Clam dip, spiral ham, whipped potatoes, green bean almandine, red cabbage and a baked ziti.

I make Christmas cookies and I'll make a key lime pie

Just the two of us. Shrimp scampi has become a Christmas Eve tradition so I'll make that. For Christmas Day I suggested a "small plates" type meal to DH and he thought that a good idea. I cheated and purchased frozen beef tenderloin appetizers and mini-crab cakes from Wegmans. I'll make a green salad with toasted walnuts and warm spinach dip with pita chips. Still thinking about if I want add something else. Maybe a potato something. Any suggestions for a small plate type (not sweet) potato dish? We'll have cheese & crackers, nuts, olives earlier. Neither of us are big sweet eaters so I'll just buy some xmas cookies and we'll both be happy with a few of those.

Lots of good food here. I'm cooking Italian for 10 this year:

pickled eggplant

lamb ragu pasta

marinated chickens

spinach and roasted chickpeas

ricotta lemon cheesecake

almond cake

Much of it can be done the day before. I'll just be cooking pasta, roasting the chickens and wilting the spinach. I'm cheating because, while I do a different region every year, I made almost this exact meal a couple years ago. Didn't feel too creative for 2018!

We go to the cousins on Christmas Eve so it's a two day food bonanza.

We keep Christmas Day pretty casual, people (18 or 20) come and go all day long. (Our daughter has us all on Christmas Eve.) I start with brunch which includes quiches, sausage casserole, danish, various breads for toasting, mimosas. Once brunch is cleared, I set out lots of appetizers, ham, cheeses, rolls, mustards, a hash brown potato dish, brocalli salad, lots of other sides that people always bring. There will be lots of cookies, cakes and pies. We graze all day long. Fun time!

Every Christmas we (that is to say, me and my siblings at my mom's house) make a Christmas dinner and every year we spoil our dinner with the snacks and sweets that we put out beforehand. So we decided last year that THIS year we would forego the dinner and just do the snacky stuff. So this year it will be snacky Christmas. We're planning a cheese plate, crudites, fruit, crackers, chips, dip, etc. The exact menu is still a bit up in the air. We're trying to minimize the cooking.

Really trying to get my family members to step up and make something this year, but it's not going so well. I yearn for the year someone else hosts.

We usually do Christmas eve and do appetizers/small plates. I was out running errands in the rain all day and I have pretty much what we need: shrimp, herring, pierogi, kielbasa, and cheeses and pate. I don't know if we will add a beef tenderloin because this seems like a lot of food already. MIL usually brings a salad and maybe one other thing.

We usually host my parents Christmas Eve then go to 9:00pm Mass. my parents leave at go to 10pm Mass at their own church. This year, however, SIL is flying in from west coast on Christmas Eve with her dh and 1 y/0. Flight arrives around 4:30. I have no idea if they’ll want to come straight here with their toddler or go to hotel and freshen up/relax. On top of that, our favorite priest left and we don’t care for the one saying the 9pm Mass so I have no idea what we are going to do about dinner. 4pm Mass is CRAZY as it’s the kids’ Mass. 6pm would mean a late dinner that my parents couldn’t make. Meal itself is easy -homemade ravioli made ahead with salad and garlic bread, plus cannoli and tiramisu.

Christmas Day we will be at my parents. I’m not sure of the menu other than Sicilian lamb and roasted potatoes. My brother’s wife and one of their daughters are vegetarian so there will be lots of vegetable options as well. My mother expressed that she is tired of hosting so this will probably be our last year there. My kids prefer going to their house than staying home so it will be odd if we change it up next year. Funny thing is that my father does all the cooking but I think she tires of all the cleaning before and after.

I like the idea cawaps suggested about foregoing dinner. Maybe we will try that next year.

We are flying across the country to meet our young adult daughters in FL. No one lives there, it was just a good meeting place. So, I am really winging it.

Christmas Eve we are eating out. I am still working on Christmas Day. Both girls are vegetarians and DH is a meat and potato guy so .... HELP! Also one of the girls flies out Christmas evening so there are timing issues as well.

Christmas Eve looks really good!

