Christmas Day Foods

[kmb584]

My grandmother has always hosted Christmas, but she fell and broke her scapula a month ago so I volunteered to host dinner this year. My menu this far includes:

Tossed Salad
Vegetable Tray
Cheese, Pepperoni, and Crackers
Shrimp and Cocktail Sauce
Dinner Rolls
Ham - spiral sliced bone-in (Kansas City Steak Co)
Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Vegetables (squash, zucchini, red peppers)
Cupcakes

Christmas Eve dinner is at my great aunt's house and includes lobster, sea scallops, octopus, squid, whiting, linguini with clam sauce, shrimp, Baccalà, various appetizers and vegetables, and breaded chicken for those who don't like seafood.

 

[Wendy31]

DH has to go into work on Christmas Day night, so we're actually having our Christmas Day tomorrow. We always invite our parents for Christmas Day to our house, & I usually have some sort of "theme." One year we had Italian. We've done Hawaiian, &, last year, we did a Cajun Christmas.

This year, we're having Brunch & serving the following:

Smoked Ham
Pineapple Stuffing
Sausage & Wild Rice Casserole
Hashbrown Casserole
Sweet Potato Souffle
Frittata
Roasted Asparagus
Cheese Grits
Pear Compote
Fruit Salad
Biscuits & Gravy
Apple Julep, Orange & Cranberry Juices, Iced Tea, & Coffee

And, for dessert - Cranberry & Orange Tart, Egg Nog Coffee Cake, & Hot Chocolate Tiramisu

My mom is bringing a Cheese Danish as well, & we also have 13 different cookies & candies that we've made this week! LOL!

We're having lunch w/ DH's side of the family on Christmas Eve. I'm not sure what his mom is preparing, but I'm bringing a Gingerbread Cake. We've having dinner on Christmas Eve w/ my side of the family. Mom is serving a ham w/ traditional sides, & I'm bringing Vinegar Slaw, Cranberry Sauce, & Strawberry Pretzel Salad (all things I can prepare the night before).

 

[Vernie822]

Omg, drooling at those pull apart dippers!!

We made this dip for a party last weekend and we like it. We serve it with corn chips. Bacon cheddar ranch dip = 1 16oz container sour cream, 1 package cooked bacon or bacon bits, chopped up, shredded cheddar cheese (I usually use 1-1.5 cups) and 1 packet ranch seasoning!

 

[MrsDuck]

There are only 6 of us this year.

We are doing:
Spiral ham
Butter corn
Greenbeans
Sweet potato casserole
Rolls
Pumpkin pie
Oatmeal pie (an Amish country recipe we fell in love with)
Christmas cookies

 

[dashofsunshine]

Everyone in my family is so tired of turkey/ham/holiday food, lol. So we're doing it differently this year...

We're buying several different types of premade pizza dough (Publix has regular, Italian seasoned, whole wheat, etc...) and a huge smorgasbord of cheeses, meats, and veggies for toppings. Everyone can make their own pizza with whatever they want on it. We'll also have salad and wine, cause duh.

 

[Wendy31]

Everyone in my family is so tired of turkey/ham/holiday food, lol. So we're doing it differently this year...

We're buying several different types of premade pizza dough (Publix has regular, Italian seasoned, whole wheat, etc...) and a huge smorgasbord of cheeses, meats, and veggies for toppings. Everyone can make their own pizza with whatever they want on it. We'll also have salad and wine, cause duh.

I am too, & I think I'd much rather have munchies & appetizers! A loaded baked potato bar sounds wonderful! So do your pizzas!

W/ us, though, I think everyone has come to expect some kind of elaborate meal... This year, when DH called his mom to confirm the time for tomorrow, she told him she was talking to one of her friends & telling her that they were coming to our house for Christmas, & her friend said, "Ooh! What are they fixing this year?" Evidently, they "talk". LOL!

My mother-in-law's favorite thing that we've done is a Crown Rib Roast. We've cooked one twice, &, every Christmas, she brings it up like she was hoping we were doing one again. Those are expensive! LOL! Besides, I don't want to do one every year!

 

[sk!mom]

Ugh ya'll making this difficult! I keep thinking just easy foods. We're going to have a dinner meal on Christmas Eve at the crazy lady's and we had two other holiday dinners last week.
Everyone's dinners sound great but after all the cooking and baking I've done lately I'm tired of my kitchen.
Hey I guess typing this all out helped me make the decision. Thanks, ya'll!

If it was just DH and I, and I wanted easy...
Shrimp cocktail (purchased from HEB ready to go)
Cheese ball and crackers (purchased from HEB ready to go)
smokeys and sauce in a crockpot (just buy the high end of both and dump in a crock pot)
Queso and chips (dump the ingredients in a crock)
For dessert- open up the boxes of truffles and candies that we have been given as gifts.

This is pretty close to what I'm doing on Christmas Eve.

 

[tarheel618]

Smoked Turkey (from Publix) I don't really like turkey but love this. Worth every penny
Ham
Homemade noodles
sweet potatoes
fresh green beans
rolls
pecan pie
fruit
something else sweet- haven't decided yet

 

[dashofsunshine]

I am too, & I think I'd much rather have munchies & appetizers! A loaded baked potato bar sounds wonderful! So do your pizzas!

W/ us, though, I think everyone has come to expect some kind of elaborate meal... This year, when DH called his mom to confirm the time for tomorrow, she told him she was talking to one of her friends & telling her that they were coming to our house for Christmas, & her friend said, "Ooh! What are they fixing this year?" Evidently, they "talk". LOL!

