What will/did you have for Christmas dinner?

[Phaedrus]

Christmas is a time for family and friends and the enjoyment of the moment, and it is a time for family traditions to be highlighted in the Christmas menu, I thought it would be interesting for people to share their Christmas menu, as a way to share what is important and traditional in their families.

We will be doing the Chinese hot pot, a traditional sit around the table family meal. We will have an assortment of meats, fish, seafood, vegetables, tofu, and dumplings, we will cook it all in a communal pot. At the end of the meal we will make a delicious soup with fresh vegetables and noodles and of course the reduced broth that is brimming with the flavors of the meats and dumplings.

[laliz]

It was just DS and I so I made Italian Sausage Soup and Cherry/Brie salad w/candied almonds and poppy seed dressing; and for dessert spiced oranges

we will celebrate this weekend w/my sister (who was out of town) and all I know so far is tomato soup w/frico; bacon lettuce and tomato dip w/veggie dippers. still working on it, thinking cornish game hens. . . .

[melpy]

Christmas eve was 27 person sit down dinner, cooked mostly by my parents but held at the neighbor's house.

Spinach salad with raspberries
Potato casserole
Green beans with red peppers
Roasted broccoli with pine nuts
Roasted carrots
Dinner rolls and artichoke bread
Stuffed shrimp
Roast loin of pork

Christmas breakfast at my parents' house
Popovers stuffed with scrambled eggs and maple ham

Christmas dinner 1 pm at parents' several courses

Cheese tortelini

[melpy]

Got cut off:

After the tortelini we had a roasted pear salad.
Final course was filet mignon with lobster tails cut into medallions, potatoes Anna and roasted asparagus.

Christmas night we also had dinner of ham and baked macaroni and cheese.

[rosepoint]

For Christmas Eve dinner at our house:

Wild Boar Ragu over fresh pasta
salad,
Barbera d'Asti to drink.

For Christmas dinner at my sisters house:

Goat Cheese and Onion Confit in Puff Pastry
Homemade green curry turkey sausage with sweet chili sauce and pineapple salsa
Ranch cheese ball (for the kids) with candied pecans
Prime Rib with Horseradish sauce
Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans
Carrots
Petit fours, candied chestnuts and French chocolates (just went to Paris) for dessert

[Marianinha]

We started with roasted red peppers stuffed with feta, tomatoes bocconcini, a prosciutto salad, marinated mushrooms and eggplants. Followed with risotto alla millanesa, filet mignon with a wild mushroom & red wine sauce, roasted lamb shoulder with roasted potatoes, creamy codfish casserole (phenomenal...), cauliflower gratin, and roasted brussel sprouts. The evening ended with a chocolate mousse and a tangerine crème brulee tart.

[almagh]

We had the following:

crackers with cranberry chutney, brie, mint and sugared cranberries to start
Black and White soup - black bean on one side and cheddar on the other
quinoa arugula salad with radishes, mint, tarragon, pecans, dried cranberries
scalloped potatoes
asparagus with browned butter/balsamic/soy sauce
grilled lamb marinated in garlic , rosemary, and dijon
rolls
pecan tassies
croquembouche

[agoodbite]

Christmas Eve was the highlight meal. We had tamales (northern Mexico style with a thin layer of unfluffy masa, plenty of meat (we served both chicken and pork), wrapped in corn husks. Chips with guacamole and homemade salsa casera started off the meal. Frijoles a la charra accompanied the tamales. It was delicious and, as usual, started off my winter obsession with tamales. I plan to eat as many as I can over the next month.

On Christmas day, there were only four of us and nobody wanted to cook a big meal so we grazed. We had quick-pickled carrots and green beans, three kinds of pate with grainy dijon and cornichons, marinated mushrooms, boiled shrimp with remoulade and cocktail sauce and four kinds of cheese (5 yr aged gouda, gruyere, St. Agur spread and St. Angel triple creme). We had gluten-free crackers to spread stuff on. It turned out to be a lovely, huge spread and there's plenty leftover, which is what I was after. It turned out to be almost as much work as a big dinner what with the vegetable pickling and marinating, shrimp boiling and sauce making, but it was worth every last second of effort. We grazed as we watched Midnight in Paris with a fire roaring in the fireplace. It was a lovely Christmas afternoon and I wouldn't change a thing.