My entertaining starts this Saturday when I host brunch for 7 'sisters.' Actually it's my SILs sisters and a few assorted SILs like myself. Everyone brings something for brunch and we exchange gifts. I'm providing spinach and bacon quiche and a berry strata. Always is fun.

Christmas Eve I'm hosting the majority of my family with 22 attending. We do easy Italian. I'm making Mushroom lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs and garlic bread. There will be another meat lasagna, apps and desserts and lots of wine. Everyone coming over at 5 pm.

Looking forward to sleeping in on Christmas morning. DH, DS and I do stockings and have a leisurely breakfast. Dinner will be for the 3 of us. Planning on beef tips and lobster mac and cheese. We'll then go to my brother's house for dessert where they are hosting my SILs family. I think she is expecting 40. That's why were just going for dessert.

We're hosting at our house in the Keys, so it will be a patio early dinner, there will be 17 of us. We will have BJ's puff pastry hot appetizers that just have to be warmed up in the oven, plus the usual cheese and veggie plates. I had already planned to grill the main course and today my dad's holiday gift of an Omaha Steaks variety pack was delivered so I've got a good start on the meat entree :). A few of us don't eat red meat so we'll grill chicken breasts too and I am thinking of trying out Ina Garten's (aka the Barefoot Contessa) lobster mac n cheese. Has anyone made it? the reviews are rapturous.

Sides will be a cucumber/onion salad my sister's bringing, baked potatoes, and some kind of vegetable that a cousin volunteered to do. Rolls/butter and for dessert my SIL is bringing homemade cookies, I'll probably make key lime pie and I think I"ll also do a batch of red velvet cupcakes from a pretty amazing local restaurateur's recipe. Assorted beverages both alcoholic and non, and we are good to go.

I think it will be fairly easy to organize. I'll make the desserts and mac/cheese ahead of time, the potatoes just get popped in the oven and I'll make a couple of the guys be grillmeisters. I really want to enjoy this party not cater it which is my mental phrase for the years when I feel like all I do is prepare, serve, clean and refresh people's meals!

We do a Christmas eve open house for neighbors with a beef tenderloin, ham, shrimp, hot crab dip, and all sorts of goodies. I used to get the brie and cranberry in pastry appetizers from Trader Joe's, but haven't seen them the last few years. Love those. It is fun and people come early, late, stay a short time, stay all night, whatever they like.

On Christmas day, we have brunch here with our son, belle-fille, and this year our granddaughter who will be 5 months old on Christmas day, plus their dog and our two. The kids go to her family for dinner. We love this set-up. I may steal Rosesstink's small plates idea for DH and me for dinner. It is quiet and lovely with just the two of us in the evening, but we also have the fun of kids during the day!

For Christmas Day, I am making broiled halibut, saffron risotto, haricots verts, salad, and eton mess.

For Christmas Eve, IDK yet. Thinking of trying the roast someone posted that you put in the oven and forget about?

I usually make pumpkin waffles on the morning, but i made them yesterday on request.

My niece now hosts the big family dinner that we do a couple of weeks before Christmas. She lives quite close to me and every year I roast the turkey and then take it up to her place to rest and to be carved.

On Christmas Day there will be 6 of us and I'll make another turkey, mashed goat cheese potatoes, roasted brussel sprouts with apples and pancetta, spinach salad, and steamed carrots. Fruit salad with lime-flavoured yogurt and Christmas baking for dessert.

We host my dh's family every Christmas eve. There will be 18 people. This year I'm making ham with a pecan bourbon sauce, sweet potatoes, baked artichokes and green beans. Christmas day we'll go to my brothers house for dinner. I'm bringing some kind of potato dish... haven't decided yet exactly what.

This weekend I'll make about 5 different kind of cookies.

Cyn what is a 'belle-fille'?

rosestink, Duchess Potatoes, tho requiring some prep work, are a great option for a "small plates" meal. I use Chowhound's recipe, the link is here: https://www.chowhound.com/recipes/duchess-potatoes-30506 

If you are looking for a "set it and forget it" roast, I love this roast pork recipe...done in the crock pot which leaves the ovens available for all the other casseroles, and it only gets sweeter and more tender with time. From Farm Bell recipes: http://chickensintheroad.com/farm-bell-recipes/cranberry-pork-roast/

We’re having all our kids and grandkids on Sunday since that is when all of them are off or not on call. I’m making two pans of lasagna, mixed salad and garlic bread. There are 14 of us. We’ll have some appetizers and dessert from DILs.

