Prime rib! And Yorkshire pudding but that's a family thing....you can skip and just serve with roasted potatoes.

We did a prime rib roast one year. It was very good. Another year someone sprung for a whole beef tenderloin. It was good but brought about squabbling about the temperature it was cooked to. Then there was the year of the lasagna. Did not feel as special but we had a HUGE group and it was easier and well received. There is always roast pork too. Endless possibilities!

Gardengal, I LOVE Yorkshire pudding!

We had a beef tenderloin one year, omg it was good...and expensive! That’s why we did it only one year.

A few years ago we had a Costco Christmas. So unlike anything we’ve ever done, but it was delicious. Pork Tenderloin medallions, they were a tad too peppery but otherwise perfect, and mashed potatoes.

But our go-to is a Danish pork roast called flæskesteg. You should have the butcher prepare it, but it is delicious. If we don’t do that, we have pork roast we prepare ourselves with various recipes.

I was also going to say prime rib roast. They are easy. It's not our Christmas dinner (so far) but our traditional New Year's Day dinner. DH is really not a huge fan of turkey. He likes it for a meal and enjoys all the prep scents that go along with it, but hasn't a lot of interest in any leftover....and as we all know, turkey dinners provide leftovers ;0)

We had begun having a pork loin dinner Christmas Eve on his side of family - in the interest of cutting back on all the work of what once was a turkey, a ham, and lasagna meal plus all the cleanup that went along with that. Pork loin, mashed potatoes, caesar salad, rolls and desserts. Everyone has still seemed pleased. MUCH less prep and cleaning up.

Beef tenderloin. A splurge, but so easy. Watch for sales. I butterfly it and spread with finely chopped mushrooms and onions cooked in butter, tie it up and roast. I serve it with a Madeira sauce.

Another vote for beef tenderloin. In fact, that’s what I’m serving for Thanksgiving! This is from a few Christmas’ ago. So good!

Prime rib and Yorkshire pudding with twice baked potatoes and a nice, green vegetable. I have also made a crown roast, lamb or pork. You have to order all of them ahead of time from your butcher. I get prime rib with the bones because the bones develop the flavor of the meat.

Prime rib with Yorkshire pudding is our standby. One year we had a severely constrained budget and I made Dorie Greenspan's chard stuffed pork roast, it was amazing and has earned a prominent spot in our Sunday dinner rotation (winter months.) The menu she suggests has a delicious pumpkin soup, and a lovely apple tart.

These recipes are all from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table.

Swiss Chard Stuffed Pork Roast

https://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/2011/12/french-fridays-with-dorie-chard-stuffed-pork-roast/

Kuri Pumpkin Soup with apples

https://doriegreenspan.com/recipe/soup-with-a-surprise-in-every-bowl/

French Apple Cake

https://www.davidlebovitz.com/dorie-greenspan-french-apple-cake-recipe/

NB I am not a pumpkin fan as a rule, this soup is amazing though.
Endive and watercress salad with thinly sliced Grannie Smith apples dressed in a light vinaigrette (no Balsamic, just white wine or rice wine vinegar, chopped shallots, mustard and pepper and olive oil) goes well with this menu.

We've done lasagne before and we've also had Mexican food one year.

Bpath, I looked up your Danish pork roast, omg, that looks amazing. The caramelized potatoes sound TDF as well. And I am always up for red cabbage. I may make this for my husband' s birthday next week. We have a German butcher who should be able to help.

Zalco, tbh I know few people who make the red cabbage if they are hosting. People will make it to bring, but it can add an aroma when you are hosting that isn’t so inviting. I have actually done a good jarred red cabbage!

And yes, a German butcher should be able to help. There’s a lot of crossover! We went to a German restaurant recently, and when I saw frikadeller on the menu I had to try it. It was a little different in form from the Danish version, but with a very German take. Yum. Did you know there is a Danish community within Germany, where they can even go to school in Danish?

We've done a standing rib roast and beef tenderloin (which I prefer), but I’ve been kind of dreaming about live Maine lobster lately! I guess your company wouldn’t be able to eat that, though. :/

How about a Christmas goose? I don't think I’ve ever actually had goose, now that I think about it.

Bpath, No, I didn't know about the Danish community in Germany. That is interesting. Reminds me of the Dutch crossovers in the Frisian Islands.

