Traditional Christmas Dinner Menu

Christmas is just down the corner and you must be thinking how you can create the best Christmas menu for your family. In keeping with Christmas traditions, some must-have food items should feature in your menu. Also try to keep in mind the preference of your family and guests while chalking out a dinner menu for Christmas. It is always best to stick to recipes that you know well. This is not a time to experiment with a new recipe, if you are not sure of the outcome. So what are we waiting for. Here we present to you some mouth-watering and traditional Christmas menu ideas for dinner.

Traditional English Christmas Dinner Menu
The Christmas menu that is given below is a traditional one that features time-honored and tasty Christmas recipes. Feel free to reduce the number of items in the menu, if you feel that you can't possibly prepare so many items. The key to getting all these food in the table is to plan well and prepare most of the components well ahead. This way you can produce the biggest and best Christmas feast that your friends and family will remember for a long, long time.

• Prawn Cocktail
• Aromatic Spiced Ham
• Bread Sauce
• Pigs in a Blanket
• Roast Potatoes
• Dinner Rolls
• Buttered Brussels Sprouts with Cream and Almonds
• Savory Bread Pudding
• Brandy

Traditional Italian Christmas Dinner Menu
The Italians bring a certain flair to Christmas dinners with the use of fresh herbs and spices. It is a little different from the English traditional Christmas dinner menu and it features fresh seafood and lots of vegetables. Here is a traditional Italian Christmas dinner menu that you can try preparing this year.

• Antipasto Salad
• Fried Calamari
• Linguine with Red Clam Sauce
• Sautéed Broccoli Rabe
• Spiced Rack of Lamb with warm Lentil Salad
• Wine Poached Pears
• Italian Fig Cookies

Traditional German Christmas Dinner Menu
For a traditional German Christmas a roasted pig is a must have. Lots of sweet and savory items are included and of course the German sausage makes a great side dish. Here is a traditional menu for a German Christmas dinner.

• Roasted Suckling Pig
• Potato Dumplings
• Braised Red Cabbage with Sausages
• Apple and Prune Stuffing
• Rice Porridge
• Sourdough Bread
• Fruitcake
• Amaretti Cookies

Southern Christmas Dinner Menu
To add a bit of Southern flair to your traditional Christmas menu, here we present to you a holiday spread that will certainly please your guests.

• Traditional Roasted Turkey
• Turkey Giblet Gravy
• Candied Yams
• Gingersnap Sweet Potatoes
• Cranberry Relish
• Cornbread
• Coconut Cake
• Pecan Pie
• Syllabub

Vegetarian Christmas Dinner Menu
Christmas dinners are always veering towards excessive in terms of rich food like ham and turkey. However, when you have invited guests over for Christmas dinner and they happen to be vegetarian, you need a vegetarian Christmas dinner menu that still retains the spirit of Christmas. Given below is a vegetarian menu for Christmas dinner.

• Orange and Pomegranate Salad with Honey and Chili Dressing
• Spicy Roasted Aubergine with Greek Yogurt
• Roasted Potatoes with Mango Relish
• Grilled Asparagus with Lemon Butter
• Bread and Butter Pudding
• Gingerbread Christmas Cookies

Cooking a traditional Christmas dinner might seem like a lot of effort and hassle, but there is nothing to beat the satisfaction you will feel in feeding your family a good feast. Some of the work can become a lot easier, if you plan and prepare well. Traditional Christmas dinner recipes like spiced ham, roasted turkey can all be prepared one to two days ahead. All you need to do is let them marinade in the refrigerator and then roast on the day of your dinner party. In this way, the meat will be tender and flavorful and you can go ahead with other preparations. Christmas cookies, cakes, royal icings and fondants can all be prepared at least a week ahead. Cooking traditional Christmas recipes for dinner is fun and satisfying. So this year, prepare ahead and cook the best Christmas dinner ever.