I am so impressed with your menus. You all have such wonderful ideas and cooking talent. I am revving/resting up? On Christmas Eve, two of my 3 daughters and their families will be here for our version of Italian 7 fishes dinner. My other daughter lives in NC and still has a Santa believer so she stays home. We will be 10 in all. The party begins about 1:00 and goes into the late evening. On the menu, clams posillipo, mussels prepared 2 ways in white wine and in tomato sauce; steamed clams, scungilli; calamari salad; calamari blimps stuffed with crabmeat; crab cakes; scallops a la orang; shrimp scampi and shrimp cocktail. For the littles who do not eat much of the fish, my daughter brings pigs in a blanket. I also have pizza made beforehand. A short break and then linguini in lobster sauce with the claws and the finale steamed lobster tails. For the grandkid who is allergic to lobster, I serve linguini with meatballs and sausage. I guard over the spaghetti prep to prevent cross contamination. I also serve Marilyn Sue's punch which the little kids love. Everyone pitches in during clean up, thank goodness. My kitchen is big enough for 10 of us to dine and cook. My daughter hosts Christmas Day.

We’re not hosting which is good because my stove top stopped working. Oven works so I’ll be able to make requested corn casserole but the mac and cheese will have to be a Crockpot or just oven recipe. Hopefully it’s a simple and quick fix. We’ll celebrating Christmas at two family functions that day.

Just the two of us, and so I will be making tamales using duck fat instead of lard in the masa, and the filling will be chicken thighs cooked with chilies.

So many varied and fun traditions here! Thank you for sharing.

tvq1, I hope using your grandmother's china, crystal and table linens does bring joy to your mother and rekindles some enjoyable memories for her. DH's mother will be 91 in January and also suffers from dementia. We feel blessed to still have her in our lives and she is still delightful so is a pleasure to be around.

Just a small group for me on Christmas Eve this year, my brother from Sweden and his wife, my sister from Virginia and her husband and a local friend of my brothers. My other brother was supposed to visit but his wife fell and had a bad ankle break, ruining our family Christmas plans to all ski together. I’ll serve a hot crabmeat dip appetizer, with prime rib, asparagus, hollandaise, yorkshire pudding, spinach salad with walnuts and feta and a yummy pumpkin chocolate cheesecake with caramel sauce. I’m doing half the cooking for the family get together on Christmas Day, as well, so the oven will get plenty of use this season.

On Christmas Eve we'll have cheese and charcuterie platters with fresh and dried fruits, assorted nuts and a small croquembouche in the early evening before heading out to Midnight Mass. After Mass we'll open a few presents before heading to bed.

On Christmas Day, we'll have a seafood platter for starters, oysters, shrimp, lobster and crab, and then a standing rib roast, potato gratin, roasted chestnut and Brussels sprouts, endive and watercress salad and popovers/Yorkshire puddings (as I write this, i think I am missing a vegetable, maybe glazed carrots). For dessert there will be a cheese course (the ubiquitous Stilton for sure will be there), dried fruits, especially figs and walnuts, then a yule log/buche de noel. It will just be the six of us.

Christmas breakfast is panettone.

We won't be home, so no crystal and china. We'll be at a resort where our ski house is. The house is not ready yet, thus the hotel and lack of china, crystal and linen, which I really, really love. A beautifully set table trumps the meal in my opinion.

tvq1, I hope your grandmother's china works its magic for your mother.

PS I do not make any of the desserts.

PPS I forgot there will be watercress soup before the roast beef on Christmas Day- I tried to omit this, but was just forcefully vetoed.

I have no plan. There will only be 5 of us. The lack of a plan is starting to cause me to freak out a bit.

