I’ve hosted Christmas dinner a few times now and love it every time! But when I tell people I am hosting, I hear groans and “Oh sorry to hear that!”, like I’ve caught some incurable plague or something. It turns out, not everyone loves entertaining and cooking, and some actually find it frightening to be responsible for cooking Christmas dinner! If you are reading this and nodding your head yes, then keep reading! This post is packed full of ideas for Christmas dinner!

Christmas Dinner Ideas

When your guests arrive to your home, you might want something munchy for them to snack on…especially if you want to keep them occupied a little while you finish preparing the meal! Every year I make my Dad’s nuts and bolts and they are a hit every time! You can also make these as gifts or as a treat to bring into the office!

To wash down the munchies, try a rhubarb gin cocktail ….

….or any of the beers that have been on my Instagram feed! 

Appetizers aren’t always needed, especially before such a large meal, but if you are looking for a few ideas, try these brightly coloured basil goat cheese stuffed cherry tomatoes….

….or these French Canadian traditional tourtiere meat pies, in mini form!

Now, for the main meal, let’s start with the most important item on that Christmas dinner table, in my opinion: the bird. Now I don’t have a turkey recipe on Chews and Brews, but every year I brine my turkey, but you don’t have to do that. My favourite post on how to cook a turkey is by The Kitchn. She provides tips from roasting to brining and provides videos and step-by-step directions. A very informative post on cooking the perfect turkey for your christmas diner. 

You then need to surround your Christmas turkey with fabulous sides.

It doesn’t always have to be traditional – move over jelly or Waldorf salad! A colourful and fresh salad idea could be chickpea avocado salad or a citrus salad. 

A nice warm side dish is this roasted parsnips and carrots recipe. 

And don’t forget the mashed potatoes! Topped with succulent gravy and a side helping of cranberry sauce. 

If you still have room for dessert try cranberry pistachio bark….

…..or peppermint chocolate mocha cookies. 

And now the party is over and you have containers full of turkey leftovers? Make a turkey stir fry or turkey ramen noodle soup to use them up! 

At the end of the day, your family and friends are coming over to enjoy the festive season with you, so don’t stress over the Christmas dinner; instead enjoy the moment and the warmth of getting together! 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!