The day has finally arrived. I wanted to post our Christmas Eve guide last year, but time flew by, so today is finally the day. In this post, you will find ideas for a Christmas Eve menu that will win over family and friends. This menu has some oldies goldies and some new recipes that have become our new favorites. We also included our 2023 menu and a timetable to ensure a stress-free Christmas Eve. As a bonus, we also included our favorite Christmas morning breakfast, which, by our tradition, has to be sweet.
This is our first Christmas Eve menu but not our first year hosting. We have been hosting Christmas Eve dinner ever since our eldest was born, for three years now. We can guarantee that with this timetable and menu, you can host even with a baby or toddler running around. Planning is everything.
Without further ado, let's get to it. We included our actual menu and suggestions for everything from appetizers to soups, mains, and desserts. We included vegetarian options for every meal type. You can easily create a menu that fits your family and friends, or you can use our menu and have even less stress choosing.
We would love to hear your feedback and see photos of your Christmas Eve dinner, so feel free to tag us on social media when making recipes from our blog or send pictures via mail [email protected]
MAKE YOUR MENU
APPETIZER
Have the appetizers ready when your guests arrive. We place them in the center of the table. We like to have a few, ideally, two different appetizers for snacking and a light salad to balance the flavors and food and to keep it light.
These are our favorites:
- Chicken Liver Pate (on our 2023 menu)
- Simple Charcuterie Board (on our 2023 menu)
- Fried Mozzarella Balls with Cherry Tomato Sauce (vegetarian)
- Cured Salmon Gravlax
- Black Olive Tapenade (vegetarian)
- Frika - Potato and Cheese Hash (vegetarian)
- Easy Octopus Salad
SOUP
Sure, appetizers are great and give us the first satisfaction, but we adore soup, and so do the little ones. Soup is cozy, hearty, and great for cold weather.
These are our favorites:
- Potato Leek Soup (on our 2023 menu)
- Garlic Soup with Croutons
- Beef Broth Soup
- Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
MAIN DISH
And we're at the main event, the main dish, the centerpiece, the moment we have all been waiting. We always make two main meat dishes, but if you're hosting many people, include one vegetarian main dish, too. Below, we're sharing our favorite. We also like mixing it up and making a fish menu, so we included our favorite seafood recipes.
These are our favorites:
- Roasted Stuffed Whole Chicken (on our 2023 menu)
- Braised Short Ribs (on our 2023 menu)
- Beef Meatloaf with Eggs
- Roast Goose with Cranberry Jam
- Reverse Sear Ribeye Steak with Peppercorn Sauce
- Salt Crusted Branzino
- Baked Octopus with Potatoes
- Eggplant Parmesan (vegetarian)
SIDE DISH
We like to include light, vegetable side dishes and something with potatoes. Choose at least one side dish per main dish. We plan on making two sides and one salad (below). All the recipes below are vegetarian-friendly.
These are our favorites:
- Baked Sweet Potato (on our 2023 menu)
- Best Mashed Potatoes (on our 2023 menu)
- Orange Glazed Carrots
- Olive Focaccia
- Buckwheat Stir Fry with Vegetables
- Roasted Smashed Potatoes
- Swiss Chard with Peas and Spinach
- Slovenian Cheese Dumplings
SALAD
Salads bring lightness and freshness to our dinner table. We usually only make one, as our hands are full of other dishes. We like to make an autumn-winter-inspired salad that brings comfort and is quickly prepared.
These are our favorites:
- Autumn Panzanella Salad (on our 2023 menu)
- Radicchio Salad with Grilled Halloumi
- Olivier Salad
- Kale Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potato
- Roasted Beets with Mint and Sultanas
- Bacon Caesar Salad with Apples
DESSERT
For the sweetest part of our dinner, we like to make a delicious make-ahead dessert that doesn't stress us out.
These are our favorites:
- Christmas Strudel (on our 2023 menu)
- Brigadeiro tart
- Giant Molten Chocolate Raspberry Lava Cake
- Spiced Apple Tarte Tatin
- Double Chocolate Swiss Roll
- Blackberry Mousse with Rosemary Crumble
- Pineapple Sorbet
CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST
Christmas morning is always magical. The kids wake up super excited; they run to check the Christmas tree and see if they got any presents. After they check the gifts, we always make a delicious, sweet breakfast.
These are our favorites:
- Rabanadas, or Brazilian French Toast (on our 2023 menu)
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
- Quick Blueberry French Toast
- Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes
GUIDE AND TIMETABLE
Here, you can find our guide and advice for preparation and a timetable for the actual Christmas Eve day so that everything can run smoothly and stress-free.
Wednesday (December 20th)
- write down your Christmas Eve menu
- think about decoration and how you will set your table
- check the ingredients in your fridge and pantry
- write a grocery list
Thursday (December 21st)
- grocery shopping
- don't forget about beverages (juice, wine, champagne, cocktails and mocktails)
Friday (December 22nd)
- make the Chicken Liver Pate (appetizer) and store it in the fridge
- toast the bread and roast the vegetables for the Panzanella salad
Saturday (December 23rd)
- make the stuffing for the chicken
- stuff the chicken and place it in the fridge
- braise and finish the ribs, bring them to room temperature, and store them in the refrigerator (reheat the next day)
- make the Christmas strudel, cover it with clingfilm, and place it in the fridge (bake the next day)
- cook the soup, store it in the refrigerator, and reheat it the next day
Sunday (December 24th) - CHRISTMAS EVE
To simplify things, we will share our exact timetable with you. We recommend that you set your table before you start cooking. Place the beverages in the fridge to keep them cool.
2 PM Peel the potatoes for mash and add to a bowl. Cover with cold water and place in the fridge. Make the sweet potato dressing.
3 PM Bake the strudel and make the charcuterie board.
4 PM Take the strudel from the oven.
4.15 PM Place the stuffed chicken in the oven. Peel the sweet potatoes.
4.30 PM Cook the potatoes for the mashed potatoes. Make the Panzanella salad.
5 PM Take the Chicken liver pate from the fridge.
5.05 PM Make the mashed potatoes, then place them in a glass bowl. Cover the bowl with clingfilm to touch and place it over a pot of simmering water. This way, the potatoes will stay warm. Reheat them the same way.
5.30 PM Place the ribs on the stove and reheat on low heat. Toast the bread for the pate.
5.45 PM Take the chicken from the oven - cover it with parchment paper, then wrap it in aluminum foil and cover it with a kitchen towel to keep it warm.
5.45 PM Place the sweet potatoes into the oven to bake.
5.45 PM Reheat the soup over low heat.
6 PM DINNER
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I hope you guys will have an amazing Christmas celebration. Happy holidays.
We would love to hear your feedback and see photos of your Christmas Eve dinner, so feel free to tag us on social media when making recipes from our blog or send pictures via mail [email protected]
