What do you serve for Christmas Dinner? [Archive] - Baby Bargains & Baby 411 Community

almostamom

11-22-2009, 04:48 PM

I'm hosting Christmas dinner this year. My family's tradition has always been to have antipasto on Christmas Eve. We don't really have a traditional meal for Christmas Day. We'll probably be 15-20 people inlcuding children. We've done homemade lasagna or gnocchi the last few years, so I wanted to try something different this year. What do you usually serve?

TIA,
Linda

karenj2

11-22-2009, 05:06 PM

Our Christmas dinner is generally a repeat of thanksgiving... :)

lizzywednesday

11-22-2009, 05:08 PM

Wow. The last 2 years Christmas Dinner has been whatever's been open at the airport ... which usually means McDonald's chicken nuggets and I hate chicken, but hate the rest of the McDonald's menu even more. DH's parents are retiring out to AZ and we've been spending the week between Christmas and New Year's with them out at their new house.

This year, I refused to subject myself to the foulness of the airport and the stress of traveling on Christmas ... because I will be 6 months pregnant.

Before that, we'd usually make it up to my grandparents' house for dinner.

They usually serve a baked ham with lots of yummy sides, so I am usually good to eat something because I don't like ham. (And it's not a pig/pork thing, it's a salt thing. I have been known to scrape the salt off hard and soft pretzels before eating them. My husband thinks this is insane.) Sometimes my grandmother will make her specialty stuffed cabbage, which our family calls "halubke" (which is the Slovak word for stuffed cabbage) and that is my most favorite grandma-made dish. I need to make some time with her to learn how to make it.

For a crowd like you're describing, it sounds like you'd like something that's more of a make-ahead than a cook it that day thing ... although a ham is pretty simple when you contrast it with an option like roast turkey or roast chicken.

octmom

11-22-2009, 05:34 PM

My parents always went over the top. Hors d'oeuvres were enough to full up on and always included some Chinese food when they lived in NY. My brother loved it and it became a tradition. They also had smoked salmon, cheese and crackers, crudite, pigs in blankets (because I loved them when I was little), and other stuff I can't remember. For dinner, there was always prime rib and a turkey breast with all the fixings. It was like Thanksgving dinner plus. Over the years, family scattered or died and the gathering got smalller, but they keot doing all the food. Since I became a mom, they have come to us for Christmas. We do a modified version of what my parents used to do, but we still have too much food.

Mmmm, I'm getting hungry!

SASM

11-22-2009, 05:39 PM

Our Christmas Dinner is not as "formal" as our Christmas Eve dinner...more laid back. We have leftovers from Christmas Eve, which is usually shrimp, gnocchi/meat balls, greens and beans or sauteed escarole, scalloped potatos, and ham. Sounds similiar to yours. :) We used to have broiled lobster tails but there were never any leftovers for C-Day. Good luck!

SnuggleBuggles

11-22-2009, 05:45 PM

ILs do Christmas dinner and it's pretty much Thanksgiving part 2 minus a bit of the fanfare. :)

Beth

Melaine

11-22-2009, 05:58 PM

Our Christmas dinner is generally a repeat of thanksgiving... :)

Yep, pretty much just heavier on the desserts!

dotgirl

11-22-2009, 06:03 PM

DH likes to do a standing rib roast for Christmas dinner - it's usually just us and the kids (Thanksgiving is our "big" dinner), so we do the roast, something with potatoes and some sort of dessert - not usually a big production.

almostamom

11-22-2009, 06:19 PM

almostamom

11-22-2009, 06:23 PM

I'm not a huge fan of ham and my friend/neighbor who always has Christmas dinner with us doesn't care for turkey. I was thinking a roast of some kind, but I've only ever done a pot roast in the slow cooker. I've never cooked a standing rib roast or even a roast beef. Can I even afford one for 15 people (how big would that be?)

Linda

JTsMom

11-22-2009, 06:34 PM

We've done Thanksgiving II, lasagna, and roasts. Just depends on what we feel like.

SASM

11-22-2009, 06:47 PM

Ohhh...how about an AMAZING Beef Bourguignon??

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/beef-bourguignon-recipe/index.html

I have made this twice and both times it was EXTREMELY well recieved! My friend made it for her ILs, as well, and they loved it. It is very filling...ultimate French comfort food. It can either be very special or low-key and casual. :) Easy...one pot...and the aroma is AMAZING! Serve with a green salad, more crusty French or Italian bread, another veggie (if you are afraid of just having a one-pot meal for a large group), and keep the red wine flowing. :) The garlic toast on the bottom of the bowl puts it OVER THE TOP! Ohhh...When I made this it served 4 adults comfortably with 1 small serving for leftovers. With my oven, it cooked for 1hr 45min (not doubled).

