Christmas dinner is the meal that families plan for weeks and remember for years. Unlike Thanksgiving, which has a relatively fixed menu, Christmas dinner varies by family tradition — some families do prime rib, some do ham, some do roast chicken, some do a completely different tradition entirely.
What they share is the intention: this is the meal that marks the year, gathers the people who matter, and produces the food memories that children carry into adulthood.
Choosing Your Christmas Main Course
Prime Rib Roast: The most impressive Christmas main course. A standing rib roast is expensive but relatively hands-off — season it, roast it at low temperature, finish at high heat for the crust. Feeds 8–10 people from a 4-bone roast.
Glazed Ham: The easiest Christmas main course. A bone-in ham is already cooked — you're reheating and glazing. Nearly impossible to ruin. Feeds 10–12 people and produces excellent leftovers.
Beef Tenderloin: The most elegant option. Expensive, quick to cook (30–40 minutes), and produces a uniformly tender result. Best for smaller gatherings (6–8 people).
Roast Turkey: Familiar and crowd-pleasing. If your family does turkey at Thanksgiving, Christmas turkey feels repetitive — but for families who prefer it, it's a reliable choice.
Roast Chicken (Two Birds): The approachable option. Two roast chickens feed 8 people, cost a fraction of prime rib, and produce a genuinely excellent dinner.
The Christmas Main Courses
Prime Rib Roast
The method:
Season a 4-bone standing rib roast generously with salt and pepper 24 hours ahead. Refrigerate uncovered — the dry surface produces better browning.
Remove from refrigerator 2 hours before roasting. Rub with a paste of garlic, rosemary, thyme, and olive oil.
Roast at 250°F (120°C) until the internal temperature reaches 120°F (49°C) for medium-rare — approximately 3–4 hours for a 4-bone roast. Remove from oven.
Increase oven to 500°F (260°C). Return roast for 10–15 minutes until the exterior is deeply browned and crispy.
Rest 20 minutes before carving.
The au jus: Pour the drippings into a saucepan. Add beef broth and a splash of red wine. Simmer 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Glazed Ham
The method:
Score the surface of a bone-in ham in a diamond pattern. Place in a roasting pan with ½ cup water.
Make the glaze: combine brown sugar, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and ground cloves. Brush over the ham.
Roast at 325°F (165°C) for 15–18 minutes per pound, brushing with glaze every 30 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 140°F (60°C).
Rest 15 minutes before carving.
Beef Tenderloin
The method:
Trim the tenderloin and tie with kitchen twine at 2-inch intervals. Season generously with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour.
Sear on all sides in a very hot oven-safe pan. Transfer to a 425°F (220°C) oven for 20–25 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 125°F (52°C) for medium-rare.
Rest 10 minutes before slicing.
The Christmas Sides
Roasted Root Vegetables
Cube carrots, parsnips, turnips, and beets. Toss with olive oil, honey, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper. Roast at 425°F (220°C) for 30–35 minutes until caramelized.
Make the day before and reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes.
Creamed Spinach
Sauté garlic in butter. Add heavy cream and simmer until slightly thickened. Add fresh spinach in batches until wilted. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
This is the steakhouse side that belongs at Christmas dinner.
Yorkshire Pudding (For Prime Rib)
Whisk 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk, 3 eggs, and ½ teaspoon salt until smooth. Rest 30 minutes. Heat a muffin tin with beef drippings in a 450°F (230°C) oven until smoking. Pour batter into the hot tin. Bake 20 minutes without opening the oven.
Yorkshire pudding is the traditional accompaniment to prime rib. The hot drippings are the secret — they must be smoking before the batter goes in.
Scalloped Potatoes
Slice potatoes thin. Layer in a baking dish with cream, garlic, gruyère, and salt. Cover and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 more minutes until golden.
Assemble the day before and refrigerate. Bake on Christmas day.
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Halve Brussels sprouts. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 425°F (220°C) for 20 minutes. Add crispy bacon and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
The Christmas Desserts
Bûche de Noël (Yule Log)
Make a chocolate sponge cake. Roll while warm with a damp towel. Unroll, fill with whipped cream or buttercream, and re-roll. Frost with chocolate buttercream. Score with a fork to resemble bark. Dust with powdered sugar.
The Bûche de Noël is the Christmas dessert that looks impressive and is more achievable than it appears.
Christmas Cookies
Sugar cookies cut into holiday shapes, decorated with royal icing. Make the dough 2 days ahead. Bake the day before. Decorate with children on Christmas Eve.
Gingerbread
Make gingerbread dough. Cut into shapes. Bake. Decorate with royal icing.
Gingerbread is the Christmas baking project that children remember. The smell of gingerbread baking is the smell of Christmas.
The Christmas Dinner Timeline
Two weeks before: Make cranberry sauce. Order the main course if needed.
One week before: Make compound butter. Buy non-perishables.
Two days before: Make cookie dough. Make pie or dessert.
Day before: Bake cookies. Prep vegetables. Assemble casseroles. Set the table.
Christmas day: Roast the main course. Bake casseroles. Reheat sides. Make gravy or au jus.
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Related Articles
More holiday cooking:
- Thanksgiving Recipes: The Complete Guide — the other major holiday feast
- Easter Recipes for Families — spring celebration
- Holiday Cooking for Families — the general guide
Christmas main courses:
- Family Beef Recipes — prime rib, beef tenderloin
- Family Pork Recipes — glazed ham
Christmas baking:
- Family Baking Recipes — Christmas cookies, gingerbread
- Family Dessert Recipes — Bûche de Noël, Christmas cake
Browse all special occasions: Special Occasion Family Recipes