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30 Easy And Elegant Christmas Dinner Menu Ideas

December 18, 2016 By Gritsandpinecones 4 Comments

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Make this Christmas the most delicious ever with these 30 easy and elegant Christmas Dinner menu ideas and recipes. From appetizers to desserts and everything in between, these incredible dishes are as special as the holidays!

30 Easy and Elegant Christmas Menu Ideas and Recipes Social Media

Perfect Beef Tenderloin with Gorgonzola Sauce – Grits and Pinecones

Nothing says the holidays like a showstopping, melt-in-your-mouth, Perfect Beef Tenderloin with Gorgonzola Sauce.  This elegant and impressive, oven roasted dish is a classic entree for Christmas Dinner or makes a great appetizer for a holiday or New Year’s Eve party. Check out the easy recipe, it’s a must try!

Perfect Beef Tenderloin with Gorgonzola Sauce on a cutting board garnished with parsley

Cranberry Cake with Hard Sauce

Looking for Christmas dinner ideas? A beautiful and festive dessert, Easy Cranberry Cake with Hard Sauce will make a unique sweet ending for your Christmas meal. Full of fresh tart cranberries, this cake has it all; the colors of the season, a winning combination of flavors and textures, and the creamy, blissful yumminess of a decadent hard sauce.

Cranberry Cake with Hard sauce in a Christmas bowl.

Crown Roast of Pork – Pudge Factor

Looking for a replacement for the traditional ham for your Christmas dinner? Try Crown Roast of Pork. It is an elegant entrée for your special holiday dinner.

Crown Roast of Pork

Grilled Mahi Mahi in Lemon Butter Sauce – My Natural Family

This grilled Mahi Mahi recipe would be really good to cook for someone you want to impress. It would also be good for Christmas Dinner!

Grilled Mahi Mahi

Delicious Whisky Ice Cream and Plum Pudding-Compass and Fork

Whisky ice cream plum pudding with butterscotch sauce is a go-to dessert at Christmas time. An easy, gluten-free and paleo recipe.

Whisky Ice Cream

Ultimate Blue Cheese Potatoes Au Gratin – Grits and Pinecones

Are you looking for a delicious side dish for Christmas dinner or holiday entertaining? How about something just a little different from traditional mashed potatoes? Well, hold on to your Santa hat because Blue Cheese Potatoes Au Gratin will rock your world.

Ultimate Blue Cheese Potatoes Au Gratin on the Thanksgiving trable

Make-Ahead Duchess Potatoes – Pudge Factor

Simple to make and elegant to serve, these Duchess Potatoes freeze beautifully for a make-ahead side dish for your Christmas or anytime feast.

Make Ahead Dutchess Potatoes

Cornish Game Hens with Cranberry Stuffing

Looking for Christmas dinner ideas? Check out Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Cranberry Stuffing. They are a delicious, elegant, and inexpensive main course for your Christmas dinner or a special dinner party!

Cornish Game Hens with Cranberry Stuffing perfect for a festive Christmas dinner

Egg Nog Ice Cream with Hot Buttered Rum Sauce – The Merchant Baker

This ice cream is rich and very creamy, and custard-based just like the drink for which it is named. The egg yolks give it that unmistakable egg nog French vanilla color.  A fresh vanilla bean steeps in the custard and leaves behind all of those telltale flecks of sweet vanilla flavor.  The Rum Sauce is a buttery, rummy hot caramel sauce that works perfectly with this ice cream.  If you love rum in your eggnog, then definitely add the rum and top it off with the sauce.

Egg Nog Ice Cream

Baked Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes

Easy Baked Southern Candied Sweet Potato casserole features thinly sliced sweet potatoes, covered with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves, and then topped with sweet creamy butter and candied pecans. This easy classic Christmas casserole recipe comes together quickly and is both decadent and delicious!

Baked Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes

Mussels in White Wine Sauce – Happy Kitchen Rocks

Easy 10-minute recipe for a fancy and delicious dinner. Steam mussels with onion, garlic, white wine.

Mussels in Wine Sauce

Champagne Roast Chicken with Grapes and Shallots – Cali Girl Cooking

We simply pour the champagne/sparkling wine all over the little chick, stuff it with lemons AND oranges, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and pop it in the oven. It’s perfect for your Christmas dinner!

Champagne Chicken

Frozen Caramel Silk Pecan Pie – Recipes Worth Repeating

This recipe is really easy to make and let me tell you when you sync your teeth into this one, you taste a silky caramel and vanilla ice cream flavor. But there is no ice cream in this one! This pie has a nice rich flavor that is not “too rich”.