[LA Buckeye Fan]

Christmas Eve was my meal to cook. Clammies in your Jammies. We have a pajama party with the most obnoxious Christmas pajamas you can find...then sit down to china and silver...clams sofrito with garlic bread, shrimp toasts and crabcakes. Presents in front of the fire. It was lovely. A very happy new year to my Chowhound community.

[sandylc]

Standing Rib Roast with jus and fresh horseradish
Butter Lettuce Salad with Asparagus, Walnuts, and Tarragon Dressing
Potato-Caraway Croquettes
Yorkshire Pudding
Carrot Puree with Cream and Nutmeg
Caramel-Peanut Tart with Ganache

[greygarious]

Traditional Festivus meal: meatloaf.

[alitria]

We had quite the feast at my parent's house yesterday for the extended family. Cheese, crackers, veggies, and shrimp to start. Then we moved on to prime rib and ham, german potato salad (with extra vinegar and bacon), yams, roasted brussel sprouts with olive oil and garlic, corn casserole and green bean casserole (my aunt makes these every year), fresh rolls, and cranberry sauce. For dessert there was key lime cheesecake with fresh whipped cream, chocolate cream pie, pecan pie, and an assortment of cookies, candies, brownies, etc contributed by various family members. Keep in mind, this is for about 20 people and everyone expects leftovers!

[Barbara76137]

After making sure my refrigerator and pantry were sufficiently stocked for the long weekend, I got into a "holiday funk" and barely ate anything all weekend. I finished the homemade gravlax this morning, but still have a fridge full of food including a piece of ahi that I need to cook tonight. I guess I'll cube that and cook it with garlic, herbs, capers and white wine and serve it over pasta. I'll also throw together a simple romaine salad with green beans, cannelini beans, olives & red onion that I saw on Everyday Italian.

I told everyone Friday they could leave work whenever they wanted to and I stayed to close at the usual time since the owner (who is NEVER there) made such a stink when I wanted to close the day after Thanksgiving. Being alone during Holidays normally isn't this difficult for me, but the past three days have been unusually tough.

[linguafood]

Sucks being by yourself, and I can understand how you'd feel less motivated to be cooking. Ugh.

I do hope your meal - which sounds mighty tasty (it's leftovers @casa lingua tonight....) -- lifts your spirits a bit. That and a glass / bottle of nice white wine :-)

[Barbara76137]

Thanks, lingua. I'm actually enjoying the pasta right now but I'll make the salad for lunch at work tomorrow (probably feed co-workers) and have the leftover pasta for lunch as well. I added some baby bella mushrooms to the pasta but should have finished the sauce with a little butter. I only used olive oil, wine and a little pasta water.

I liked the combination of fresh thyme & oregano with the tuna along with a finish of fresh flat leaf parsley. I've brought all of my herbs indoors and they are on a bistro table in front of my living room window. They seem very happy there and the cat isn't bothering them!

[SparklingSugar]

I have to gush over our meal; it was simple and rich and creamy but so, so good!

- Traditional Caesar salad with homemade dressing and homemade garlic croutons
- Prime rib with horseradish sauce
- Creamed spinach that was the stuff of dreams
- Twice baked potatoes; they were small and stuffed with cheese and chives and little crumbles of Applewood bacon
- Popovers

And dessert was this fantastic trifle my grandmother made, with raspberries and imported cherries that looked like olives, they were so black and round and glistening. They taste like maraschinos but not sickly sweet; just like the ideal cherry, haha. The trifle also had orange cake, slivered almonds, custard and, Reddi-Whip. Yes, Reddi-Whip, and it was divine!

And there were tons of Greek pastries, double chocolate chip cookies, biscotti, and wine and coffee like mad.

[oooYUM]

OMG !!!!
THAT'S what I am going to make next Christmas !!!
Every single thing sounds amazing ! Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh !!!!!!!!

We had the prime rib with horseradish sauce, Yorkshire pudding,
Jus, glazed carrots, green beans, mashed potatoes, and a nice Cabernet.
Pumpkin pie for dessert....
Yummy for sure !

[pikawicca]

Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb was front and center. Yum!

[igorm]

We had a wonderful roasted pork rib loin rubbed with garlic, rosemary and sage. It was served with roasted new potatoes in duck fat as well as roasted carrots, onions and brussels sprouts. For dessert, a chocolate pavlova with whipped cream and mixed berries. It was festive and satisfying!