Happy eating!! Have fun hosting your holiday!! Thanks for the thread...now I know what I am serving!! :) I cannot believe that I forgot about this recipe...one of our ALL-TIME favorites!

m448

11-22-2009, 06:50 PM

since we do a southern american thanksgiving christmas is all about the dominican food. Pernil asado (roast pork shoulder in a garlic/oregano seasoning), arroz con habichuelas negras (black bean and rice pilaf), sometimes yucca with mojo or sauteed onions, potato salad (it's a family thing) and if I've made them by that point pastelitos (a dominican empanada).

eta: This is our meal for Christmas Eve which is the big deal holiday where I'm from. We stay up until the wee hours of the morning and drag our butts out of bed late on christmas morning to open presents, have breakfast and snack on leftovers all day long. No big dinner on the 25th.

sunshine873

11-22-2009, 06:54 PM

Heck with the work! Christmas day is all about relaxing and enjoying your family. We always spent the day lazing around and playing with our new "toys". Then we'd get dressed up and go out for dinner.

But, that was just our small family. If I had to entertain I'd probably still want to do something easy. How about a ham, scalloped potatoes and a salad?

I am entertaining this year and I'm doing lasagna (although you said that's your norm.)

Elilly

11-22-2009, 07:31 PM

We do a ham with some of the same sides as Thanksgiving. For Christmas Eve, when I lived at home, we went to this tavern after Mass that had double decker pizzas and greek salads... yum! Now, we do Chinese food on Christmas Eve!
ETA: We do our Christmas meal with the fine china etc and we're all still in our pjs!

Tondi G

11-22-2009, 07:32 PM

Our Christmas Dinner Menu is

Leg of Lamb (crusted with dijon and fresh rosemary)
Roasted potatoes
Mashed potatoes
Candied yams
Brussel sprouts
green beans

we've done other vegetables (carrots or corn, mostly for the kids), biscuits, salad (most people didn't have room on their plates for the salad) etc

We always have a Honeybaked Ham out with french rolls for people to eat during the afternoon while waiting for dinner to be ready. We also have assorted cheese (brie, smoked gouda etc) and crackers for snacking on.

Dessert is usually

Danish Rice Pudding (my MIL makes this one and it is so yummy, not your usual rice pudding)
Chocolate Chunk Bread pudding
Pie

crl

11-22-2009, 07:33 PM

We go to my parents so I don't actually cook. (We fly in for a few days so I can't bring anything, though I do help in the kitchen.)

Traditionally, mom has goose and ham. Some years it's cornish hens instead of goose. Or duck instead of goose. Sides include apple and raisin dressing, scalloped oysters, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, rolls, homemade cranberry sauce, frozen fruit salad, glazed carrots and some sort of green vegetable. (Yes, all of this for one meal. For 9 people.) Dessert is pie, always cherry and then usually two other kinds, often including pumpkin or pecan.

I can't imagine that I would ever do this much work, but when we suggest she scale back, mom refuses. (Well, actually she says she is--like the year she warned me she wasn't making very many cookies--ended up being only 500.) So I try to help with prep as much as I can (I'm about the only person she like to have in the kitchen with her) and we try to kick her out of the kitchen as soon as the leftovers are put away so she doesn't end up washing the dishes.

Catherine

lilycat88

11-22-2009, 10:28 PM

Reservations.

Elilly

11-22-2009, 10:31 PM

Where? I'm in Indy and I'd love to know where I could go on Christmas Eve!!!

kransden

11-22-2009, 10:47 PM

Ham is always on sale and easy to fix. So that's what we have.

lilycat88

11-22-2009, 11:35 PM

Lots of places are open Christmas Eve but not very late. Many Japanese, Chinese, Thai, etc. restaurants are open both Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Hirosake (Japanese hibachi) in Avon is taking reservations. You can also check Greek restaurants since Orthodox Christmas isn't until January. Also, Shapiros Deli downtown, perhaps. It's not going to be the chains open for the most part. It will be smaller family type ethnic restaurants.

sunshine873

11-22-2009, 11:50 PM

Another suggestion if you're interested in eating out over Christmas (Eve or Christmas Day.) Like PP mentioned, Chinese, Japanese, Thai. But also look into upscale hotels with restaurants attached. They're often open to feed their guests. That's where we usually ended up going.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a chain open (but I'd want something a little more special on such a special day anyway.)

