Dec 11- QotD- What's for Christmas dinner?

[Julie Billingsley]

So what is the main meat dish at Christmas dinner for your family? Do you have more than one main meat?

We always have ham for Christmas. We are eating at my sister-in-law's house and that is what she chooses. I might do a turkey this year and bring it over to her house, but typically it's just ham on Christmas.

[mariewilcox]

Other - we're vegetarians

[adrianka]

Fish. Catholics don't eat meat on Christmas Eve. I'm noneligious, still I follow this. As for the traditional Slovak sauerkraut soup that normally has meat and sausage in it, we make a meat-less version for Christmas Eve, too, but not many people do that even if they're actually religious. I like the idea though.

For those interested: traditional Christmas dinner in my area: sauerkraut soup (best thing ever in winter) and fish with potato salad (including carrots, peas, apples, mayo and whatever).

Here is the variant I do on New Year's Eve - ham instead of fish and sauerkraut soup with sausage, the potato salad is the same:

[MamaBee]

Christmas Eve is always ham.... on Christmas Day, it's more finger foods so the main meat is Hot Beef Sandwiches.

However when I was growing up... Christmas Eve was at the farm (grandparents on my dad's side) and it was goulash (casserole type dish made with hamburger, tomato sauce and can peas )... and then Christmas Day was at my great aunts on my mom's side and she put out a spread... I know we had goose a few years... I'm going to have to ask my mom - I'm assuming most years it was ham because that is the tradition that is carried out today when my mom cooks the eve dinner...

[scrapweaver]

I voted turkey, but . . we have a full on Christmas Dinner, with turkey, ham, roast pork, and sometimes chicken too . . with baked veg, homemade applesauce, gravy etc (even in the heat, I cook the 'traditional' hot meal as my mother and grandmother did) We live off it for days afterwards YUMMY!!

[Stacey42]

I do prime rib for Christmas dinner, with Yorkshire Pudding & roasted veggies. Or raw veggies, depends on my kids, sometimes they ask for raw carrots instead of cooked ones.

My parents do ham, mashed potatoes, German noodles & steamed broccoli

[Gemma]

Turkey! With mashed potato, lots of veg, roast potatoes etc. I can't wait!!!

[MissKim]

No idea. It would help if I knew where we'd be for Christmas Dinner.

If we're home, it will probably be lasagna.

[pewtertm]

We're doing seafood...probably smoked salmon and shrimp. Sunflower Market has been selling lobster tails for $5, so if they run that deal again, we might do those.

[*Celeste*]

i'm struggling with what to make for xmas eve this year. torn betwen a pork wellington or a leg of lamb. we aren't sure who's coming and that will effect what we make.

for christmas this year we are trying something different and doing a beef tenderloin, mashed potatoes, broccoli, rolls and salad. because it is hanukkah we might substitute latkes (my sister's family is jewish.) we'll have my husband's famous hot wings, homemade salsa with chips, and matzo ball soup. my sister is bringing dessert. not sure what she's planning on making.

[Starlight-Princess]

On Christmas Eve we don't wat meat either Adrianka
On Christmas Day we do a huge Turkey and a huge Ham with roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts, carrots, peas, stuffing, parsley sauce, gravy, cranberry sauce and frash baked bread rolls. I cannot wait!! x

[maryinaz]

We'll have a variety of things. Last year we grilled steaks, shrimp, halibut, had crab legs, and turkey.

[mummytothree]

I voted other!! We have our big meal on Christmas Eve and up until last year it was turkey...but last year we made lasagna and that 's what we will be making this year too!!! I'm actually not a HUGE turkey fan so once a year at Thanksgiving is enough for me!!!

Then Christmas day we will have leftover and finger foods!!

[adrianka]

Originally Posted by Starlight-Princess

On Christmas Eve we don't wat meat either Adrianka
On Christmas Day we do a huge Turkey and a huge Ham with roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts, carrots, peas, stuffing, parsley sauce, gravy, cranberry sauce and frash baked bread rolls. I cannot wait!! x

I've just realised that your big dinner is probably a day later than ours. Is that so? Our Christmas dinner is 24 December. Might be 25 December in your case. :-)

[lauren grier]

*other- whatever my mum makes.. haha

[Jengerbread88]

We serve soups and appetizers at Christmas... this year will probably be the traditional chicken noodle, a hashbrown potato, and then for sides some chicken spaghetti corn (sounds weird, but it's AWESOME!) and some chicken ceasar appetizer pizza.

We always buy a turkey and a ham while they're on sale, and have them sometime in January or February, the whole Christmas meal in a different month. It's nice because everyone is all "turkey turkey turkey" in Thanksgiving and Christmas, and it's nice to have a change from the ordinary.

