Christmas Dinner Guide: Menu, Recipes and Plan

A great Christmas dinner is about planning more than cooking. Choose a main dish, a few sides that can be made ahead, one or two desserts and a drink, and spread the work over several days. This guide gives you a complete menu, a timeline and the recipes to use.

Plan before you shop

Start by counting guests and dietary needs: vegetarians, allergies and children. Pick one main, three sides, one or two desserts and one drink. More dishes do not make a better dinner; dishes that can be cooked ahead do, because they free the oven and your time on the day. Write the plan down with the oven schedule, since the oven is usually the real limit.

Choose your main dish

Christmas prime rib roast: impressive and easier than it looks.
Brown sugar honey glazed ham: a make-ahead classic.
Beef Wellington: the showstopper.
Mushroom Wellington: a vegetarian centerpiece.
Braised brisket (also for Hanukkah).

Starters and sides

Shrimp cocktail and a grazing board.
Baked brie with cranberry.
Herb bread stuffing, mashed potatoes and scalloped potatoes.
Make-ahead turkey gravy works for any roast.
Potato latkes for Hanukkah.

Desserts and baking

Yule log cake and sticky toffee pudding.
Mince pies and eggnog cheesecake.
Gingerbread cheesecake and gingerbread loaf.
Gingerbread cookies, sugar cookies and shortbread.
Peppermint bark and chocolate truffles for gifts.

Drinks

Homemade eggnog.
Spiced apple cider and mulled cranberry apple punch (alcohol-free).
Sparkling cranberry mocktail.

Food safety on the day

Keep cold food at or below 4 °C (40 °F) and hot food above 60 °C (140 °F).
Cook poultry to 74 °C (165 °F) and check with a thermometer, not by color.
Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat them within three to four days.

A simple Christmas timeline

2 weeks before: bake and freeze cookies and the pie crust; order the roast.
1 week before: make cookie dough, gifts such as truffles and peppermint bark; plan the menu.
3 days before: make cheesecake and sauces; thaw the roast in the fridge.
The day before: prepare sides, stuffing and gravy; set the table.
Christmas Day: roast the main, reheat sides, and serve.

Preparing a Thanksgiving-style menu? See our Thanksgiving-Ratgeber for the same make-ahead logic.

All Christmas and Hanukkah recipes

Gingerbread Loaf Cake with Lemon Glaze for Christmas A soft, dark and spicy gingerbread loaf with a tangy lemon glaze: an easy one-bowl Christmas bake that keeps well.
Einfache Schokoladentrüffel: Geschenk mit 3 Zutaten für die Feiertage Seidige hausgemachte Schokoladentrüffel mit nur Schokolade, Sahne und Butter. In Kakao, Nüssen oder Streuseln wälzen: ein einfaches Weihnachtsgeschenk oder eine Partynascherei.
Shrimp Cocktail for New Year’s Eve: Easy, Chilled and Make-Ahead Plump poached shrimp with a zesty horseradish cocktail sauce: a classic New Year's Eve appetizer you can fully prepare a day ahead.
Challah for Hanukkah and Thanksgiving: Soft Braided Egg Bread Classic braided challah: soft, golden, lightly sweet and easier than it looks. Perfect for Hanukkah, Shabbat or Thanksgiving, plus French toast.
Mince Pies for Christmas: Buttery Pastry, Spiced Fruit Filling Classic British mince pies with crisp buttery pastry and a spiced fruit filling you can upgrade from a jar. Make ahead and…
Braised Brisket for Hanukkah: Tender, Make-Ahead and Easy Oven-braised beef brisket with onions and carrots: the tender, make-ahead centerpiece for Hanukkah and winter gatherings.
Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Ham for Christmas: Juicy, Easy and Make-Ahead A spiral-cut ham with a sticky brown sugar, honey and Dijon glaze: the easy, crowd-pleasing centerpiece for Christmas and holiday tables.
Eggnog Cheesecake for Christmas: Creamy and Make-Ahead A creamy, nutmeg-scented cheesecake made with reduced eggnog on a spiced crust. A make-ahead Christmas dessert that serves 12.
Sufganiyot for Hanukkah: Fluffy Jelly Doughnuts at Home Pillowy Israeli jelly doughnuts for Hanukkah: how to fry them golden, fill them with jam and make the dough ahead. A festive…
Easy Peppermint Bark for Christmas: 3 Ingredients, Make-Ahead Easy peppermint bark: dark and white chocolate, crushed candy canes, no oven. A make-ahead Christmas treat and gift for home cooks.
Christmas Sugar Cookies: Cut-Out, No-Spread and Easy to Decorate Buttery cut-out Christmas sugar cookies that hold their shape, with easy royal icing. Make-ahead friendly and perfect for family decorating.
Potato Latkes for Hanukkah: Crispy, Golden and Easy Crispy potato latkes for Hanukkah: how to squeeze, fry and reheat them for lacy edges and tender centers, with toppings and make-ahead…
Homemade Eggnog for Christmas: Silky Cooked Custard Method Silky homemade eggnog made on the stove with a safe cooked custard, ready to chill ahead for Christmas and holiday parties. Alcohol…
Sticky Toffee Pudding: Classic British Christmas Dessert Moist date sponge with warm toffee sauce, a British winter classic. Easy, make-ahead and perfect for Christmas and cold evenings.
Yule Log Cake (Bûche de Noël): A Christmas Showstopper A rolled chocolate sponge filled with whipped cream and covered in ganache. A classic Christmas dessert that looks hard but is not;…
Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake for Thanksgiving and Christmas A buttery sour cream bundt with fresh cranberries and orange glaze. Easy, make-ahead and perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas tables.
Soft Gingerbread Cookies for Christmas: Chewy, Spiced, Easy Soft, chewy gingerbread cookies with molasses, ginger and cinnamon. A make-ahead Christmas bake for cookie boxes, tree decorating and gifts.
Christmas Prime Rib Roast: Garlic Herb Crust, Foolproof Method A juicy bone-in prime rib roast with a garlic herb crust: dry-brined, roasted low and seared hot. Perfect for a Christmas dinner…
Gingerbread Cheesecake for Christmas: Spiced, Creamy, Make-Ahead A silky molasses-and-ginger cheesecake on a gingersnap crust. Make it a day ahead for Christmas or any winter dinner party.
Mushroom Wellington: A Vegetarian Showstopper for Thanksgiving A golden puff pastry roast filled with mushrooms, chestnuts and walnuts: a make-ahead vegetarian centrepiece for Thanksgiving or Christmas.