16 Full Christmas Menu Ideas For Every Type Of Celebration

Sometimes, there seem to be too many choices to organize your holiday properly. Let us help you narrow the recipe field to create your best Christmas menu.

How to Make a Classic Transfusion

The holidays are here, brimming with opportunities to gather around the table with loved ones and enjoy a delicious meal. To get a jumpstart on your holiday planning, check out this selection of creative and appealing holiday menus, where you will find ideas for cozy and casual meals, or formal and fancy traditional spreads. And because we enjoy a celebration meal anytime of day, we have included some holiday menus for breakfast or brunch.

Holidays are busy, so to help you make the most of your time, within the menu ideas you will find helpful tips on which recipes can be made ahead and how to store them until time to bake and serve. We’ve got a cocktail party menu that will charm all your friends and a traditional Christmas dinner menu that the whole family will adore. Plan a get-together for any occasion with these combinations of our favorite holiday foods. Whether an opulent dinner or a sweet brunch, these Christmas menus are your new textbook for holiday meals.

The Cocktail Party: A Festive Party For 10

Appetizers:

• Bloody Mary Poached Shrimp
• Stuffed Okra Poppers
• Spicy Cheddar Cheese Straws
• Slow-Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs

Drinks:

• Cranberry Sangria Punch
• Fizzy Cider Punch

This festive party for 10 features your best friends, sparkly and fun decor, and a menu that’s full of finger foods and big-batch drinks. Toast the season with a menu of sophisticated (but easy!) appetizers and crowd-pleasing punches. This is the night that you have nothing but hors d’oeuvres for dinner, and take pleasure in knowing that your mixology skills are right on target for the occasion.

A Fun And Festive Cocktail Supper

Appetizers:

• Cheese Dreams
• Lump Crab Mornay

Drink:

• Orange Sherbet Punch

Main:

• Perfect Beef Tenderloin

Dessert:

• Pecan Bourbon Balls

Southern food and entertaining legend Julia Reed created this easy but elegant menu for a cocktail supper throwback that’s an ode to her mother and grandmother. “It’s the most forgiving of formats— for the guests as well as the hosts. the menu items are designed to be eaten easily and relatively neatly with your hands, which means that the real progress of a party—visiting, drinking, flirting, meeting new people, or making a quick escape—is not hindered by the pesky tasks of fixing a plate, juggling utensils, and finding a place to perch. As the host, your job is simple: keep the bar and the table replenished, and everything else— dancing, impromptu caroling, illicit sessions under real or imagined mistletoe—takes care of itself.”

A Merry Make-Ahead Brunch

Mains:

• Pancake Bake with Cinnamon Streusel
• Sausage-and-Cheese Grits Quiche
• Country Ham Hash

Sides:

• Sweet-and-Spicy Sheet Pan Bacon
• Creamy Overnight Fruit Salad

Here’s our gift to you: A memorable menu that won’t steal any time away from family on December 25. Invite family and friends over to enjoy a “help yourself” buffet of sweet and savory dishes. This entire brunch menu can be made or prepped in advance. Double recipes for a crowd, as needed.

Fresh And Elegant Holiday Dinner

Appetizer:

• Baked Brie With Pomegranate And Pistachios

Main:

• Herb-Crusted Beef Tenderloin

Sides:

• Smashed Baby Red Potatoes
• Garlic Parmesan Green Beans

Dessert:

• Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

This beef tenderloin menu inspires the creative cook in you while pleasing guests who love a traditional meal. From the start to its grand finish—Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake—this Christmas celebration will be one for the memory book.

Sweet Christmas Brunch Menu

Drink:

• Blushing Mimosas

Main:

• Cinnamon Roll Strata

Sides:

• Our Best Ambrosia Ever
• Fried Skillet Potatoes

Serve a sweet and colorful Christmas brunch that can be made in advance. Here’s your Test Kitchen-approved game plan: Two days before brunch, make the yogurt mixture for the ambrosia; cover and chill. The next day, prepare the mimosas (without the sparkling wine) and the strata (through Step 3), and chill. Then, slice the oranges and pineapple, and chill in an airtight container. Day of, fry up the potatoes. Done, done, and done!

Savory Christmas Brunch Menu

Drink:

• Bourbon Bloody Marys

Main:

• Eggs Benedict Casserole

Side:

• Arugula Salad with Bacony Croutons and Sherry Vinaigrette

If you always order savory at brunch, we’ve made a Christmas brunch menu you’ll love. We recreated classic eggs Benedict to a big-batch form for the whole family. Plus, hollandaise sauce has never been easier than with this recipe. To make this menu ahead, follow our Test Kitchen’s plan: The day before brunch, assemble and chill the casserole (do not bake) and Bloody Mary mixer (without bourbon). Then, prepare the bacon and vinaigrette for the salad, and chill in separate airtight containers. Make the croutons, and store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Classic Christmas Brunch

Drink:

• Big-Batch Mulled Cider

Main:

• Creamy Egg Strata

Side:

• Citrus Salad with Spiced Honey

Sweets:

• Bakeshop Blueberry Muffins
• Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese

This fun brunch spread finds the perfect balance of sweet and savory. A tip straight from Test Kitchen Professional Pam Lolley: “The butter you spread on the rolled-out cinnamon roll dough should be very soft so that the dough won’t tear. Resist the temptation to soften butter in the microwave—it can melt too quickly and unevenly. The best way to soften butter is to let it sit at room temperature.”