I generally serve ham, 2 kinds of potatoes, green beans,salad and yeast rolls with assorted desserts BUT the family wanted Chinese carry out this year! So I’m not cooking and adding assorted desserts and a ice cream bar to the mix. For brunch the next day they want tacos . So it will be an easy and diverse holiday.

A few weeks ago we made reservations for a Christmas Eve dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. Its difficult getting even a few schedules to work. Christmas Day will be quiet. The evening will be spent with neighbors. I have been having health issues again so it's all good, don't have much of a work load.

lakeaffect - Thanks for the suggestion. Those potatoes look good.

Another idea popped into my head during my commute today: tortellini with porcini mushroom sauce. Yum.

Normally I host Christmas, last year was for 22. This year we are remodeling and of course it’s taking longer than expected. Fortunately BIL and girlfriend agreed to host, so the big family get together will be on Sunday. I only have to bring wine.

Christmas I will be cooking at my friends house for the four of us. Keeping it simple. Rib roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, steamed carrots, kale salad and crescent rolls.

Everyones menus sound delish!

happy2be, your Christmas Eve sounds amazing! I love seafood. Despite the fact that my paternal grandparents are both from Italy, they never did the Feast of 7 Fishes for my father's family growing up. My father is a great cook so for holidays when I was a kid, he was always making fresh pasta and all kinds of dishes from southern Italian cuisine. Then when I went to college in the Bronx, when my father picked me up for Christmas break my freshman year we stopped in Little Italy and got fresh ravioli to bring home. We decided to save it for Christmas Eve. Since then, ravioli has been a Christmas Eve tradition in my family. After I left NY, we found a place in Baltimore that makes it daily. I don't know why my father never made his own ravioli b/c he has made every other kind of fresh pasta! However, dh (not Italian!) decided to start making it himself about 5-6 years ago so we still have ravioli every Christmas Eve but dh and the kids make it (don't tell him, but I like the Baltimore shop's ravioli better!). As much as I love it though, your seafood menu is right up my alley!

running, belle-fille is French for daughter-in-law. I love mine like my own child and belle-fille (beautiful girl) just seems to fit her better! ;-)

I feel like I should catalogue these menus. They are amazing.

I’m looking for a tried and true breakfast casserole for Christmas morning. I’d prefer to make it the day before. Any suggestions? Thanks and Merry Christmas!

Nate’s Grandma

Natesgram, I serve this with quiche. It really is delicious, and better made the day before.

1 (6-ounce) package long-grain and wild rice mix

1 pound ground pork sausage (Jimmy Dean)

1 pound ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms (i've used the jarred, they work fine)

1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 (2.25-ounce) package sliced natural almonds (1/2 cup)

Preparation

Cook rice mix according to package directions.

Cook sausage and ground beef in a large skillet, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Cook onion and mushrooms in same skillet over medium heat 7 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

Combine rice, sausage and beef, onion and mushrooms, water chestnuts, parsley, and soy sauce; stir well. Spoon mixture into an ungreased 13" x 9" baking dish. Cover and chill casserole overnight.

Remove from refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds.

Bake, covered at 350° for 20 minutes - uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Who had the strata recipe that was cooked with a paper bag? It is excellent.

Baked French toast with fruit is also good.

Here is Anglophilia's recipe, totally delish. Serve w salad and fruit to cut the richness.

[https://www.houzz.com/discussions/luncheon-menu-dsvw-vd~4478789[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/luncheon-menu-dsvw-vd~4478789)

(Scroll down ~ half way)

Baked French toast made with challah is fantastic!

cyn, I hope one day I have a DIL I can call belle-fille. Not just that she fits the title, but that she understands the reference. Fingers crossed :)

KSWL2 had a good baked french toast recipe plus there are others in this thread from Christmas past. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/kswl2-french-toast-recipe-dsvw-vd~3379216

Thanks all. They all look delicious and there are so many to choose from. I’m anxious to make one of them.