Our family always went to dinner Christmas night and then drove around afterwards to look at the lights. By the time we got back home we were ready for a round of cocoa and cookies. ;)

billysmommy

11-23-2009, 12:06 AM

We always have seafood, usually a lobster dish. My grandma always used to fly out from Kansas for Christmas and loved lobster so that's what we had. DH and I have continued it. We've done lobster newberg, baked stuffed lobster, scallop and shrimp tortellini, seafood casseroles.

cvanbrunt

11-23-2009, 12:37 AM

Our big holiday meal is Christmas Eve. For that last several years it has been beef tenderloin with roasted shallots, bacon and port.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Beef-Tenderloin-with-Roasted-Shallots-Bacon-and-Port-4542

It's all about the gravy so there is a big bowl of mashed potatoes and several other sides I agonize over choosing every year. I'll worry about that after Thursday....

MontrealMum

11-23-2009, 12:56 AM

In my family, Christmas dinner is usually roast beef, roasted potatoes, carrots, and onions, some sort of side veg. (often green bean casserole or green beans amandine), rolls, and gravy. Cookies were usually served to the kids, and *maybe* pie to the adults, unless one of my aunts was amazingly enterprising. It was also heavy on the cocktails and appetizers ;) On Christmas Eve we also did a small family dinner in front of the fireplace w/grilled cheese, tomato soup, and homemade cookies.

Now that we encorporate DH's traditions - or go to the IL's, we often do a repeat of Thanksgiving - Canadians prefer turkey and the accompanying side dishes for Xmas, not beef - well, at least in Quebec. Strangely, DH's mum likes to roast sausages as well?!? One year my German BIL was audacious enough to put cranberries in the stuffing - they're still talking about that...so it's best not to diverge from the unbroken path ;) And there's no pumpkin pie, but instead flaming plum pudding and homemade candy cane ice cream. I'm quite satisfied with the dessert part as well as the waking up to baking chocolatines or croissants :) I think the plum pudding and mashed turnips just about did my dad in last year!

Because we sometimes travel at Xmas, our menu changes from year to year. Since I will be cooking it here in Montreal this year it is still being *discussed*, ahem. I do like to try to encorporate some of the French Canadian traditions like sugar pie or buche de Noel...haven't sold the ILs on Revillion yet, but my fun-loving Midwestern parents are totally up for it :) After two Thanksgivings I am generally up for a little experimentation, so I'm watching this thread, but not sure if I dare take the leap towards something unknown :p Really liking the link Cvanbrunt posted just above.

MoJo

11-23-2009, 07:46 AM

We do a ham with some of the same sides as Thanksgiving.

That's us, nearly every year for as long as I can remember.

Christmas dinner is always served on Christmas (there are no Christmas eve traditions in my family), but we make most of the food in advance: potato salad, bean salad, cole slaw, pumpkin and pecan pies. Then on Christmas, we just bake the ham and the dinner rolls. Usually, that's lunch and dinner.

So glad I'll be with my whole family this Christmas!

Corie

11-23-2009, 08:47 AM

Christmas Eve: Once we moved here to Rhode Island, we made a new tradition of going out for Chinese food on Christmas Eve. We have a really nice Chinese
restaurant in town and they know us since we go there so frequently. :)

After dinner, we go to the movies. We see a kids Christmas movie. This is
fun since the movie theater is usually deserted.

Christmas Day: Our meal is just like Thanksgiving.

alexsmommy

11-23-2009, 09:12 AM

Christmas Eve is our formal meal, and it varies year to year. Something more elaborate than I would make for a typical meal - usually one fish dish and one other meat.

Christmas dinner is our casual fun meal that everyone looks forward too - king crab legs, salad, garlic bread and champagne. Lately I've added some shrimp baked in butter and garlic too. Chocolate fondue for a dessert a few hours later.

AJP

11-23-2009, 09:19 AM

We host Christmas dinner and we do:
Prime Rib
Ham
Roasted Potatoes
Peas (Greek style yummy!)
salad
spanakopita
some kind of sweet potato dish
My side of the family isn't big on the prime rib so I add the ham for them. This year I may nix it and try for a small turkey.

LOTS of appetizers
Dessert - some Greek pastry, cheesecake, fruit with chocolate fondu for dipping

FYI for whoever mentioned the Greek restaurant...the Greek Orthodox religion DOES celebrate Christmas on Dec 25. All the Greeks I know in the restaurant biz are closed like 3 days a year and one is Christmas. LOL I believe the Russian Orthodox celebrate in January.

mom2binsd

11-23-2009, 09:58 AM

I've been doing a Pork Loin Roast - there are about 10 of us...it's quick and easy, no prep work and no carcass to deal with after- serve with a few sides and we're good. I don't have to spend much time away from all the fun that way.

