Plan the perfect holiday feast with these 55 best Christmas dinner ideas. Find classic comfort foods and some new recipes that are sure to impress your guests this holiday season.
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The holidays will be here before we know it, and if you are like me, you are already starting to think about all the fun Christmas traditions just around the corner. Whether it’s searching for the perfect gifts to put under the tree or making festive treats to share with friends and family, there is always something to do, plan, and look forward to during the most joyous time of the year.
And, one of the things I look most forward to when this time of the year rolls around is figuring out what to make for Christmas morning breakfast and Christmas dinner because honestly, who can resist all the delicious holiday food?
Over the years, we have enjoyed ham, roast turkey with all trimmings, prime rib, and even just snacks and appetizers one year to make it super easy so we could relax and enjoy Christmas day. This year, I still haven’t decided what our Christmas menu will be but I thought while I was gathering up ideas for our feast, that I would share some ideas with you just in case you are also looking for some holiday dinner inspiration.
Hopefully, these Christmas dinner ideas will make planning your Christmas menu a breeze this holiday season. Enjoy!
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Christmas Dinner Ideas
Impress your guests this holiday season with these delicious and festive Christmas dinner ideas. You will find everything from Christmas appetizers to main dishes, side dishes, and holiday dessert ideas.
Appetizers
Appetizers are the perfect way to start any holiday feast and these crowd-pleasing recipes are sure to be a hit at your Christmas gathering.
Christmas Tree Dip
This Christmas Tree Dip appetizer is a party headliner! Layers of scrumptious, bold Mediterranean flavors make it addictive … and its cute holiday “tree” shape makes it the centerpiece of any buffet or the ideal starter for a dinner party!
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Stuffed Mushrooms with Crab
These crab-stuffed mushrooms are a delightful blend of sweet crab meat, cream cheese, Parmesan, and a hint of spice, creating a creamy and flavorful filling. Baked to perfection with a golden, crispy top, they make for an irresistible appetizer or side dish that’s both rich and satisfying.
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Cranberry Walnut Cheese Ball
This festive Cranberry Walnut Cheese Ball combines the standard cream cheese and cheddar with a sweet tang from orange zest and dried cranberries.
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Goat Cheese Croquettes
These crispy goat cheese croquettes are an appetizer that everyone will love! Creamy goat cheese mixed with thyme, breaded with Panko and fried until crispy and golden. Then drizzled with honey, and sprinkled with finely chopped walnuts and almonds.
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EASY Holiday Hummus Appetizer
Easy, healthy and festive this Appetizer Holiday Hummus is a must for every party!
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Christmas Guacamole
Christmas guacamole is more than just a delicious dip; it’s a festive centerpiece and crowd-pleaser that comes together in just 5 minutes!
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More Easy Appetizers for Christmas Dinner
Looking for more simple appetizers to serve before Christmas dinner? Find easy party dip recipes including hot and cold party dips. As well as, creative Christmas charcuterie board ideas, and holiday air fryer appetizers that are sure to please everyone.
Main Dishes
When it comes to any holiday feast, one of the most important decisions is deciding what your main dish will be. Whether you have decided to go with beef, turkey, chicken, seafood, or pork, you are sure to find something in this list to add to your Christmas menu.
Roast Turkey Breast
This Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast is my go-to for a fuss-free Christmas feast, especially suited for smaller gatherings. It's the perfect alternative to roasting a whole turkey, ensuring that you still get to enjoy a succulent, perfectly seasoned roast turkey breast. With each bite tender and full of flavor, it's an ideal choice for celebrating the festive season with your loved ones without the stress of preparing a full-size turkey!
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Dutch Oven Roasted Chicken
This Dutch Oven roasted chicken is melt in your mouth tender and so flavorful! This easy and straightforward recipe produces the most juicy and delicious whole chicken. It is great for family dinners, holidays, meal prep and leftovers.
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Cranberry Cream Cheese Stuffed Flank Steak
This extra-special recipe for flank steak includes a rich, creamy filling plus cranberries for a contrasting flavour. So consider adding this easy recipe for steak rolls to your Christmas menu.
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Slow Cooker Honey Glazed Ham
Crock Pot ham is a hassle-free and delicious way to serve up a tender, juicy main dish for Christmas. Slow-cooked with a sweet glaze, this easy holiday ham is perfect for a stress-free Christmas dinner that everyone will love.
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Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Chipotle
This wonderful Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Chipotle Dry Rub is crispy, juicy, and tender on the inside, with unique flavors of Chipotle and herbs.
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Grilled New York Strip Roast (with Garlic Herb Crust)
NY Strip Roast makes a great holiday dinner on the grill. Tender and juicy roast for an impressive presentation for celebration dinners.
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Easy Prime Rib {Grill or Oven Roasted}
Easy recipe for delicious Prime Rib with a simple garlic rub. Step by step instructions for the grill or oven roasting for tender prime rib.
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Red Wine Pot Roast
Red Wine Pot Roast just melts in your mouth! The beef is braised for hours in a savory red wine sauce for tender, flavorful shreds with a slight crisp.
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Pecan Crusted Salmon
Love salmon but need a quick, easy and simple recipe to use it in? Try this 3 ingredient Pecan Crusted Salmon! This recipe uses just pecans, salmon, and maple syrup but it provides a delicious, unique flavor combination that you cannot get enough of.
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Slow Cooker Beef Manhattan
You can put this up in the morning and enjoy for Christmas Eve dinner or Christmas Day. Only has 4 ingredients and is so full of wonderful flavors. Mashed potatoes and crusty bread go really well with this dish.