[kscwgirl]

Our Christmas dinner is basically the same as Thanksgiving. Which is fine with me.

[jessica31876]

pretty much the same as thanksgiving. I love turkey but we only eat it like twice a year (christmas and thanksgiving).

[gypsystar]

Turkey, our meal is pretty much just like Thanksgiving too. I heart turkey.

[SweetMelissa]

Pulled pork & smoked turkey.

[color of my heart]

we do... roast beef, yorkshire pudding, strawberry applesauce salad, and orange glazed carrots. we did ham a couple times, but we always come back to "roast beast" as my brother and i have always called it (blame "the grinch"). oh, and peppermint stick ice cream in krumkake (swedish/norwegian cone cookie) bowls with chocolate sauce for dessert.

i swear, all we do on christmas day is eat. it's worse than thanksgiving. because we start with breakfast in the morning. and then it's appetizers at lunch. and then the huge dinner. and then dessert. but it's totally worth it.

[nesser1981]

Seafood.

[Julie Billingsley]

wow... is anyone else surprised by this poll? I thought it would be like 90% ham/turkey... this just stuns me!

[emmasmommy]

hmm, i was raised catholic and we never observed the whole 'no meat' thing on christmas...

we usually have homemade ravioli on christmas day and a turkey as well.

[Leila]

Originally Posted by emmasmommy

hmm, i was raised catholic and we never observed the whole 'no meat' thing on christmas...

Same for me.

Once my mom married my dad, we started having lamb for Christmas dinner. I've tried to keep that going with my family, but since Andrew doesn't like lamb as much as JP and I do, we also have a small pork roast.

[MandaT]

I'm actually not sure what's being served for dinner.

I voted, no big meal, just hang out & have snacky foods & watch movies... DH works on Christmas eve/day, so we'll be hanging with my family, but I haven't heard the plan yet.

[maryinaz]

Originally Posted by emmasmommy

hmm, i was raised catholic and we never observed the whole 'no meat' thing on christmas....

Same here and I'm still a practicing Catholic - I don't think it is a US custom or a Catholic rule. But my BIL is full Lithuanian (was born here though) and Catholic, and he observes the no-meat on CE rule since he did that growing up.

We only abstain from meat on the Fridays during Lent, plus Ash Wednesday.

[emmasmommy]

Originally Posted by maryinaz

We only abstain from meat on the Fridays during Lent, plus Ash Wednesday.

this is us as well.

[adrianka]

Originally Posted by emmasmommy

hmm, i was raised catholic and we never observed the whole 'no meat' thing on christmas...

we usually have homemade ravioli on christmas day and a turkey as well.

Originally Posted by maryinaz

Same here and I'm still a practicing Catholic - I don't think it is a US custom or a Catholic rule. But my BIL is full Lithuanian (was born here though) and Catholic, and he observes the no-meat on CE rule since he did that growing up.

We only abstain from meat on the Fridays during Lent, plus Ash Wednesday.

I think it's a Central and Eastern European and Italian Catholic thing. I made some research and it's more tradition than rule; like it's not "required", but it's still observed in some regions (as mentioned).

Almost nobody I know make the non-meat sauerkraut soup that I mentioned (even if they're strongly Catholic), but my Granny did it, so I do it. I like the idea, goes well with the Christmas spirit for me, even though I'm very much a non-believer (agnostic, if you want a category).

[KyRainbow]

We do mostly finger foods on Christmas, we have boiled shrimp and ham rolls, stuff like that...so I voted "other" lol

[Megan Turnidge]

Honey glazed ham... and it is amazing! I'm over the turkey after Thanksgiving, so I don't want it on Christmas.

[scrapmonkey]

We usually have lasagna for Christmas Eve and breakfast casserole on Christmas morning. I was going to try to do something different this year and have goose, but when I saw the price (over $70 for a 10 pound goose) I decided against it.

[lovely1m]

I am also a vegetarian, so none of these. I also was raised Catholic and never heard of no meat then. In fact, my very religious grandmother always makes more than 1 kind of meat.

I haven't decided what we'll do yet. My ex, son & I will probably have turkey loaf (for them..lol) and homemade mac n cheese. My mom & step-dad are coming the 2 days after Christmas and I have no clue whatsoever what to make then. Then we'll celebrate with my dad on New Years at their place, so it'll probably just be fun vegetarian-Mari friendly.

[adrianka]

Originally Posted by lovely1m

I am also a vegetarian, so none of these. I also was raised Catholic and never heard of no meat then. In fact, my very religious grandmother always makes more than 1 kind of meat.

As I said, it's a Central and Eastern European Catholic thing. That's why you never heard of it. :-)