My mother-in-law's favorite thing that we've done is a Crown Rib Roast. We've cooked one twice, &, every Christmas, she brings it up like she was hoping we were doing one again. Those are expensive! LOL! Besides, I don't want to do one every year!

Oh Lord, haha, that's so hard when they expect something amazing! My husband and I cooked thanksgiving this year and everyone raved, so I'm terrified we've set up a new norm

We used to do Christmas Day at my Granny's, and this will be the first Christmas without her, so we're changing up the traditions there's just 6 of us celebrating now, so it's easier to do something low key! Haha

 

[tarheel618]

Everyone in my family is so tired of turkey/ham/holiday food, lol. So we're doing it differently this year...

We're buying several different types of premade pizza dough (Publix has regular, Italian seasoned, whole wheat, etc...) and a huge smorgasbord of cheeses, meats, and veggies for toppings. Everyone can make their own pizza with whatever they want on it. We'll also have salad and wine, cause duh.

We do this at Easter- We always grill steaks instead of a traditional meal

 

[dashofsunshine]

We do this at Easter- We always grill steaks instead of a traditional meal

Steak is ALWAYS a good idea!

 

[traviesojmt]

As it apparently will be in the 70s here in Texas, we are grilling out steaks for my DH and myself and burgers for the kids. Everyone got to pick a side. I'm having a baked potatoes DH chose fries, DD- Mac and cheese and DS-cole slaw. All easy stuff. I'll be adding deviled eggs and maybe broccoli casserole. Thanksgiving is tiring but Christmas will be easy and relaxed.

 

[indygirl99]

I have to work Christmas and we are having a "breakfast" at work so who knows what there will actually be. Our work meals can be really elaborate or hit and miss when people "forget".

Hubby just found out today that he doesn't go in Thursday night ( which gives him a 4 day weekend) so we will be hitting a restaurant Christmas eve, steak or fish, his choice.

Hubby will be spending Christmas day with his mom and brothers family since I work 12 hr shifts. Works for me since none of them like me.

 

[RedAngie]

We do our Polish Meal on Christmas Eve. I can't wait. I dream of my mother's Pierogis all year long! We also have borsht with kielbasa and potatoes, than my Mom makes babka and some type of seafood dish. I think this year it will be a scallop casserole. I cannot wait!!

We traditionally have seafood on Christmas Eve too. It's just DH and I, so one crab cake each, purchased from the seafood counter, and some broiled scallops. Maybe a shrimp cocktail to start.

 

[MIGrandma]

Christmas Day will just be DH and me and my Mom. We're taking her to the local Chinese buffet for lunch, just like we did last year. Surprisingly there were quite a few people there last year. I thought it would be empty but I guess others had the same idea we did.

Our big family Christmas will be January 3rd at our house. We're providing the spiral ham, cheesy potatoes, a relish tray, a pumpkin roll and decorated Christmas cookies for dessert. Others are bringing ham dip/crackers, cocktail wieners in BBQ sauce, bourbon baked beans, mushroom meatballs, and a tray of Christmas candy. We'll have punch and several 2-liter soft drinks. I may do a tray of pickled bologna/hickory stick and cheeses with crackers too. We serve it buffet style, works well for everyone that way.

 

[MSLRAC]

Christmas Eve we do finger foods...sausage balls, buffalo chicken dip, crap dip, shrimp cocktail, veggie pizza

DH cooks Christmas breakfast...french toast casserole and a bacon, ham, and sausage quiche

Christmas dinner...caesar salad, steak, crab legs, homemade au gratin potatoes, grilled asparagus, glazed rainbow carrots, popovers, peanut butter cup cheesecake, and banana pudding

 

[MomofKatie]

Christmas morning, I always make the same thing- pannetone bread pudding from a recipe by Giada. It is amazingly delicious. It is served with two sauces- an amaretto cream and a cinnamon syrup.

For dinner, we are having roast chicken, stuffing, and sautéed green beans.

 

[disneychrista]

I'm doing Pizza Pinwheels.

Pizza Crust - rolled out into a rectangle
Pizza Sauce
Mozz Cheese
Pepperoni

Rolled up, sliced and baked.

 

[sasywtch]

A few years ago we changed up from traditional turkey/ham to tacos. A few people fry some hamburger, we mix it together in a crockpot, I'm making my grandson's favorite pasta salad, others are providing the chopped tomatoes, lettuce, onions, avacados etc. I am making cookies and an apple/carmel cake with homemade chunky cinnamon applesauce you can warm up and put over your slice of cake. It's so much more relaxing then before. In previous years it seemed the opening of gifts ran into the making dinner and no one relaxed and just enjoyed the day.

 

[ronandannette]

...My mother-in-law's favorite thing that we've done is a Crown Rib Roast. We've cooked one twice, &, every Christmas, she brings it up like she was hoping we were doing one again. Those are expensive! LOL! Besides, I don't want to do one every year!

We're hosting Boxing Day and decided to go with standing rib roast as well since most everyone will have had turkey the day before. We won't be a huge crowd so I got a 5-rib one (about 6 lbs.) and it cost almost $70 .

Christmas Day will just be DH and me and my Mom. We're taking her to the local Chinese buffet for lunch, just like we did last year. Surprisingly there were quite a few people there last year. I thought it would be empty but I guess others had the same idea we did...

Since we're going to be on our own Christmas Day I though we might try going out too, for the first time ever. I'm pretty shocked to find that with the exception of the dining rooms in the landmark hotels pretty much NOTHING is open . This is in a city of 1.3 million people.