My MIL does Christmas dinner every year. She had emergency surgery a couple of days ago so I will be hosting and mixing it up with Mexican food this year. She wants to host her traditional dinner once she recovers. So we will not be having the usual 20 + family, MIL is just home from the hospital and weak. We are caring for her and my FIL who has dementia. There will just be 9 of us, we will start the day with quiche, bacon, fruit salad, cheesy potatoes and breads. Mid-day I will put out a table of goodies for munching, we will have Christmas cookies, brie bites, cheese and crackers, olives, and a veggie platter. For dinner we will be enjoying Carne Asada, Tamales, Cheese Enchiladas Rice, Beans, Fruit Salad along with guacamole and salsas. Dessert is apple and mince pies.

All I am making this year is pistachio baklava! Christmas eve is our big celebration. My sister hosts and cooks Italian-- I used to contribute but she really prefers to do it all on her own. I MAY make a baked shrimp scampi because everyone loves it-- but I am hesitant because it throws off her oven schedule. I am doing Christmas morning but in order to keep the hassle low and the enjoyment high, it will all be store/bakery bought. Same sister is doing some kind of egg dish and I will have rosemary ham, smoked salmon, NYC bagels (a treat for all), pastries, vegan sticky buns (grrr), a large fresh fruit platter. We'll also have bloody marys and mimosas. I'll basically assemble the pre-bought treats in (hopefully) pleasing ways :)

I really enjoy this approach to Christmas-- almost everything is wrapped and I am heading out for brunch with my nephew soon. A very sane and calm lead up to the holiday. This afternoon I will make the baklava and meet a friend at the bookstore. Perfect!

We went to a Cuban market this morning and bought fresh masa for the tamales, along with a chicken, some chilies, achiote paste, and some corn husks. If I couldn't find corn husks (or did not want to go out to buy them), I was going to use banana leaves from the back yard.

I'm going to cook the chicken today and then make the tamales tomorrow. I plan to make it Yucatecan style, which is why I bought the achiote paste. I have oranges in my back yard that I can use also, as well as limes, in case the oranges are too sweet. I plan to make a lot of extra tamales and freeze a bunch of them.

We are not religious, and celebrate the season as a cultural thing, and we alternate hosting duties with our equally non-religious neighbors and have a very low key xmas day meal, this year I am hosting, and we are having veggies, crackers and dip, a beef tenderloin, duchess potatoes, salad and cheesecake; fun, easy and no traveling. Happy Holidays to all!

Maddie, I make a similar casserole but without the mushrooms, water, chestnuts, parsley, and soy sauce.

I've posted this recipe before and I could eat it 24/7. No need to precook the rice.

I double the recipe so I can eat leftovers. It reheats great in the microwave.

Sausage Rice Casserole

1 lb. Sausage, browned and drained...I use Jimmy Dean Country

1 c. uncooked Rice...I use Uncle Ben's white

1 1/2 c raw Carrots, sliced on the thin side

1 can Chicken Broth

Chopped onion (I don't use it)

1/4 c. Water

Preheat oven to 375. Spray cooking oil in a 9x13 pan. If you double the recipe, you can still use a 9x13 pan.

Layer in order: Rice, Carrots, Broth, Water, Sausage

Cover tightly with foil

Cook for 30 min. then stir everything together. Return to oven for another 30 min.

This is the best rice I've ever had, nice and fluffy. :)

I feel guilty that I"ve actually been having a mostly relaxing day while dh is slaving in the kitchen ALL day. He went to the grocery store early and while he was gone, I made marinara sauce for the ravioli mentioned above. I failed to mention that *his* tradition every year is to make chocolate chip pumpkin bread (old Ghirardelli recipe) for all our friends/neighbors/coworkers. He sometimes makes 40 loaves. Well, I thought he was done but nope, got home from the store and made two more batches. Then he started in on the filling for the ravioli. He made the meat ravioli first, finally took a break for dinner, and is now working on the cheese ravioli. Our 13 y/o has been a great helper.

The other day, he decided that he wanted to bring pumpkin cheesecake to my parents' house for Christmas. My mom is already making dessert but he decided he wanted this as well so she didn't have to make an additional dessert. I warned him the cheesecake needs to be made ahead. He said he was going to make it tonight. Well, he's already said he will do it tomorrow. Yet I just realized now, at 9:30pm, that he still hasn't made the tiramisu for Christmas Eve dessert. His response - "I got it, I didn't forget. I'm making both tomorrow."

