What do you guys have for Christmas/Christmas Eve Dinner?
- Thread starter nesser1981
- Start date
Paula
New member
Julie Billingsley
The Ghost of Awesome Past
Thanks for the suggestion Vanessa!
Paula, is it bread-like? My husband hates bread (seriously WHO hates bread?!?) and that is why other breakfast casseroles haven't been hits.
MissKim
Active member
We have three holidays meals. First, for just our family of five. We have a tradition of doing enchiladas. Last year I ordered them from a fundraiser, and this year I'm having my husband's cousin make them. We have this meal on the evening of the 23rd after my dh gets off work. Then we open gifts.
Christmas Eve, we get up and go to my parent's house. We usually do a theme meal -- soups, or Italian, or even pizza. It's in the evening again and then we open gifts.
Christmas Day, we go to my in-laws. My MIL's cooking is not her strong point (although apparently my children and I are the only ones who think that). Not only that, but she doesn't make enough food to feed the entire family. She's been cooking for 2 for so long that she has no idea what two dozen people, including 6 teen/young adult boys, can eat. The last few times we've been up there for a meal, she's had barbecued beef for the meat and then makes cheesey potatoes, crock pot creamed corn and crescent rolls with it. The worst was when my SIL butchered her pet pig and brought ham for dinner. My children are still traumatized by that. So what does my family eat for Christmas dinner? A few bits and bites from whatever we can find at my in-laws, and then we stop at the convenience store and get microwave burritos and funyuns. Cracks me up.
Of course, this year is all messed up and none of this make work out. It's possible we may actually stay home for Christmas. What a concept!
Christmas Eve, we get up and go to my parent's house. We usually do a theme meal -- soups, or Italian, or even pizza. It's in the evening again and then we open gifts.
Christmas Day, we go to my in-laws. My MIL's cooking is not her strong point (although apparently my children and I are the only ones who think that). Not only that, but she doesn't make enough food to feed the entire family. She's been cooking for 2 for so long that she has no idea what two dozen people, including 6 teen/young adult boys, can eat. The last few times we've been up there for a meal, she's had barbecued beef for the meat and then makes cheesey potatoes, crock pot creamed corn and crescent rolls with it. The worst was when my SIL butchered her pet pig and brought ham for dinner. My children are still traumatized by that. So what does my family eat for Christmas dinner? A few bits and bites from whatever we can find at my in-laws, and then we stop at the convenience store and get microwave burritos and funyuns. Cracks me up.
Of course, this year is all messed up and none of this make work out. It's possible we may actually stay home for Christmas. What a concept!
strawberryredhead
New member
:blink:
Christmas Eve is just a normal dinnerfor us since we have two Christmas days here. Normally we go to DHs parents for 1st Christmas Day and the meal varies every year. We usually do stone grill here at home on 2nd Christmas Day wil fresh onions and bell peppers to gril and fries, sauces and some sort of dessert.
tjscraps
Sweet Shoppe SugarBabe
Christmas Eve if spent with my family is Cabbage Rolls and Perogies (we're not Ukranian, it's just what we've always done).
If we go to dh's Christmas Eve they usually do a Tortiere (meat pie), but this year apparently it's Surf & Turf.
Christmas Day is Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, buns (you'd call them rolls lol), pickles, cranberry sauce, turnip, carrots, the green masrshmallow salad (Ambrosia?), baked sweet potatos and pie.
If we go to dh's Christmas Eve they usually do a Tortiere (meat pie), but this year apparently it's Surf & Turf.
Christmas Day is Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, buns (you'd call them rolls lol), pickles, cranberry sauce, turnip, carrots, the green masrshmallow salad (Ambrosia?), baked sweet potatos and pie.
color of my heart
New member
christmas eve is always at my parents' house. we have grama's meatballs, potato salad, mac and cheese, and green beans with bacon. and something fun for dessert, it varies by year.
christmas day is a food festival. we start eating at 11, and don't stop until after dessert. we have swedish pancakes in the morning (i look forward to these from thanksgiving on). and then at like, 2, grama puts out picky foods like crackers and cheese, veggies and dip, salsa dip and chips, roll ups, and pepperoni bread. at 5 we have the full dinner: roast beef, yorkshire pudding, glazed carrots, strawberry-applesauce jello salad, rolls, and various other side dishes. and then dessert is always cookies and peppermint stick ice cream.
yeah. and after that, we all don't eat for two days. : ) kidding. but seriously, food alllllll day.
christmas day is a food festival. we start eating at 11, and don't stop until after dessert. we have swedish pancakes in the morning (i look forward to these from thanksgiving on). and then at like, 2, grama puts out picky foods like crackers and cheese, veggies and dip, salsa dip and chips, roll ups, and pepperoni bread. at 5 we have the full dinner: roast beef, yorkshire pudding, glazed carrots, strawberry-applesauce jello salad, rolls, and various other side dishes. and then dessert is always cookies and peppermint stick ice cream.
yeah. and after that, we all don't eat for two days. : ) kidding. but seriously, food alllllll day.
adrianka
New member
Let's talk about something exotic, hehe.
