It's time to gather around the table with loved ones and indulge in the most delicious and festive meals. We've curated a list of 18 Christmas Main Dishes to make your holiday feast truly unforgettable, no matter your budget.
Whether a seasoned chef or a newbie, I hope these holiday recipes inspire you to create a magical and mouth-watering celebration everyone will love!
The Best Christmas Dinner Main Dishes
If you're hosting Christmas this year, it's always a wise choice to have festive snacks and holiday cookies around. But, as for the dinner, we want it to feel extra special, well-rounded, and, of course, comforting. With all of those factors to consider, putting together a Christmas dinner menu that feels elevated can sometimes feel overwhelming. After hosting countless holiday gatherings and cooking for crowds small and large, I have learned what makes a good Christmas dinner great, and I've got everything you need to know listed below.
How to Choose a Main Dish for Christmas
There are a few things to consider when choosing a comforting (yet elevated) Christmas dinner main dish. It involves striking the perfect balance between tradition and sophistication.
- Tradition | Decide if you want to stick with a traditional dish like roast turkey or ham, or step out and try something new, like shrimp alfredo or chicken chow mein!
- Balance | You can choose a versatile main ingredient that can be leveled up with affordable yet high-quality, delicious ingredients. Think of a baked chicken with a rich herbed butter served with seasonal vegetables.
- Presentation | Choose a Christmas main dish that will impress on your table. A beautifully displayed main dish can be a stunning centerpiece for your meal.
Christmas Main Dish Roundup
1. Stuffed Shells
Talk about a total crowd-pleaser! These stuffed shells with meat will deliver all the comfort and joy your guests want from Christmas dinner. This dish is well-rounded, but you can include a pretty green, such as burrata salad or a house salad, with a side of garlic bread.
2. Beef Tenderloin
To seriously impress your guests, serve a roasted beef tenderloin. It's a beautiful sight to behold and extraordinarily delicious. A perfect Christmas main dish commemorating the season, a medium-rare beef tenderloin pairs well with lyonnaise potatoes and fresh green beans.
3. Lobster Ravioli
If you want to deliver decadence but are in a time crunch, serve up lobster ravioli for your Christmas main dish! It comes together in under 30 minutes and adds luxury to every bite. The sauce is what elevates this dish to a high-quality level. Think Pomodoro sauce, but with more of a lobster bisque vibe.
4. Smoked Turkey Breast
It's incredible what a simple brine and a brown sugar rub can do for a turkey breast. A budget-friendly choice for your Christmas main, this smoked turkey breast is sweet and savory, perfect for the holidays. Roast, carve, and serve alongside turkey gravy, sweet potato souffle, and a pear and walnut salad.
5. Shrimp Alfredo
Get ready to get fancy! All you need is 30 minutes and a Christmas dinner appetite for this shrimp alfredo recipe. If you're wanting to ditch the traditional turkey and dressing this year, this main dish with succulent, perfectly cooked shrimp, fettuccini, and the creamiest sauce is an impressive replacement. Who knows? Maybe it will be your new tradition!
6. Boneless Prime Rib
A treasured holiday favorite to share with family and friends, boneless prime rib does not disappoint. With a tender, juicy inside and a beautifully browned, crispy crust, this perfect protein for a crowd can go next level with a jus or gorgonzola sauce next to red mashed potatoes, asparagus, and homemade rolls.
7. Salmon with Dill Sauce
Salmon with dill sauce sounds so extravagant your family and friends will never know it took you less than 20 minutes. That makes it perfect for an entree on Christmas Day. Serve your flaky salmon with roasted root veggies, and a kale and broccoli salad.
8. Homemade Lasagna
A homemade lasagna for Christmas that isn't time-consuming and still made from scratch? That's what I want for Christmas! We took traditional lasagna and made it more efficient, still giving you a stellar, quick-fix marinara sauce, a simple ricotta mixture, and a foolproof assembly process that makes the layering easy-peasy. Serve with your favorite salad and garlic bread.
9. Roasted Turkey
Here is your ultimate guide for cooking a holiday turkey! This 15-pound beaut always rounds out a Christmas table, but we want to be sure it's perfectly cooked, moist, and flavorful. Serve up a traditional turkey dinner with stuffing, green bean casserole, and sweet potatoes with marshmallows and pecans.
10. Steak Alfredo
If you want to treat your family and friends to a delicious and gourmet meal, steak alfredo is the way to go. By whipping this up on Christmas Day, you're giving them high-quality beef cooked to perfection paired with a creamy, smooth, and garlicky alfredo sauce.
11. Shrimp Spaghetti
This beautiful shrimp spaghetti dish will complement any Christmas tablescape seamlessly. Juicy, impeccably cooked shrimp with bright tomatoes and fresh basil drenched in a mind-blowing garlic sauce, all atop spaghetti noodles. Who wouldn't want to get this for Christmas?
12. Pork Tenderloin
Always tender, never dry, this pork tenderloin recipe is a solid choice for your Christmas dinner menu. A brine makes all the difference, or you can opt for a savory mustard sauce. Either way, I walk you through the foolproof steps to a swoon-worthy Christmas pork tenderloin.
13. Baked Whole Chicken
Simple doesn't have to be boring. This whole roasted chicken slathered with a quick and easy butter mixture is what you didn't know you needed this Christmas. It makes a hostess's life easy, because it feeds a crowd well and is not difficult to make. Complete your Christmas dinner menu with roasted carrots and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus for added color on your table!
14. Shrimp Scampi
Garlic and butter are the best gifts you can give to shrimp, especially in a shrimp scampi dish. Toss those jumbo babies over pasta, and you'll get a Christmas Day winner. Don't forget a giant slice of garlic bread to soak up all the garlic butter saucy goodness.
15. Cast Iron Filets
Steak night, Christmas edition, is brought to you by this beautiful cast iron filet recipe. Have no fear about messing up this expensive cut of meat--our foolproof guide will deliver the most perfect steaks to your family and friends. Pair your steaks with twice-baked mashed potatoes and slow-cooker green beans.
16. Pork Loin Roast
Let your oven take the reins and do the heavy lifting when you roast your boneless pork loin for Christmas. Succulent with a crispy, caramelized crust, this pork loin roast is perfect for a holiday crowd next to potatoes dauphinoise and Southern collard greens.
17. Porterhouse Steaks
Bring restaurant-quality steak to your holiday table this season with the porterhouse. A cut of meat that cuts like butter and is bursting with flavor, you can't go wrong with this dish for Christmas Day. We marinade it in a sauce similar to our chimichurri sauce that balances the savoriness of the beef and adds some zest.
18. Chicken Chow Mein
Chinese food on Christmas Day -- it just works. There's just something warm and cozy about chicken chow mein and a holiday. You won't be missing the Christmas ham. Promise.
Any of these Christmas dinner main dishes will please your crew and bring warmth around the holiday table. Whether you are cooking for a crowd or a small gathering, our dishes suit any occasion and party size. Happy cooking and happy holiday menu planning!
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