French Caramel Silk Pie

Easy Christmas Red Velvet Cake Trifle

It might be said that Easy Christmas Red Velvet Cake Trifle with its festive candy cane colors and delicious and decadent layers is a Christmas miracle, and if not that, it definetely wins first place for the best Christmas dinner idea!

Christmas Red Velvet Cake Trifle with festive candy cane colors ready to serve in a trifle dish

Roast Chicken with Rainbow Carrots and Crispy Sage – Feast and Fable Blog

Is this roast chicken beautiful or what!? Cue all the heart eye emojis and say HELLO Christmas. It’s almost too good looking to eat – golden and crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside and full of flavor from the thyme, lemon and garlic it’s roasted with.

Roast Chicken with Rainbow Carrots

 

Vegan Shepard’s Pie – Gluten Free – Vegan Chick Pea

If you’re looking for a vegan, gluten-free or just healthier option for your Christmas table, this is it. You can even make the veggie and bean base for this the day before if you’re planning a big meal and need to break up the cooking. Just pop the muffin pan back into the oven to warm up, and then broil with the addition of the potato topping before serving.

Vegan Shepard's Pie

Sundried Tomato Pancetta Cornbread Stuffing – Foodie Girl Chicago

This Cornbread Stuffing puts a twist on the traditional by adding crispy pancetta and tangy sun-dried tomatoes for a delicious Christmas side dish!

Sundried Tomato Cornbread Stuffing

Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts – Gluten Free with LB

Shredded brussels sprouts are coated in a sweet champagne vinaigrette and topped with crunchy walnuts and juicy cranberries!  It makes a wonderful vegan and gluten-free side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any other special gathering.

Shredded Brussel Sprouts

Roasted Butternut Squash with Sage – Every Day Eats

This Roasted Butternut Squash with Sage recipe features cubes of butternut squash cooked to perfection with olive oil, garlic, and fresh sage. A healthy and delicious holiday side dish that is naturally gluten-free, paleo and vegan.

Roasted Butternut Squash

Quinoa Stuffed Squash with Walnuts and Pomegranate – Nirvana Cakery

I’m getting all festive on the blog today with this Quinoa Stuffed Squash with Walnuts and Pomegranate which is perfect for holiday season. It’s a special plant-based, seasonal and super wholesome meal.

Quinoa Stuffed Squash

Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Onion Blue Cheese Sauce

This recipe for Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Onion Blue Cheese Sauce is the answer to your Christmas and holiday dinner prayers. Beef Tenderloins are prized for their tenderness and though expensive, when cooked in the oven are elegant, delicious, and make an impressive main dish for special occasions.

Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Onion and Blue Cheese Sauce on a Christmas plate.

Ultimate Broccoli Cheese Casserole

When you see a recipe with the name Ultimate Broccoli Cheese Casserole you expect it to be, well, something pretty spectacular, and this delicious casserole loaded with cheesy goodness lives up to its name! It’s the perfect Christmas dinner side dish.

Ultimate Broccoli Cheese Casserole-6

Sweet and Savory Sweet Potatoes – A Slice of KY

This recipe combines several contrasting flavors – sweet potato, salty bacon fat, savory herbs, and tangy cranberries. It may not sound like it at first, but they balance each other out perfectly. This would really make a great side dish at the holidays and doesn’t take much time or effort to make.

Sweet and Savory Sweet Potatoes

Green Bean Bundles Wrapped in Bacon

Easy delicious Green Bean Bundles Wrapped in Bacon will lend an elegant touch to your holiday dinner table. These divine little packages of tender green beans, wrapped in smoky bacon with a touch of brown sugar, are sure to be a favorite of your family and friends.

Green Bean Bundles with Bacon-9

Molasses Dinner Rolls – My Modern Cookery

These Molasses Dinner Rolls are perfect for all of your holiday dinners! They’re moist, fluffy and begging to be slathered with spiced butter.

Molasses Dinner Rolls

Cauliflower Soup with Gingerbread Spices – Rockridge Kitchen

After you decorate your house for the Holidays and hang ornaments on your evergreen, you want to sit back and relax. And have a bit to eat. This gingerbread soup is the clear winner, keeping with the holiday spirit.