We also go heavy on the appetizers all afternoon, veggies&dip/ shrimp rings/ spinach balls/shrimp mouse/layered dip

alien_host

11-23-2009, 10:50 AM

Christmas Eve...we usually do a pot luck type thing with family that is available that night. Meatballs and ziti, lasagna, salad, garlic bread, that type of thing.

Christmas Dinner at the ILs:
Roast Beast (standing rib roast)
Scalloped or mashed potatoes
Yorkshire Pudding
Creamed spinach or green beans (steamed) or other veggie
Christmas cookies for dessert
oh and champagne...lots of champagne ;)

Penny's Pappa

11-23-2009, 11:01 AM

I'm in the "same thing as we serve for Thanksgiving" crowd.

lizzywednesday

11-30-2009, 03:28 PM

If you ever end up at the Phoenix airport on Christmas again, please call me and I will bring you Christmas dinner!! I mean it! PM me and I'll send you my phone number!

OMG, thank you! Our flight usually arrives at Sky Harbor in the middle of the night, though, but I do appreciate the offer; it's very sweet of you. =)

Next year, we're planning to take the baby, but instead of flying on Christmas Day, we'd be flying on 12/26. (Which will probably be REALLY interesting with the crowds, but at least I'll be able to enjoy Baby's 1st Christmas with all the relations who will want to see "him.")

Fairy

11-30-2009, 03:43 PM

Our Christmas dinner is generally a repeat of thanksgiving... :)

Haven't read thru the thread, but yeah to that except with a ham instead of a turkey. This year I'm getting personal size apple & pumpkin pies from William Sonoma, the Honey Baked Ham, making home made mashed potatoes and cheesecake and green bean casserole and salad, and the rest is gonna be bought from somewhere.

cindys

11-30-2009, 03:45 PM

Every Christmas we do a "deep fried turkey" and its YUMMY!

The sides vary since I like to try different recipes but the main dish is always the same.

khalloc

11-30-2009, 05:02 PM

spiral ham - YUM!

gatorsmom

11-30-2009, 05:34 PM

Honey baked ham has gone over well the past few Christmases. Since I"m the one doing the cooking since my mom passed away AND I'm bringing the meal + gifts to my dad's house 3 hours away, I try to make it easy on myself. If everyone raves about the ham, why change that, kwim?

I do a couple of side dishes and we get these frozen pastry things that rise overnight and bake in the oven the next day for 20 minutes and I serve all that as our Brunch. It's been a big hit the past 4 Christmases.

gatorsmom

11-30-2009, 05:36 PM

And it's not a pig/pork thing, it's a salt thing. I have been known to scrape the salt off hard and soft pretzels before eating them. My husband thinks this is insane.

I can't stand all that salt either. I scrape the salt off anything I can too.

MelissaTC

11-30-2009, 05:57 PM

m448

11-30-2009, 06:01 PM

I grew up with a similar dinner to the Latin previous poster- arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), roasted pork shoulder, pasteles which are a Caribbean tamale of sorts, tomato onion and green salad, fried plantains, etc... Now that I have married my Italian and it is just us here this holiday, we are totally doing our filet mignon/lobster tails on Christmas Eve. Since we went out for dinner this Thanksgiving, I think I might make a Thanksgiving meal for Christmas.

oh yes pastel en hojas. I can tackle pastelitos on my own (the smaller version of empanadas and fried) but the pastel en hoja is a production so my mom flies them up from florida when she visits (she makes them). Yum. Of course my mom totally spoils me. She brings me cuban pastelitos on her flight too so I can get a craving filled without having to make them and she only stopped bringing croquetas because I wasn't eating them as often. If you're ever at RDU and see an older dignified latin woman guarding a pastry box with all her might then you've seen my mom.

elephantmeg

11-30-2009, 06:53 PM

we usually just end up doing boxing day with my family (day after xmas) and do jamaican rice and peas, vegetable, plantains and for desert our family favorite-brownie pudding with ice cream. Christmas day is usually with some relative and is either turkey or ham

kijip

11-30-2009, 06:58 PM

Most often rib roast with a brown sauce that takes a day to cook. Sides vary depending on my mood but they always include potatoes and greens of some kind. I jokingly call it "roast beast" like the Whos in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It's delicious. I hate ham. I'd consider doing a turkey but the rib roast is popular. When we have it with friends, they make a turkey and we do rib roast. Never too many leftovers when it comes to roast beef and turkey.