What is the Danish version of frikadellen like? As for the rotkohl, I cheat. I use the jar and simmer for a short while with an apple.

Zalco, we do the cabbage the same way! Tastes homemade but without the bother. I’m only half-Danish. One year I forgot the red cabbage and boy did I hear about it from my dad.

The Danish frikideller is more of a meatball, the German one I had (it was a very authentic German Chicago restaurant) was much bigger and almost a patty. Of course potatoes and sauce. I think it’s pretty much the same :)

Thanks for all the ideas, after the first few people suggested prime rib I went on a hunt for recipes and found side dishes too. How does this sound?

garlic prime rib

onions baked with rosemary and cream

roasted Brussel sprouts with apple, golden raisins and walnuts

Yorkshire pudding

I just haven't decided on a dessert

perhaps roasted or mashed potatoes for those who don't like Yorkshire pudding, which I happen to love, or for anyone staying off of gluten.

Beef Wellington.

I make this cranberry roast pork loin every year and it's wonderful. So simple to do, comes out fancy and tasty and it's done in the crock pot so my oven is free for the multitude of casseroles.

https://chickensintheroad.com/farm-bell-recipes/cranberry-pork-roast/

Kaths, your menu sounds wonderful.

Christmas eve at my Mom's is always ham. Christmas day at my sisters if prime rib.

I think the menu sounds wonderful as well!! I will be fixing something very similar myself.

Amylou, after a childhood growing up avoiding it (who eats pudding with a roast????), I love Yorkshire pudding too but only when cooked in beef drippings and that prime rib roast is my big, once a year Christmas indulgence, the whole point of which is to generate the drippings for the pud! And as a vehicle to consume horseradish!

I wait all year for that to happen :-))

Our big dinner is Christmas Eve. For years we had a smaller but still substantial Christmas Day dinner, too. Once DH and I got married and had children, we started hosting a family brunch on Christmas Day, and I think everyone likes it. It’s fairly simple, for just us, my parents, and my brothers. Maybe another relative or two. Eggs, croissants, coffee, juice/mimosas, fruit cups. And leftover appetizers lol. Same table setting as the night before, maybe a little simpler because we serve the brunch Family-style and need room for the dishes, fresh candles, but at least it‘s only one table! Christmas Eve can be a little overwhelming, but Christmas Day is peaceful.

I'm working on Christmas day, daughter will be out of state, so we are having our dinner on the 30th. Son had 2 week window to pick from so this was the day we will all have free and will be "home". (I did have to swap with someone to get the 30th off.)

So, never had prime rib, so everyone is mentioning horseradish, should I make this or is there a specific brand that is good? Should I buy the prime rib from a real butcher or is a grocery store okay?

Horseradish can be an acquired taste :-) Fresh homemade horseradish sauce can be pretty potent....I'd maybe opt for a purchased option.

Where you buy your beef depends on the quality of your meat purveyors. I can get excellent grass fed prime rib at the butcher counter of a local grocery chain and order it ahead.

Not a fan of horseradish. My parents love it with beef though. I prefer to eat prime rib with the jus or a creamy sauce of some sort.

nhbaskets, what a delicious looking mea. What is that sauce on the beef, please?

You can buy horseradish in different potencies. I do like a mild-medium level.

We like a horseradish sauce with our prime rib (which is a once a year indulgence for Christmas). I buy bottled horseradish from the refrigerated section of our grocery store. I mix it with sour cream and add some coarse grain Maille Dijon mustard. The mustard seeds add a nice "pop" to the sauce. No proportions, really, I just taste as I go.

Brisket if you want simple.

We keep it simple for Christmas. Grilled filet mignon, caramelized whole shallots, baked sweet potatoes, and haricot verts with roasted pecans. Tiramisu for dessert.

I would love to have something different this year but no one else whats to do non-traditional. I would love to do a deli plate or lasagna, But I guess its the same old thing a few weeks apart.

We follow DH's German tradition.
Sauerbraten
Spaetzle
Rotkohl, pickled red cabbage
Veggie
Salad
Homemade bread
Linzertorte

Suzieque-it’s gorgonzola sauce. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/gorgonzola-sauce-recipe-1940600