Cauliflower Soup

Green Salad with Grapefruit, Red and Golden Beets and Balsamic Dressing – Pass Me Some Tasty

Check out this gorgeous green salad with semi-sweet pink grapefruit tossed with raw red and golden beets, cherry tomatoes, sliced almonds, and goat cheese. Gotta have the goat cheese. So good. And then drizzled with a homemade balsamic dressing it’s perfect for your holiday dining.

Green Salad with Grapefruit

Roasted Acorn Squash with Pomegranate Seeds – Trial and Eater

Roasted Acorn Squash with pomegranate seeds. An easy and beautiful side dish for any dinner table.

Roasted Acorn Squash

Easy Parmesan Potatoes Au Gratin

This recipe for Easy Parmesan Potatoes Au Gratin is irresistibly delicious and the perfect special occasion side dish.  With thinly sliced, tender Russet potatoes, nestled in a thick and decadent cream sauce and nutty parmesan cheese, this thoroughly indulgent side dish just might edge out your entrée and become the star of the show!

Easy Parmesan Potatoes Au Gratin in a gratin dish on a red napkin.

No Churn Peppermint Ice Cream – What Molly Made

No Churn Peppermint Ice cream with pieces of candy cane. Everyone will be screaming for more of this delicious and easy no churn ice cream recipe!

Peppermint Ice Cream

Grown-Up Green Been Casserole – Pudge Factor

Are you tired of the mandatory cream of mushroom soup Green Bean Casserole? If so, you should try this Grown-up Green Bean Casserole. It’s easy to make and absolutely delicious! What’s even better is that this Grown-up Green Bean Casserole is a cinch to make, can be made ahead of time, and reheats beautifully.

Grown Up Green Bean Casserole

Skillet New York Strip Roast – Grits and Pinecones

Skillet New York Strip Roast is quite possibly the most delicious and tender roast beef you will ever taste and it’s a perfect entrée for your holiday dinner! And, did I mention this flavorful roast beef is incredibly easy to prepare?

Sliced Skillet New York Strip Roast

Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad with Cranberries

My easy, make-ahead, low-carb wonder, Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad with Cranberries is a holiday side-dish favorite. This healthy salad is full of crisp broccoli and cauliflower, sweet/tart cranberries and crunchy pistachios and it’s equally at home on an elegant Christmas dinner table or at a covered dish neighborhood potluck.

Broccoli Cauliflower Salad with Cranberries in a white serving dish on a red napkin

Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Have you ever seen anything as sweet as this Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Icing? With powerful notes of spicy ginger, molasses, warm cinnamon, and cloves, this easy, old-fashioned, moist cake will fill you with nostalgia and memories of past Christmases.

Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Icing with Christmas candy.

If you make any of these recipes, please be sure to rate it and leave a comment. I love hearing from you! Also, please follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.

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Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!

Need even more ideas? Check out these other holiday posts:

29 Best Christmas Dessert Recipes

37 Fun and Festive Christmas Appetizers, Cocktails and Sweet Endings

Put A Jingle In Your Bells With These 31 Easy to Make Edible Christmas Gifts 

12 Days of Festive Christmas Cookies

From appetizers to desserts and everything in between, these 30 Easy and Elegant Christmas Dinner Ideas are as special as the holidays!
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Filed Under: Desserts, Holidays, Main Dish, Recipe Index, Salads, Sides Tagged With: christmas dinner ideas, Christmas Dinner Menu Ideas, christmas dinner recipes, Elegant Christmas Dinner Menu Ideas, entrees for christmas dinner, healthy christmas dinner ideas, ideas for christmas dinner, recipes for christmas dinner, side dishes for christmas dinner

Previous Post: « 31 Easy Homemade Edible Christmas Gifts
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Reader Interactions

Discussion

  1. Sara says

    December 27, 2016 at 10:23 am

    What a beautiful collection of recipes! I wish holiday meals could be everyday meals. šŸ˜€

    Reply
    • Gritsandpinecones says

      December 28, 2016 at 1:42 pm

      Thanks Sara! Me too!

      Reply
  2. Erin says

    December 27, 2016 at 8:45 pm

    This is a wonderful collection! Thank you.

    Reply
    • Gritsandpinecones says

      December 28, 2016 at 1:41 pm

      Thank you so much!

      Reply

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Hello, I'm Sharon, blogger, recipe developer and photographer forĀ Grits and Pinecones. I’m all about creating delicious recipes with a Southern flair that are quick, easy and PERFECT to share with family and friends. Nothing fussy or complicated, just ā€œgo-toā€ dishes for the everyday home cook.
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