or my make-ahead sweet potato casserole.

    German Sauerbraten

    This delicious and budget-friendly beef recipe is perfect for Christmas dinner because you can cook it on the stove top, in the oven, or in a slowcooker, whatever works best for your full menu.

    Crockpot Tortellini Soup with Ground Beef

    This festive red and green soup is loaded with tender vegetables and satisfying cheesy tortellini.

    It is a simple recipe to feed a crowd for the holiday. Add it to the buffet table with some easy sandwiches or use it as an elegant first course.

    12 Easy Christmas Crockpot Recipes

    In fact, if you like the idea of using a Crockpot for your Christmas dinner, you won't want to miss this list of all my favorite crockpot recipes that would be perfect for the holiday.

    Roasted Herb Butter Turkey

    Roasted turkey is such a traditional holiday recipe but it can often be overlooked at Christmas. My easy herb butter turkey actually tastes even more amazing the next day.

    You could cook the turkey, slice it, and store it in the fridge. Reheat it in gently simmering gravy on the stovetop until it has just heated through.

    It's the perfect way to have make-ahead turkey. You could serve the meat as open faced sandwiches on warm bread or over a big scoop of Crockpot mashed potatoes.

    Pineapple Mustard Glazed Spiral Ham

    Sweet, juicy pineapples and a golden mustard and brown sugar glaze coats this easy spiral ham recipe. We often serve it for our Easter dinner but it would be right at home on the Christmas buffet as well.

    The recipe is easy enough that even my husband can make it on his own!

    Serve the ham with warm biscuits and crispy Crockpot green bean casserole.

    Make-Ahead Oven Roasted Pork Loin

    This elegant pork loin recipe features an easy and delicious green peppercorn sauce drizzled over the top.

    I love that the entire thing can be prepped ahead for an easy Christmas dinner.

    Serve it with this crispy wild rice and roasted carrots salad for a fun holiday side dish.

    Crispy Baked Chicken Parmesan

    Chicken parmesan can be fussy but this particular recipe has all the make-ahead tips you need to have perfectly crispy baked chicken cutlets for Christmas dinner.

    For a special treat, serve it with a side of homemade alfredo pasta and a light green salad to balance out all the richness.

    Make-ahead Italian Sausage Pasta Casserole

    Want to get your Christmas cooking done in advance? This freezer-friendly pasta casserole is always a huge hit.

    When we don't want to fuss with lasagna, we always make a giant dish of this delicious Italian sausage casserole. There's baby spinach mixed in which gives it a fun festive color.

    Serve it with a big platter of fresh pineapple, the flavors pair together perfectly!

    Pasta Rosa with Sausage

    For smaller family gatherings, this rich and creamy pasta rosa with crumbled sausage and grated parmesan is a wonderful Christmas dinner.

    The recipe is so easy, my daughter has made it for our anniversary before! It should be served freshly after making it but only takes a little time to prep.

    Serve it with Caesar salad and wedges of crispy garlic bread.

    Creamy Pesto Chicken Casserole

    Another crowd pleasing casserole that has the perfect red and green Christmas flair is this yummy creamy peso chicken pasta bake.

    Red tomatoes and green spinach are swirled inside this pesto-alfredo pasta and topped with buttery bread crumbs.

    Serve this dish with a festive green salad with fresh apples and craisins to balance out all the delicious richness.

    Gooey Hawaiian Roll Ham and Cheese Sliders

    Do you have a few picky eaters in your family? If you need a reliable kid-friendly Christmas dinner to serve to the little ones, this pan of ham and cheese sliders is sure to be a hit.

    You can prep the entire pan ahead of time and just pour the butter topping over the top before baking. They only need about 10 minutes in the oven and are good even lukewarm.

    This makes it easy to serve something fancier for the grown-ups if everyone has happy kids.

    Big Batch Chicken Chili (No Beans)

    If Christmas dinner looks more like an Open House than a sit-down meal, you absolutely need this tomato-based chicken chili in your rotation.

    Make a big pot of this festive red chili and keep it simmering on the stovetop or transfer it to a slowcooker to keep warm. Set out all the yummy toppings and let your friends and family serve themselves as they stop by for a visit.

    Serve it with a big bowl of tortilla chips for dunking or a basket of fresh dinner rolls. These bread machine crescent dinners rolls would be perfect since it makes a nice big batch.

    Tuscan Chicken Soup with a Rotisserie Chicken

    The holiday season is filled with rich goodies. When you need something on the lighter side, this easy Tuscan chicken soup is loaded with fresh vegetables and sure to make you feel better.

    Warm and comforting and filled with festive red and green colors from the tomatoes and zucchini, this soup pairs perfectly with your favorite homemade breads.

    I recommend our favorite Italian bread with butter or olive oil for dipping!

    Roasted Shrimp {Using Frozen Shrimp}

    Want to add a little "surf" to a surf and turf Christmas dinner? You don't need to have access to fresh shrimp to enjoy a delicious shrimp cocktail or entree.

    This recipe for roasting frozen shrimp can be paired with your favorite cocktail sauce or tossed in a lemon garlic angel hair pasta for homemade shrimp scampi.

    Easy Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

    If you need a smaller Christmas dinner for 2 or 4, this roasted chicken with vegetables might be a better fit than a whole turkey.

    You can mix and match the veggies to suit your family but the red potatoes and carrots are our personal favorites. A juicy lemon tucked inside coupled with sprigs of fresh thyme give this chicken a lovely holiday flavor.

    This is a perfect all-in-one Christmas dinner but you could also serve it with fresh bread from your bread machine.

    More Easy Christmas Recipes

    Don't miss some of our other favorite solutions to a family-friendly Christmas meal:

    • A photo collage shows red mugs of hot cocoa with whipped cream, cranberry muffins, overnight french toast, and an egg and sausage casserole.
      30 Make-Ahead Christmas Breakfast Ideas
    • A Christmas cookie platter has frosted gingerbread men and peanut blossom cookies on a red plate.
      10 Easy Christmas Cookies for Kids
    • A Crockpot next to 3 photos of easy Crockpot recipes for Christmas.
      13 Easy Christmas Crockpot Recipes

    Oh! And don't forget to set the cutest Christmas kids table, too. It's easier than you think.

    • Adorable Christmas decorations on an easy Christmas table for kids.
      Cutest Christmas Kids' Table EVER
    A beautiful Christmas dinner doesn't have to be complicated. This table with fresh flowers in mason jars can be set in minutes.
    10 easy ideas for a Christmas dinner menu you can make ahead.

    More Easy Christmas Dinner Recipes

    • A bowl of soup has meatballs, couscous, and carrots with spinach in chicken broth.
      Easy Italian Wedding Soup {Instant Pot or Stovetop}
    • A photo collage shows several cold dips for parties.
      Cold Dips for Parties to Make Ahead
    • A skillet filled with meatballs and tomato sauce sprinkled with Italian herbs.
      Best Italian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
    • Two slices of slow cooked turkey breast are on a plate drizzled with gravy.
      Slowcooker Boneless Turkey Breast

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    Hi, I'm Tiffany!
    I believe a great family recipe is one that makes everyone at the table happy, not just the kids. I'm the author of two bestselling cookbooks for kids that are chock full of recipes everyone in your family will love. I'm also the hostess of the best online book club for moms.

    More about me →

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