Last week we talked all about breakfast on Christmas Day and I loved hearing all about your Christmas Breakfast traditions.
Today I thought it would be fun to talk about Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners.
When I was growing up we always had a nice dinner on Christmas Day. It was often either turkey or ham served with lots of side dishes and desserts.
One dessert that always made an appearance on Christmas Day was my dad’s favorite dessert, which is Sour Cream Raisin Pie. It is a recipe that came from my grandmother and it has been a favorite of my dad’s since he was a child. My mom always makes sure to make it for Christmas.
Now with my own family it really varies what we serve on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Many times we spend it with family and friends. Other times like this year, we host Christmas dinner at our house. This year I am serving ham with lots of side dishes and desserts.
Last year Oklahoma was hit with a blizzard and we were forced to stay home for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but it turned out to be a wonderful Christmas. We were forced to stay in and slow down. There was no fancy or big dinner, but it was a perfect Christmas.
Now I would love to hear your family traditions for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dinners. What do you love to serve and share with your family for holiday dinners?
I love to cook and bake, and my family loves to eat. Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures is all about sharing my love of cooking, recipes, tips, and ideas of how I combine this cooking passion with a busy life. [
My grandfather likes the sour cream raisin pie too — fun tradition.
This year we are having steaks, baked potatoes, and grilled vegetables for Christmas Eve. We’ll be celebrating with just our immediate family and attending the Christmas Eve service at church. My husband’s side of the family all come to our house for Christmas but we work together to provide lots of food.
My sister-in-law will bring a ham, baked corn, buffalo chicken dip, and some cookies. My mother-in-law will bring homemade macaroni and cheese and delightful nut tarts (they’re wonderful!). She also purchased lots of heat and eat appetizers from Sam’s Club. I’ll be making cheesy potatoes (double-batch), taco dip, vegetable tray, and a turkey roll from the Honey Baked Ham store. I already made lots of fudge yesterday and today I’ll be making some cookies. We’ll have lots of food!
Samantha
We almost always have Baked Ziti on Christmas Eve (https://theunemployedlibrarian.blogspot.com/2010/02/recipe-marios-baked-ziti.html). I need to make some bread to go with it (something garlicky I think!) and I’m making an apple cake for dessert this year.
Christmas varies, but it’s almost always ham or turkey and sides. This year we are having ham and the only thing I’m doing new/different is making rolls. I’m using the same recipe I made at Thanksgiving; they were a big hit!
When I was a small child, we moved to Texas during the christmas season. We did not have a lot of food in the house so for christmas eve dinner my father fixed us chili and eggs. We have that every year now. We always open our gifts on christmas eve and have a traditional dinner
On Christmas Eve we are having the whole family for dinner after church – crockpot stroganoff with noodles, sides and jello cake for dessert. Christmas morning breakfast (egg casserole) with oldest daughter’s family and Christmas dinner with younger daughter’s family. This way we get to see the grandkids with their toys and they are beginning their own traditions now.
Since my mother in law makes turkey and/or ham on Christmas day, we do the traditional roast on Christmas Eve. I’m making cheesy-bread rolls, creamed corn casserole, twice baked potatoes, and brussel sprouts, plus cranberry sauce on the side. We’re having fruit salad, red velvet cake, and eggnog flan (from the Food Network Magazine) for dessert. And I serve hot cider and eggnog to please everyone 🙂
Christmas Eve dinner isn’t a huge deal at our house. We go to Mass at 5pm so it’s around 7 by the time we get home. We just have something easy and the kids get to open one present (always a new pair of pj’s).
We’re pretty casual for Christmas meals. We switch off each year on Christmas day with my family and my husband’s family (my stepdaughter goes to her mother’s every other year).
This year will be our first Christmas without dad. Although he was here on Christmas day last year, he was in the hospital and died 4 days later. Typically dad would make a ham and we’d all bring appetizers and sides and he would make a bunch of pies.
This year it will be my brother & his family and my sister and her husband at our house. We’re going super casual and very “Texan”. LOL We’re grilling burgers & hot dogs! 🙂 We’ll be having some yummy mac n cheese, baked beans, chips, etc. to go with them. My sister is bringing cake and pie and my kids and I decorated sugar cookies and made some Oreo truffles.
Lynn, I enjoy your site, recipes & tips. I would love your sour cream raisin pie recipe for my dad. It was a favorite his mom made but she passed away when he was 16 and he’s not had it since. I would love to suprise him with a tried & true family recipe. He has also asked for Lemon Poppy Seed bread and pineapple upside down cake. I’ve not been able to find recipes like he remembers, if you have any loved favorites you can share that would be wonderful!
Wishing you a Happy New Year!
@pamela, I will try to post that soon. I have not made it in years, but my husband loves it so it would be a good excuse to make it again and get some pictures of is. I don’t have a good lemon poppy seed bread, but I have made pineapple upside down cake many times, and can’t believe I have never posted one. I will add that to the list to try to post soon. Thank you and I am so glad that you enjoy my site and recipes.