Although Christmas is still several weeks away, if you’ve accepted the responsibility of preparing dinner, it’s time to start thinking about what you’ll serve – remember, the longer you delay, the more difficult it may be to really get things in order.
With that said, we know it can be difficult to find exactly the right foods to serve, so we’ve rounded up some of our favorite “must-have” foods for Christmas – take a look below.
Turkey
Although turkey is commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner, it’s also pretty popular at Christmas time too. And if you happen to be in charge of your Thanksgiving feast as well, serving turkey both times gives you two awesome opportunities to get it to come out just right. If turkey is going to be your main meal of choice, make sure you have some of the right sides prepared too, such as mashed potatoes and stuffing.
Ham
We’re sure you’ve heard of people cooking a “Christmas ham” before! If you want to stay close to tradition, this is one food in particular we think you’ll definitely want to include on your menu. Since it’s not something that many people probably cook year round either, it’ll make your Christmas dinner all the more unique and enjoyable for everyone you’re cooking for!
Chicken Cutlets
It’s very important to remember to have something on the menu for everyone who will be taking part in your Christmas feast, so if you’re thinking of going more outside of the box with your main course, chicken cutlets are a great alternative for people who aren’t as up for trying something new.
Vegetables
You of course will need some vegetables on the side! Especially if your dessert table is going to be packed with sweets, you’ll want to make sure that your guests have something healthy to eat before they indulge! It doesn’t matter if you choose broccoli, carrots, corn or something else – all that really matters is that you have some healthy side dishes to go along with the main course!
Fruit
Speaking of healthy foods, you should also have some fruit out for guests as well! Fruit can be used either as a pre-meal snack, a post-meal snack, or even as something that guests have on the side during the main course. Of course, fruit can also be served with your other desserts too, and in particular, we suggest a fruit bouquet – they make for the perfect Christmas centerpieces too!
As you start to plan your Christmas menu, remember that not all guests are going to have the same preferences when it comes to food, which is why it’s so important to offer a variety of items. One thing that might be helpful is to ask guests well in advance what they’re hoping to have so that you can see if there are any foods in particular that all guests are in the mood for – this will certainly help you make decisions as the holiday gets closer!
AUTHOR
Amy graduated from Hofstra University with a degree in Journalism/ Public Relations, and put her studies to good use, frequently contributing articles to various websites and publications. She is a native New Yorker but has once called Paris and Brussels home. When not writing, you can find her painting, traveling and going on hikes with her dog.