[Dcfoodblog]

How wonderful. That sounds like a real family meal. I decided I wanted to go all out and do a multi-course plated meal.

arugula salad with crisped proscuitto and croutons
pork tenderloin with a sherry-port sauce
roasted shallots
roasted asparagus
cauliflower-parsnip puree
Nigella's chocohotopots
pumpkin mousse

[DonShirer]

We did the turkey for Thanksgiving, so for Christmas we opted for:
   Pork loin with sage and pistachio nuts
   Buttermilk mashed potatoes
   Brussels sprout "hash" with shallots and bacon
   Nut ring bread
   Garden salad
   California Pinot Noir
Amaretto cheesecake.

(Several recipes thanks to CH!)

[Terrie H.]

Sadly, Niquil has been Christmas dinner for much of my family. We had to postpone Christmas dinner until next Sunday. Both last night's prime rib and today's turkey breast stuffed with prosciutto, basil and Brie have been put in the freezer and will make a giant meal on New Year's Day. Sniff...

[Ikkeikea]

So sorry to hear but I imagine that your New Year's menu will be spectacular! Jealous!

[Terrie H.]

Thank you!

[linguafood]

Oh, ugh. That blows! Hope everyone feels better soon -- the spread you've planned will be enjoyed, for sure, even at a later date.

[Barbara76137]

That sounds wonderful!!

[Harters]

We went to the sister in law for lunch

Prawns to start.

Traditional roast turkey to follow, roast spuds, sprouts, parsnips, stuffing, sausages, bacon, bread sauce.

Then an equally traditional Christmas Pudding.

[huiray]

I think there should be a "widening" of the query about "Dinner" [do you mean a midday meal or an evening meal by that term?] to enquire about what one had for food and drinks during the whole of Christmas Day and/or immediately surrounding days. There isn't one single blow-out meal that one has, in many cases. Lots of stuff could be prepared or obtained and consumed at varying times or continuously over this period.

[Ikkeikea]

Last night, Christmas Eve, DH and I had lamb ribs, rutabaga puree and boiled potatoes with gravy. Very good! Today, there's a huge pot of seafood gumbo on the stove top waiting to be enjoyed. Your holiday dinner sounds lovely!

[porker]

Chinese fondues are always fun. Also reminds me of family gatherings in the 80s when a fondue meant cooking the food in a cauldron of boiling oil along with massive amounts of wine. The oil was kept hot with an open flame of fondue "fuel".

How we did not burn the house down is beyond me...

Mrs. Porker wanted hot dogs & fries on xmas day (think burger bar with german wieners instead) and I wanted a cook-it-yourself yakitori grill.

Alas i couldn't get the grill I wanted in time for xmas, so we're doing assorted snacks:

- Weiner bar

- Tomato pizza

- Tortilla wraps

- Baked macaroni pie

- Smoked, grilled ribs
- Stuffed clams
- Grilled oysters

We're doing a more traditional crown roast pork on the morrow.

[goodhealthgourmet]

a few peeks at what some Hounds are eating this year:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/820062
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/823928
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/748010
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/823383
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/674859
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/822524

[linguafood]

you took the words... i mean links... right outta my mouf.

that's what i was thinking -- yay! another xmas dinner thread!!!!!!

:-D

[Ikkeikea]

Wha??? What if some of us had nothing momentous to report until now? I'm thinking of doing a hot pot for NYE now. Thank you, Phaedrus, for the inspiration!

[linguafood]

All I was saying was that there were already numerous existing threads about who had what for xmas or xmas eve dinner.

It's great when all that inspiration can be found in one place, as opposed to 10. JMO.

[Ikkeikea]

Opinion highly respected! Just proud enough, for the first time this year, to respond to holiday dinner thread. Happy Holidays :-)

[jujuthomas]

Oh, Phaedrus, that sounds lovely! Unfortunately our Christmas dinner is at the inlaws this year, so nothing so delicious. Tomorrow we cook ourselves something super-tasty. just not sure what yet. Probably a ham with traditional sides. I think I'll put a ginger-jam glaze on the ham this year.

[irishnyc]

We had Emeril's Passover Brisket. It was quite a hit, and had the approval of two jewish friends that joined us. Served with masked garlic potatoes, candied carrots, and broccoli casserole.

I don't see the big deal about asking a question that's already been asked. It's easier (and nicer) to just answer than search out the umpteen links where the question was already asked and repost them.

ETA: Sorry, juju, I didn't mean to reply to your post. I meant to reply to the OP.

[sandylc]

"I don't see the big deal about asking a question that's already been asked."

I agree! Every thread is a new adventure, anyway! They are sort of like livings things.....