I can't speak for all Slovaks, the menu can change with region, and even the same menu differs when individual family recipes come into play.
As far as what I have known as a child:
Christmas Eve.
The big one. Gifts are unpacked on Christmas Eve, and the big dinner is on the same evening. You're supposed to fast during the day; and you're not supposed to have meat (fish doesn't count, hehe) as a part of the menu. THIS, however, is highly individual, as I know loads of Slovak people from the same city I come from who look at me like "what?" when I say this to them. My Grandma was from the north of Slovakia, so maybe that's where this comes from.
The menu would be:
1. Cabbage soup. I'm sure this came around because Slovaks were traditionally rural and poor people, so most of our traditional recipes feature cabbage and potatoes. But OMG the cabbage soup is divine, and it turns better with each day (good to make LOADS of it). Recipes vary, and what my Grandma did was to to a vegetarian one for Christmas Eve and the "real one" (with sausage and stuff) for New Year's Eve.
There are regions where lentil soup is eaten, and there are regions where who-knows-what is eaten. Still I still the cabbage soup the the most representative one.
2. Fried fish and potato salad with mayonnaise. Traditionally, the fish is carp, but we never had carp because of the bones (I was small and Grandpa was old, so we were spared). The potato salad, again, differs from family to family. Ours has potatoes, peas, carrot, apples, pickled gherkings, mayonnaise, cream, lemon juice and some seasonings.
Christmas Day.
For lunch, we used to have chicken soup and chicken as the main dish, but that varied according to taste. Maybe some people eat something traditional (duck, maybe), but we weren't too traditional in this way.
I can't speak for all Slovaks, the menu can change with region, and even the same menu differs when individual family recipes come into play.
As far as what I have known as a child:
Christmas Eve.
The big one. Gifts are unpacked on Christmas Eve, and the big dinner is on the same evening. You're supposed to fast during the day; and you're not supposed to have meat (fish doesn't count, hehe) as a part of the menu. THIS, however, is highly individual, as I know loads of Slovak people from the same city I come from who look at me like "what?" when I say this to them. My Grandma was from the north of Slovakia, so maybe that's where this comes from.
The menu would be:
1. Cabbage soup. I'm sure this came around because Slovaks were traditionally rural and poor people, so most of our traditional recipes feature cabbage and potatoes. But OMG the cabbage soup is divine, and it turns better with each day (good to make LOADS of it). Recipes vary, and what my Grandma did was to to a vegetarian one for Christmas Eve and the "real one" (with sausage and stuff) for New Year's Eve.
There are regions where lentil soup is eaten, and there are regions where who-knows-what is eaten. Still I still the cabbage soup the the most representative one.
2. Fried fish and potato salad with mayonnaise. Traditionally, the fish is carp, but we never had carp because of the bones (I was small and Grandpa was old, so we were spared). The potato salad, again, differs from family to family. Ours has potatoes, peas, carrot, apples, pickled gherkings, mayonnaise, cream, lemon juice and some seasonings.
Christmas Day.
For lunch, we used to have chicken soup and chicken as the main dish, but that varied according to taste. Maybe some people eat something traditional (duck, maybe), but we weren't too traditional in this way.
Amber1279
New member
the last couple years my dad has ordered in a fresh salmon! My mom can't eat farm raised salmon because she has a reaction to the red dye added to make the salmon look pink.
On Christmas morning we have a big brunch at my parent's house and then just eat leftovers the rest of the day.
On Christmas morning we have a big brunch at my parent's house and then just eat leftovers the rest of the day.
Scrapper007
New member
We order out for pizza every year..a tradition. 
MandaT
New member
Christmas eve is usually different every year depending on what we're doing/where we're going. Sometimes I host it for DH's family & we do ham/turkey & the fixins. If we go to my dads, it could be anything from soup bar to traditional.
Christmas day if we're with my mom's side of the family, is traditionalish, Ham, potatos, rolls, pink jello/cottage cheese salad, green beans, sweet potatoes, an assortment of finger foods, a crab dip, crackers/cheese/salami, desserts. This is what we'll be doing this year.
Christmas day if we're with my mom's side of the family, is traditionalish, Ham, potatos, rolls, pink jello/cottage cheese salad, green beans, sweet potatoes, an assortment of finger foods, a crab dip, crackers/cheese/salami, desserts. This is what we'll be doing this year.