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Christmas Dinner Recipes: Main Dishes, Sides, and Soups | The Old Farmer's Almanac

The Best Christmas Dinner Recipes

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Main Dishes, Side Dishes, and More!

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Our Ultimate Christmas Dinner Recipes collection has you covered on all the classic mains—Christmas glazed ham, prime rib roast with Yorkshire pudding, and roasted turkey! Plus, this year, we’ve included some smaller mains for smaller gatherings. And don’t forget about the delicious sides, from honey-glazed carrots to roasted Brussels sprouts! Great food makes your festivities even better!

Before dinner begins, satisfy your guests with Christmas appetizers!

Main Dishes for Christmas Dinner

Prime Rib Roast With Potatoes

On Christmas, we try to have a special meal that we wouldn’t have every day of the year. The standing prime rib roast is a beautiful, striking centerpiece on the holiday table. 

Prime Rib Roast With Potatoes
Prime Rib Roast With Potatoes
Credit: Lesya Dolyuk/Shutterstock

Christmas Glazed Ham

Our Honey-Mustard Glazed Ham makes a striking main dish with its shiny, caramelized coating. A tangy, crunchy crust yields a mouthwateringly delicious interior.

Christmas Glazed Ham
Christmas Glazed Ham
Credit: Elena Veselova/Shutterstock

Roast Goose 

The most traditional holiday dish is the roast goose. Most grocers can supply a frozen goose at any time; fresh birds are usually available during the holidays. Even better is a free-range goose, which will be more tender and taste better. 

Roast Goose
Roast Goose 
Photo by Agnes Kantaruk/Shutterstock.

Dry-Brined Roast Turkey

As opposed to a traditionally brined turkey, a dry-brined turkey is said to have a crispier skin and better texture overall.

It’s not difficult, but you do need to put the brined turkey in the fridge three days in advance and remove the night before roasting.

Dry-brined turkey
Dry-Brined Roast Turkey
Photo by Bochkarev Photography/Shutterstock

Roasted Pork Tenderloin With Garlic and Rosemary

This simple, elegant dish that impresses with little effort. With just a few ingredients—fresh rosemary, thyme, and roasted garlic—you impart a wonderful flavor that melds deliciously with the tender juiciness of the tenderloin. 

Roasted Pork Tenderloin With Garlic and Rosemary
Roasted Pork Tenderloin With Garlic and Rosemary
Credit: Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock

Tourtière (French-Canadian Christmas Meat Pie)

Tourtière is a famous meat-filled pie enjoyed at Christmas. A French-Canadian staple, this double-crusted savory pie is made with ground pork, warm spices, and mashed potatoes, plus a rich pastry crust that melts in your mouth.

Tourtière (French-Canadian Christmas Meat Pie)
Tourtière (French-Canadian Christmas Meat Pie)
Credit: martiapunts/shutterstock

Lasagna With Two Sauces 

Sporting a meat sauce and a white sauce, this classic crowd-pleaser just got twice as nice!

Lasagna With Two Sauces
Lasagna With Two Sauces 
Photo by Becky Luigart-Stayner.

Easy Cranberry Chicken Recipes

Need a quick dinner for two or three? This Easy Cranberry Chicken recipe is a wonderfully festive and flavorful dish with minimal effort. Enjoy over rice or with roasted veggies.

Easy Cranberry Chicken Recipes
Easy Cranberry Chicken Recipes

Christmas Side Dishes

Yorkshire Pudding

This Yorkshire Pudding is delicious served alongside any meal, but it goes exceptionally well with a roast beef. Try making individual puddings with a muffin tin!

Yorkshire Pudding. Photo by Pixabay.
Yorkshire Pudding

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Inevitably, some of the leaves come off the sprouts as they roast, and they become delectably charred in the heat of the oven. Don’t discard them; they taste sublime.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Cornbread Dressing With Sausage

This classic cornbread dressing (or stuffing) is a favorite during the holidays. Buttery with a nice blend of sausage and herbs, this hearty dressing’s surprise flavor is the apples, which add a crisp, fresh taste.

Cornbread Dressing With Sausage
Cornbread Dressing With Sausage
Credit: Sam Jones/Quinn Brein

Honey-Glazed Carrots and Parsnips

Honey-glazed carrots and parsnips make for a simple but excellent combination. For a special meal, lay fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs over the vegetables before roasting.

Honey-Glazed Carrots and Parsnips
Honey-Glazed Carrots and Parsnips

Carrot Casserole Bake

Or, try something different (and delicious!) with carrots. With only five ingredients, our Carrot Casserole is simple and inexpensive to make, yet looks lovely.
We’ve served this carrot bake to folks who weren’t particularly fond of carrots, and it was a big hit. 

Carrot Casserole Bake
Carrot Casserole Bake
Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Pecan-Crusted Sweet Potato Casserole

For another casserole option, try this holiday favorite. The pecans add a crunchy texture to this sweet potato dish.

Pecan-Crusted Sweet Potato Casserole
Pecan-Crusted Sweet Potato Casserole

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

If you’re a fan of mashed potatoes, roasted garlic takes these creamy mashed potatoes over the top!

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
CreditAnna Kurzaeva/Shutterstock

Scalloped Potatoes

If you’re not a mashed potatoes fan, try these delicious scalloped potatoes. There’s something different about these cheesy, crispy potatoes when it comes to a special holiday meal.

Scalloped Potatoes
Scalloped Potatoes
Credit: Karl Allgaeuer/Shutterstock

Maple Squash Casserole

We’re a big fan of winter squash this year (and every year)! We used a mix of delicata and butternut squash for this slightly sweet and nutty side dish.

Maple Squash Casserole
Maple Squash Casserole
Credit: Sam Jones/Quinn Brein

More Christmas Recipe Collections

“As many mince pies as you taste at Christmas, so many happy months will you have.”

Ho-ho-hold on there! We’ve got even more holiday recipes for you:

Happy feasting and merrymaking to all our readers from the Editors at The Old Farmer’s Almanac!

About The Author

Jennifer Keating

Jennifer is the Associate Digital Editor at The Old Farmer’s Almanac. She is an active equestrian and spends much of her free time at the barn. When she’s not riding, she loves caring for her collection of house plants, baking, and playing in her gardens. Read More from Jennifer Keating

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