Christmas Dinner Menu

[MomToOne]

My brother hosts Christmas Eve dinner for our family. There is hot crab dip for appetizer, then for dinner he does seafood gumbo for a first course, followed by a huge roast, usually a type German fried dumpling (no, we aren't German but our family welcomes food of any nationality ), and a vegetable - in the past it's been green beans, asparagus, even mushy peas. Dessert is usually a pound cake with fresh berries, and some chocolate truffles. It doesn't sound like much, but we are all stuffed by the end of the night. We have 2 semi-vegetarians in the family, they just eat everything except the roast. DD17 is happy with bowl after bowl of the gumbo.

All of that could be adapted to be cheaper - replace crab dip with another warm dip (artichoke comes to mind), change the gumbo to a chicken gumbo or any other filling soup, pick an in-season vegetable and then replace the roast with a cheaper hunk of meat such as a ham.

 

[SharonZ]

I would do something other than a beef appetizer, if you are serving roast as the entree. We usually do a cheese/veggie tray, steamed shrimp and a couple of hot appetizers. You might want to make lasagna/pasta to have in addition to the roast, it could certainly keep the cost/size of the roast down.

 

[tasha99]

My brother hosts Christmas Eve dinner for our family. There is hot crab dip for appetizer, then for dinner he does seafood gumbo for a first course, followed by a huge roast, usually a type German fried dumpling (no, we aren't German but our family welcomes food of any nationality ), and a vegetable - in the past it's been green beans, asparagus, even mushy peas. Dessert is usually a pound cake with fresh berries, and some chocolate truffles. It doesn't sound like much, but we are all stuffed by the end of the night. We have 2 semi-vegetarians in the family, they just eat everything except the roast. DD17 is happy with bowl after bowl of the gumbo.

All of that could be adapted to be cheaper - replace crab dip with another warm dip (artichoke comes to mind), change the gumbo to a chicken gumbo or any other filling soup, pick an in-season vegetable and then replace the roast with a cheaper hunk of meat such as a ham.

We do a very simple Christmas Eve dinner just for the immediate family. To be honest, often soup and homemade bread, and since I love making gumbo, your post has decided it. Seafood gumbo it is!

 

[krysenchips]

I've been 'adopted' by my roommate's Italian American family, so we do the Seven Fishes for Christmas Eve. I will make a Cioppino seafood stew that has Salmon, Halibut, Scallops, shrimp, crab, langustines, and mussels in it.

We sing in a couple of different choirs at our church, so having something that can just simmer on the stove all day and be there when we get home from church is nice.

 

[TwoMisfits]

As a kid, we didn't have a lot of money, so my mom made meatballs in sauce and cheap sliced beef with onions in crockpots and got rolls so everyone did sandwiches on Christmas...she served it with macaroni salad, coleslaw, ambrosia (canned fruits), and deviled eggs and called it a day (with pretzels, potato chips and onion dip her only "app")...and then she did pineapple delight (the cheap recipe I mentioned) and spritz cookies for dessert (and everyone else added desserts) and had a bag of marshmallows for kids to roast. I never thought I went without, but looking back, I know this was very inexpensive, but still perfect...

 

[sksjasams]

We usually have 15 for Christmas Day. I make turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, cheesy green bean casserole with bacon, stuffing, dinner rolls, pickles and olives. No appetizers. We eat an hour or so after everyone arrives and little kids would fill up on apps. My mom picks up two pies from Bakers Square for dessert.

My parents are divorced...when my dad comes for Christmas a couple days before or after, there are 4 of us. I make ham, cheesy potatoes, traditional green bean casserole, dinner rolls, pickles and olives. Marie Callender's apple pie for dessert.

DH, DS and I eat ham and turkey leftovers for the rest of the week.

I think your menu looks great. Roast is very expensive for that many people, so you would have to decide if your budget can handle it.

 

[DisneyHardin]

We generally eat out on Christmas Eve, so that isn't much help.

I think your planned menu sounds good.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

I like simple. And simple for me is either lasagna, salad, garlic bread or sliced ham w/ potato rolls, cheesy hash brown potatoes and green bean casserole.
Cherry pie and Pumpkin pie always

 

[pfp258]

I host Christmas Eve for my husbands family each year. This year the menu will be: Appetizers- large veggie tray with homemade dill dip, hot artichoke dip and crackers and either mini hot dogs wrapped with crescent roll dough or sausage stuffed jalapeños. Dinner will be a large winter salad with chopped apple and pear, shredded Swiss cheese, cranberries and walnuts, beef tenderloin with a shallot/red wine reduction, twice baked potatoes, pan roasted green beans and rolls. Dessert is homemade creme brûlée and perhaps a nothing bundt cake chocolate cake. There will only be twelve of us so I don’t mind splurging this one time of the year!

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Christmas Eve is a traditional Puerto Rican dinner of pasteles, rice with pigeon peas and roasted pork. And lots of coquito to drink. Everyone gets together and We party all night. It’s like a NYE pregame.

Then Christmas Day is sleeping in, recovering and leftovers. Then my kids go to their dads around 3 pm on Christmas Day. The last few years my SO and i have been ordering Chinese for late dinner on Christmas Day if we’re out of leftovers and still hungry.

