83 Christmas Dinner Ideas for a Warm and Festive Holiday
You’ve decked the halls with garlands and candles, but you really need showstopping Christmas dinner ideas to complete the holiday vibe. Gathering together around the table—whether you’re carving into a classic roast turkey, a sweet-and-spicy ham, or a wreath-shaped pork roast—is, for many, the highlight of the season. For side dishes and desserts, you might return to old favorites and family traditions, but this is the year to delight your crew with new Christmas main dishes to enjoy in the glow of your sparkling Christmas tree. Scroll down for big roasts, occasion-worthy seafood stews, and other expert-tested Christmas entrée ideas from the Epicurious archives, plus a few essential extras for your holiday feast.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich1/83Easy, Cheesy Sausage Lasagna
If the main goal of all of these Christmas dinner ideas is to find a dish that’ll make everyone at the table beam with happiness, this low-stress lasagna is the perfect choice. Add a loaf of garlic bread and a pile of presents.
Photo by Peden & Munk2/83Baked Ham
A baked ham is a holiday classic, perfect for your holiday dinner or as an impressive feature for any Christmas party. This version, from the authors of the classic cookbook the Joy of Cooking can be made with either a whole or half ham. Hosting a small group? If you wind up with leftover ham, all the better.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog3/83Roast Goose With Oranges and Madeira
You’d like your Christmas Eve or Christmas dinner main course ideas to be the kind of thing that people will really remember? Then we’ve got your goose. Here, the bird is blanched briefly and then chilled for two days before roasting to ensure a crisp skin. Offer buttered peas and carrots on the side, and pour a Pinot Noir for whoever’s drinking. A pear tart would end the evening in style.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson4/83The Simplest Roast Turkey
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton5/83Tamales con Elote y Chile Poblano (Tamales With Corn and Poblano Chiles)
Tamales are a Christmas tradition across many communities, and this version, made with either fresh masa or masa harina, makes a great vegetarian main for the holidays. Gather a group to make them—this isn’t a one-person activity.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova6/83Classic French Bouillabaisse With Rouille
Serving this impressive seafood stew isn’t quite a traditional way to feast on fish during Christmas, but it’s so good that it might just become your new tradition. You can add whatever seafood you like, and it comes together in one big pot.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich9/83Roast Turkey With Country Ham Stuffing and Giblet Gravy
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne10/83Porchetta-Style Roast Pork
Flavor pork shoulder with fennel seed, crushed red pepper, and garlic for an easier-to-manage version of classic Italian porchetta. Serve with a simple salad of greens and Parmesan.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews11/83Crisp Roast Duck
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Billingskog12/83Christmas Pork Tenderloin
Rubbed with garlic, rosemary, and allspice, this bacon-wrapped roast is rich with holiday flavor. Serve it with cranberry sauce and sourdough dinner rolls, and the leftovers will also make excellent sandwiches for Boxing Day.
Photo by Andrew Purcell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell14/83Leg of Lamb With Garlic and Rosemary