Every year he does this. He takes on too much and then complains after the fact about how exhausted he is. I happily would have bought the tiramisu in Little Italy where it is fabulous. Nope, he needs to make it from scratch.

I wouldn't care but he makes a disaster out of the kitchen for days on end b/c he doesn't clean up until the very end. I cannot STAND clutter so it makes me nuts that my kitchen is a mess with no end in sight. I couldn't even make dinner tonight b/c there was no room! We had to get take out. I suppose I shouldn't complain - it is nice that he loves to cook. I do as well, but I am much better at planning and timing (and cleaning up and starting fresh each day).

I mentioned next year doing a sort of buffet spread of heavy appetizers instead of Christmas dinner (someone else here mentioned doing that this year, and since my mom has decided this is her last year of hosting, I thought that idea sounded good for next year). Of course, he made a face. But we host a sit-down dinner on Christmas Eve! And seriously, I'd like to actually enjoy Christmas not spend two days in a row feeding a formal sit down dinner to my family when HE is the only one who cares. My kids would happily graze all day.

We're traditionalists! Jordan Pond Lobster Stew and popovers for Christmas Eve -- this year DD, SIL and the grands will be here too! Church for the service of carols and candles (and we're providing the cookies and wassail after). Fruitcake and cookies and eggnog as our bedtime snack while we read 'Twas The Night Before Christmas and The Christmas Story from Luke. Christmas breakfast is Kringle, fruit and coffee. Dinner is turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes gravy, cranberry sauce, rolls,, green beans and mince pie. Supper is a turkey sandwich and milk and if anyone is hungry there is fruitcake and cookies.

We did the “snacky” Christmas for several years but TBH I started to feel like that was almost more work than a regular dinner. Last year DD, who was 16, made lasagna for our dinner. This year she’s making breakfast with DH (I had suggested DH make breakfast since I end up spending most of the day in the kitchen...so he enlisted DD because he’s kinda hopeless in the kitchen). Breakfast will be bacon quiche (bought), bacon, French toast casserole (homemade), and fruit. Dinner (for 9 of us) will be spiral cut ham, fancy mac and cheese, green beans, and carrots. We’re going to my best friend‘s house for dessert.

We go to a restaurant for Christmas Eve dinner.

We missed Thanksgiving because we lost my Mom two days before. So we're doing Thanksgiving dinner, with a few Christmas faves for our main meal.

For Christmas Eve after church we had our traditional Boiled Shrimp, Guacamole with chips, and Fondue.

Breakfast will be early and east because DD has to work 8:00-11:30 and we will have DGS's Santa before. Strata, fruit, cinnamon rolls, with milk punch.

Lunch will be a variety of appetizers, smoked salmon, tamales, dips, sausage ball and cheeses. Hot Spiced Tea. This is also gift opening time.

Christmas dinner:

Turkey

Ham

Grandmother's dressing

Spinich Madeline

Green Beans

Ginger Cinnamon Baby Carrots

Pioneer Woman make ahead mashed potatoes with chives.

Ambrosia

chocolate caramel pie

Mom's Yeast rolls

I've been cooking the last few days and all but the Turkey, green beans and carrots are done. DD made the dips, pie and rolls. The tamales were a last minute addition because the Hispanic congregation was selling those at church yesterday and they are homemade and delicious.

Our Christmas dinner was offbeat. But this Christmas was a bit off beat-my kids who live out of town were not able to join us, and my Mom & her husband didn't come, but my niece and her boyfriend who recently moved to Oregon were able to come.

We had rib eye steaks, Costco's Mac & Cheese, fresh green beans, spring mix salad, roasted root veggies and my SIL who is vegetarian made a Qorn roast. Dessert was pumpkin pie with lots of whipped cream (DGS loved the cream, the pie not so much) and cheesecake.

Usually we make lasagna and Italian sausages.

Lars, I will be more than happy to take any left over tamales. We used to have a little abuela who would come around with her granddaughter and peddle her tamales but I think they moved since she hasn't been around in quite some time. I really loved her corn tamales, but her carnitas tamales were to die for!