Traditional Christmas Dinner
Though a traditional Christmas dinner may not be as rigidly traditional as the prior month's Thanksgiving meal, there are certainly precedents to adhere to and rules to follow. This guide will give you the Christmas Day lunch and dinner basics. Here, you can learn what foods are surefire ways to impress your guests and some acceptable culinary deviations off the beaten path.
The Main Course
Like Thanksgiving, turkey is a traditional Christmas favorite for American families. However, it is not the only dish that can serve as center stage on Christmas. Many families prefer a ham, while others opt for a tasty pheasant or a goose.
Popular Side Dishes
Christmas side dishes mirror the traditional main courses: they read like an expanded Thanksgiving menu. Mix and match your favorite winter foods, but always keep your entree in mind when picking sides. Accompany ham with sweet dishes, like roasted fruit. For juicy meats (like boar and roast beef), potatoes and other absorbent foods will do the trick. There are obviously dozens of options, but here are some of the most popular and easyprepare among them.
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Delectable Desserts
Okay, so the meal is done and everyone's buttons are bursting off their shirts, but the fun has only just begun. Yuletide desserts are among the most delicious seasonal treats available. While you can't go wrong with normal sweets like chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookies, fudge, or iced sugar cookies, there are several special items that are best eaten around the holidays. These will keep your guests satisfied with warm, full bellies, and they'll make your home smell heavenly too.
What To Drink
Last, but certainly not least, the holidays provide yet another excuse to sit down, relax, and have a few afterbased sauces. Here is a short list of suggestions.
Tips for a Successful Christmas Dinner
For more information on this subject, see our guide to
Hosting a Christmas Party.
* Tackling Christmas dinner is obviously a huge task, so plan ahead to make sure you have a guest headcount and are aware of any
dietary restrictions well before the date. You'll have enough things to do right before the party, and you certainly don't want to be caught rushing around to shops last minute.
* Give your guests plenty of advance notice so they can plan accordingly, especially if you're planning a potluck.
* Come up with a budget. If you have a basic idea of how much everything should cost, you will be less likely to overspend. Keep your budget handy and consult it frequently to make sure you're still on track.
* Enlist your friends and family to help. If you are hosting, you can absolutely ask people to contribute a dish, help with setting up and cleaning, and so on. If people offer assistance, accept it!
* Be aware of the fact that some people run on a different schedule, and thus they might arrive late. Consider having a
traditions, where possible. Your guests will appreciate this intimacy, and they might get ideas for their own future holidays.
* Prep and cook as much food as you can the night before. The better prepared you are, the more in control you will feel on the day of the party.
* Make sure you take some time for you on the day of the party. Give yourself at least a half hour to sit and unwind so you're fresh and relaxed when everyone arrives. This is a celebration, not a chore, so be sure you're able to enjoy everything as much as your guests do.
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