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Air Fryer Turkey Breast
Air Fryer Turkey Breast - Garlic and fresh herb-seasoned turkey in the air fryer - moist and juicy on the inside with a crispy, golden brown skin on the outside.
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Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Impress your dinner guests with this delicious and easy stuffed pork tenderloin recipe. The tenderloin is stuffed with sauteed shallots, red bell pepper, garlic, spinach, and Parmesan cheese, pan-seared and roasted to golden perfection.
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Best Ever Beef Bourguignon
Try the Best Ever Beef Bourguignon made by slowly braising beef in a delicate wine sauce and then garnished with mushrooms, pearl onions, and carrots
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5-Ingredient Baked Honey Ham
This homemade Honey Baked Ham has the most delicious honey mustard sauce. The sauce is more of a saucy au jus, rather than a gravy. See notes if you want a thick sauce. Spoon plenty of it over the slices of ham, and watch it disappear!
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How to Cook Standing Rib Roast
This prime rib roast or standing rib roast is seasoned with a dry spice rib marinade. Then, cooked to a perfect medium-rare, and served with pomegranate gravy. The perfect roast to serve on special occasions.
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Easy Honey Glazed Spiral Ham
Honey baked hams are delicious and are super popular at the holidays and this honey orange ham glaze is always a hit. A large ham makes a big feast on a holiday table, and will practically cook itself freeing you up to make your favorite sides.
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Side Dishes for Christmas Dinner
Complete your holiday feast with these flavorful Christmas side dishes. From creamy mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese to roasted veggies and festive salads, these side dish recipes pair perfectly with any main course.
Ultimate Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows
This sweet potato casserole is easy to make and so delicious. A flavorful sweet potato base is layered with crunchy, candied pecans and topped with toasted marshmallows.
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Southern Baked Mac and Cheese
This southern baked mac and cheese recipe is the ultimate holiday side dish!
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Potato Souffle
This Potato Soufflé is your classic mashed potato side dish made even better! It's a fluffy garlic parmesan mashed potato casserole that's folded together with whipped egg whites, and then baked until golden brown on top.
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Green Beans with Almonds and Caramelized Onions
Green Beans with Almonds and Caramelized Onions are made with green beans tossed with slow-cooked caramelized onions, fresh lemon zest, a touch of garlic, and crunchy almonds.
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Maple Ginger Glazed Carrots (Oven Roasted)
Perfectly sweet and and delicious these Maple Ginger Glazed Carrots will add a beautiful pop of color to your dinner table! They couldn’t be easier to come together and make a great side dish to just about anything!
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Pan Seared Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts
These quick balsamic glazed brussels sprouts are crispy, lightly sweet and utterly delicious. Perfect healthy and easy vegan side dish for your holiday menu ready in 20 minutes!
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Oven Roasted Vegetables with Garlic
Prepare oven roasted vegetables with garlic for a flavorful side dish. Try this delicious recipe with broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots.
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Roasted Broccolini with Parmesan-Pine Nut Pangritata
Tender-crisp roasted broccolini with rich, crunchy Italian breadcrumbs (pangritata) blended with parmesan and pine nuts.
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Spiced Red Cabbage (Christmas Dinners and Sunday Roasts)
This Spiced Red Cabbage is a flavorful and vibrant side dish, perfect for elevating your Christmas dinners or Sunday roasts. The combination of sweet, tangy, and warm spiced flavors pairs beautifully with hearty roast meats and vegetables, adding a festive touch to your meal.
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Christmas Side Dish: Roasted Beet & Turnip Duo
Brighten your Christmas dinner with this roasted beet and turnip duo side dish. Red beets and white turnips create a festive color scheme.
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Pomegranate and Feta Winter Salad
This Pomegranate and Feta Winter Salad is full of fresh, seasonal flavor and textural components that make it the perfect elevated side dish when entertaining or enjoying a family dinner at home. With crunchy maple walnuts, salty feta, sweet pomegranate seeds, spicy red onion, and a tangy maple lemon vinaigrette there is something for everyone.
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Easy Classic Side Dishes for Christmas Dinner
Desserts
We can’t forget about the desserts! Christmas desserts are the perfect way to add a little sweetness to your holiday celebrations. The best part of holiday desserts is that they can be as elaborate or as simple as you would like. Whether you are looking for easy no-bake Christmas treats, decadent chocolate desserts, delicious pie recipes, or festive peppermint recipes, desserts are the perfect happy ending to any holiday feast.
Chewy Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Get ready for your home to smell like Christmas with these chewy gingerbread cookie bars with cream cheese frosting. They’re soft, super easy to make, and a fun treat to share during the holidays!
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Christmas Oreo Balls
These Christmas Oreo balls are easy to make with crushed Oreos and cream cheese. Dipped in white chocolate and decorated with sprinkles, these truffles look elegant on any cookie exchange tray and are an irresistible holiday treat!
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Christmas Cookie Wreath
This Christmas Cookie Wreath is quick and easy to make and looks so festive. Serve at your next Christmas gathering and watch it disappear.
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Gingerbread Cake with Cinnamon Molasses Frosting
Gingerbread Cake with Cinnamon Molasses frosting is a holiday favorite, full of warm spices and a not-too-sweet old fashioned frosting.
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White Chocolate and Mascarpone No Bake Cheesecake
This mascarpone no bake cheesecake has a gingerbread crust, a rich white chocolate filling and topped with sugared cranberries.
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Sourdough Bread Pudding
This mouthwatering Sourdough Bread Pudding is an easy to make dessert that elevates day-old sourdough into something spectacular. Rich, warm and comforting, this is a knock-out bread pudding recipe best served with rum butter sauce and a scoop of ice cream.
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Find more holiday dessert recipes to try:
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