A Festive Feast

Drink:

• Texas Santa Punch

Appetizer:

• Stuffed Endive with Herbed Goat Cheese

Main:

• Peppercorn-Crusted Standing Rib Roast with Roasted Vegetables

Sides:

• Herbed Potato Stacks
• Cornmeal Popovers

The best part about this gorgeous dinner is that every aspect can be prepped in advance. You won’t find a more impressive way to feed a crowd during the holidays than this standing rib roast. Start with a fizzy, fruity cocktail in a pretty punch bowl and end by sopping everything up with featherlight popovers.

Carolina Christmas

Main:

• Sausage Stuffed Honey Buns

Sides:

• Grits and Greens with Brown Butter Hot Sauce
• Ambrosia Breakfast

North Carolina Chef Vivian Howard invited us to her family farmhouse for a holiday brunch feast that will satisfy those craving something sweet or savory. Sticky buns, a not-your-mama’s ambrosia recipe, and classic grits and greens star in this meal.

The Baker’s Brunch

Main:

• Smoky Sausage and Grits Casserole

Sweets:

• Blueberry Citrus Rolls with Orange Glaze
• Cream Cheese Pastries
• Mini Chocolate Chess Tarts

Our Test Kitchen baking extraordinaire Pam Lolley has been making Christmas brunches for decades, so you can trust that each of these recipes will become family traditions. Pam started her make-ahead Christmas brunch tradition when she was pregnant with her third child and wanted a stress-free way to feed a crowd. Today, she preps all of it in advance—except for the cinnamon rolls, which she saves as a special activity to share with her grandkids. “Cooking with them during the holidays is my Christmas present.”

Christmas Eve With All The Trimmings

Drink:

• Williams Family Wassail

Main:

• Stuffed Beef Tenderloin With Burgundy-Mushroom Sauce

Sides:

• Honey Glazed Spiced Carrots
• Herbed Potato Stacks
• Balsamic Green Beans with Pearl Onions
• Buttery Yeast Rolls

This elegant sit-down dinner is everything you want in a celebratory meal—and it’s easy on the cook too. This sophisticated menu is satisfying without being too heavy. Bring together the family to enjoy beef tenderloin and seasonal sides.

Classic Steak Dinner

Drink:

• Bourbon-Cider Mule

Main:

• Cast-Iron Cowboy Steak

Sides:

• Sautéed Mustard Greens with Garlic and Lemon
• Crispy Potato Galette
• Chopped Kale Salad with Toasted Breadcrumbs

Celebrating anything with a well-made steak makes the occasion special. Our Cast-Iron Cowboy Steak lends efficiency to the preparation, treating your cut of beef with the care it deserves. The resulting flavor is a crowd pleaser, and the accompanying sides will remain in the memories of your dinner guests for many years to come.

A Holiday Seafood Celebration

Appetizer:

• Hot Cheesy Crab Dip

Main:

• Creole Seafood Jambalaya

Sides:

• Creamy Rice with Scallops
• Oven-Roasted Asparagus

So many Southern celebrations are based in spice and seafood, and we’ve got a little bit of both with our main dish suggestion, here. But don’t forget those delightful sides that bring balance to your palate and table. The appeal of this menu will have everyone leaving the table satisfied.

Roasted Duck For Your Holiday Table

Drink:

• Aperol-Bourbon Fizz

Main:

• Classic Roasted Duck with Orange-Bourbon-Molasses Glaze

Sides:

• Beet, Fennel, and Apple Salad
• Skillet Squash Blossom
• Melting Potatoes

The orange-bourbon molasses glaze on this roasted duck brings the recipe into the present, shedding the old-fashioned status of this classic holiday dish. When prepared with care, duck tastes like a delicacy. You will be triumphant in the kitchen not just with the help of your fowl, but with the sides and the cocktail that you craft just for this occasion.

A Lasagna Dinner To Please A Crowd

Drink:

• Bulldog Tequila Negroni

Main:

• Extra Easy Lasagna

Sides:

• Harvest Salad
• Garlic Bread

Taking the lasagna route to holiday happiness means making a salad to pair with your main dish, and the requisite batch of garlic bread to top it off. This is one of those celebratory dinners with a straightforward, no fuss approach. The pay-off comes with how deliciously satisfied your guests will be.

Your Holiday Best Comes With Lamb

Drink:

• Dark ‘N Stormy

Main:

• Herb-Crusted Roasted Leg Of Lamb

Sides:

• Oven-Roasted Root Vegetables with Spicy Pecan Topping
• Roasted Garlic Duchess Potatoes

Dessert:

• The Ultimate Carrot Cake

There is always room for masterful kitchen strokes using the traditional flavor of lamb. This is your quintessential holiday feast, and it should be treated with a little bit of fancy ceremony. The fine china and crystal have been waiting in the wings for this meal. Get the celebration started with a Dark ‘N Stormy, and top off the meal with our Ultimate Carrot Cake.