 

[ctinct]

Well, apparently I unwittingly started a new tradition. I do Christmas Eve. For a long time, I did Costco chicken, sandwhiches, apps....super easy. Two years ago, I went all out and cooked French foods. Last year I did English (roast, Yorkshire pudding, plum pudding, etc.) So, at thanksgiving my kids asked what cuisine I was doing this year! I hadnt thought about it. They suggested Italian, Chinese, German, Mexican, and Indian, but in the end, I decided to do a Kwanzaa/soul food kind of thing. I haven’t decided between ribs or ham, but I plan on cornbread, Mac and cheese, hopping John, maybe collard greens, although I’m not a fan, sweet potato pie, an African banana dessert I found, a Nigerian rice patty recipe, etc. This menu, with ham at least, seems like it will be relatively inexpensive

 

[mckennarose]

...... And lots of coquito to drink.....

Mmmmm, coquito! Our Puerto Rican friends make this for us each Christmas.

We're Italian American and eat the traditional fish dishes on Christmas Eve, so I'm not much help on other ideas. That coquito caught my eye!

I would try to keep it simple and make some items ahead of time that can be reheated well. I usually host all the family holiday meals for 10+ people and it can be a lot of work. You definitely don't want to be stuck cooking all night. I also have guests bring something, like an appetizer,salad or dessert. People usually want to contribute some way.

 

[LovesTimone]

For me by the time Christmas Eve rolls around I am tired of ham and turkey, and so was my family....

So I went rouge and went with a Italian menu

Appetizers - a Cured meat and Cheese tray, Crudités platter with green goddess dressing, Brie warmed with honey drizzled over and fruit, Italian sausage stuffed little red potatoes, this is a family and crowd favorite and its really simple to make, boil the little red potatoes just to done you need to watch them they will over cook on you if your not careful, cool completely. Brown up some Italian sausage I just use whatever I have on hand, drain really well on paper towels, in the same pan with the sausage drippings, sauté some finely chopped onions, and mushrooms and garlic, I have even use some celery tops to add in some green or parsley, drain really well on paper towels, put the cooked sausage and onion mixture into a bowl. Slice the potatoes in half, take out some of the potato like making twice baked potatoes, add the potato to the bowl with the sausage and onion mixture. I add in some cheese whatever I have on hand, and I use ricotta as the binder, I add in some a mix it up then some more just to make it all come together, scoop the mixture into the potatoes, you can store covered overnight which is what I do it gives the mixture time to marry everything together. Bake a 350 for around 25 to 45 minutes depending on how many you have made, grate fresh parmesan on the potatoes sprinkle with fresh parsley and a bit of salt.

Salad - Basic green salad, along with other ingredient separate in some festive bowls.... set up like a salad bar... and a couple of dressing

Main Meal - Lasagna roll ups, Chicken Alfredo with angel hair pasta or Chicken Parm ( for these 2 dishes I use the tenderloins helps with the cooking time and portion control. I have also done stuffed shells. I like the lasagna rolls up they are easier to serve, I make the cheese mixture and red sauce up early the day before, let the pasta and sauce cool, spread on the mixture, roll up and put in the frig for a couple of hours, then slice them in half so one roll up is now to 2 lay them in the pan I am going to bake in, then I cover the roll ups in the cooled sauce, back in the frig, and bake as normal the next day.

Bread - Garlic Bread or Cheese Bread or both

Dessert - I tend to go with pound cakes and macerated berries, or Berry Trifle, Ice cream bar a few times.

 

[sksjasams]

Well, apparently I unwittingly started a new tradition. I do Christmas Eve. For a long time, I did Costco chicken, sandwhiches, apps....super easy. Two years ago, I went all out and cooked French foods. Last year I did English (roast, Yorkshire pudding, plum pudding, etc.) So, at thanksgiving my kids asked what cuisine I was doing this year! I hadnt thought about it. They suggested Italian, Chinese, German, Mexican, and Indian, but in the end, I decided to do a Kwanzaa/soul food kind of thing. I haven’t decided between ribs or ham, but I plan on cornbread, Mac and cheese, hopping John, maybe collard greens, although I’m not a fan, sweet potato pie, an African banana dessert I found, a Nigerian rice patty recipe, etc. This menu, with ham at least, seems like it will be relatively inexpensive

We are not adventurous eaters, but I absolutely love this idea!

 

[usnuzuloose]

I think I would love to have another turkey. Ours went quickly from thanksgiving. Not enough left over for so many things.

 

[TwoMisfits]

I think I would love to have another turkey. Ours went quickly from thanksgiving. Not enough left over for so many things.

Amen - I made another turkey (a bone-in breast) in the crock yesterday (stupid cheap thanks to grocery close outs) with some 75% off premade sides - it was great! And I'd do it again if someone else was cooking (and we didn't have our duck tradition...

 

[Bree]

It’s just my family of four, MIL & FIL......

I’m planning on church service, take-out pizza for dinner and relaxing with movies on Christmas Eve. It’s what we normally do and I love it. For Christmas dinner I’m planning prime rib, roasted baby potatoes, sautéed green beans with garlic, salad and homemade rolls. Not sure about dessert yet. Thinking about an apple pie with homemade vanilla ice cream.

 

[usnuzuloose]

Amen - I made another turkey (a bone-in breast) in the crock yesterday (stupid cheap thanks to grocery close outs) with some 75% off premade sides - it was great! And I'd do it again if someone else was cooking (and we didn't have our duck tradition...

I like duck, dh does not. Oh nice to get a deep discount. I hope to get another fresh bird for christmas dinner

 

[foodiddiedoo]

We make Christmas Eve fun by having finger foods (appetizers, sausage, cheese, olives) chips and dips with veggies, candied nuts, and desserts. It's all kind of garbage foods for us, but it's once a year where we have "snack" for dinner.

 

[justme0729]

Thanks all! I think I'll add a pasta dish to make sure we have enough