Are you looking for the best Christmas Eve dinner recipes? Are you probably exhausted with all the traditional recipes in your cookbooks? You don’t just have enough time to browse Pinterest for the best Christmas dinner recipes? We get it, so put a halt to your search right here, as this guide has got everything plated up for you.
After the fantastic Christmas gifts, Christmas dinner is the next best thing you wait for every year. Aside from those oodles of Christmas gift ideas, these effortless Christmas dinner ideas call you for a grand entrée. The special occasion of Christmas never fails to streamline your festive menu with some ultra-delicious celebratory recipes.
Suppose you wish to have a Christmas dinner menu entirely loaded with ample savoriness. In that case, these fast, whip-up, delicious, and easy meals offer you enough time to spend with your family and friends rather than just hustling in the kitchen.
30 Budget-Friendly Dinner Ideas For Christmas Eve
These dining recipes go beyond your traditional ham or turkey and will impress your guests so much that they won’t even care about getting those gifts. So, let’s start with these easy recipes for a joyous holiday.
Starters
1. Crispy, Juicy Roast Chicken
Explore this Christmas Eve dinner ideas that include a mouthwatering roast chicken, ideal for a cozy family gathering. It’s the perfect Christmas dinner recipe – especially when you’re not cooking for a crowd. Remember to prep long before you begin to cook it for a juicier roast and add lots of your favorite seasonings
Get The Recipe Here – Roast Chicken
2. Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Elevate your holiday feast with these festive Christmas Eve dinner ideas, starting with creamy garlic mashed potatoes. This classic recipe is easy to customize and sure to please a crowd. Add your favorite potato toppings, like bacon, cheese, chives, and more.
Get The Recipe Here – Garlic Mashed Potatoes
3. Beyond Delicious Green Bean Casserole
Green bean casserole is a dish holiday classic… that often goes wrong. This recipe throws bland, boring casseroles out the window for a dish that’ll be gone before you know it. Use this cheap Christmas Eve dinner ideas to create a festive meal without overspending.
Get The Recipe Here – Green Bean Casserole
4. Southern-Style Pillowy Biscuits
Looking for unique Christmas Eve dinner ideas? This Southern-style biscuit recipe is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Perfectly flaky, warm biscuits are a necessity at your Christmas dining table. These too-good biscuits will steal the show and impress your guests, especially when served with savory gravy and warm butter.
Get The Recipe Here – Southern-Style Biscuits
5. Mouth-Watering Cranberry Orange Relish
Spice up your celebration with these Christmas Eve dinner ideas, including a tangy cranberry orange relish. The cheery color of cranberry makes it a beautifully delicious addition to your Christmas feast. Go ahead and eat it with a spoon – we won’t judge!
Get The Recipe Here – Cranberry Orange Relish
6. Cornish Game Hens
Want to try something a little out of the box? This year, try these creative Christmas Eve dinner ideas like Cornish game hens for a festive twist. A favorite for centuries, these little birds have fallen out of the public eye, but still back big flavor.
Get The Recipe Here – Cornish Game Hens
7. Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
This holiday season, explore Christmas Eve dinner on a budget with a delightful crab stuffed mushroom appetizer. Bite-sized appetizers where tender mushroom caps are generously filled with a savory mixture of crab meat, breadcrumbs, herbs, and cheese. The combination of delicate mushrooms and flavorful crab creates a perfect balance of textures and tastes.
Get The Recipe Here – Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
8. Bacon and Blue Cheese Packed Dates
The creamy, smoky, salty, and sweet flavors speak the language of YUM! There’s no better way to please a crowd than with easy-to-eat appetizers that you can have ready in under an hour.
This Christmas Eve dinner on a budget recipes ensure that you can enjoy delicious flavors without straining your wallet.
Get the Recipe Here – Bacon Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates
9. Caprese Tomato Tower Salad
Spice things up with this Caprese tomato tower salad that tastes (and looks) delicious! The towering touch to this salad makes it an impressive addition to the table, while the colors fit naturally with Christmas!
Get The Recipe Here – Caprese Tomato Tower Salad
Main Course
10. Classic Prime Rib Roast
Christmas Eve dinner ideas come alive with this delightful prime rib roast, perfect for impressing your guests. Prime rib satisfies your palette with an absolute festival of flavors. Enjoy the king of beef cuts this holiday season!
Get The Recipe Here – Prime Rib Roast
11. Maple Salmon
If you’re looking for inspiration, these Christmas Eve dinner ideas feature a delicious maple salmon recipe. This is an incredibly beloved, popular, and must-try salmon recipe for a reason – luscious flavors give you a big warm hug the minute your palette takes it. This beautiful, healthy, delicious fish can be on your table in as little as an hour!
Get The Recipe Here – Maple Salmon
12. Juicy Herb-Roasted Turkey
A classic holiday centerpiece, this turkey is roasted to juicy perfection with a medley of fragrant herbs. The herbs infuse the meat with aromatic flavors, creating a mouthwatering and tender main course that’s perfect for festive gatherings.
Get the Recipe Here – Juicy Herb-Roasted Turkey
13. Easy Meatloaf
Looking to save money? These cheap Christmas Eve dinner ideas feature an easy meatloaf that’s both hearty and affordable. This easy meatloaf is a Christmas Eve dinner recipe and comfort food classic – especially if turkey isn’t your style.
Get The Recipe Here – Easy Meatloaf
14. Slow Cooker Brisket
For a satisfying meal, consider these Christmas Eve dinner on a budget recipes featuring a slow-cooker brisket. A tender and flavorful brisket cooked slowly in a crockpot, allowing the meat to become incredibly tender and infused with a rich blend of spices and aromatics.
Get The Recipe Here – Slow Cooker Brisket
15. Shrimp Scampi
For easy Christmas Eve dinner ideas, this flavorful shrimp scampi recipe is quick to prepare and always a hit. Succulent shrimp cooked in a fragrant and buttery garlic sauce. The dish showcases the natural sweetness of the shrimp, balanced by the rich flavors of garlic and herbs.
Get The Recipe Here – Shrimp Scampi
16. Slow-Cooker Lamb Chops
Succulent lamb chops cooked to perfection in a slow cooker. The low and slow cooking method ensures that the meat becomes incredibly tender and infused with the rich flavors of aromatic herbs and spices, creating a melt-in-your-mouth experience.
Get The Recipe Here – Slow-Cooker Lamb Chops
17. Butternut Squash and Sausage Stuffed Shells
Jumbo pasta shells are generously stuffed with a delicious mixture of roasted butternut squash, savory sausage, and creamy cheese. Baked to golden perfection, this dish offers a delightful contrast of sweet and savory flavors.
Get the Recipe Here – Butternut Squash and Sausage Stuffed Shells
18. Shrimp Fra Diavolo
Seafood never goes out of style. So, the combo of seafood and pasta might overshadow everything else on the menu this Christmas! The red pepper flakes, crushed tomatoes, and rush of white wine give this pasta recipe a unique flavor sure to wow your guests.
Get The Recipe Here – Shrimp Fra Diavolo
19. Pasta Fagioli al Forno
Impress your family with these easy Christmas Eve dinner ideas like a hearty pasta fagioli al forno. This hearty baked pasta dish features pasta and beans cooked together in a flavorful tomato sauce. Topped with cheese and baked until golden and bubbly, it offers a satisfying combination of textures and comforting flavors.
Get the Recipe Here – Pasta Fagioli al Forno
20. Chicken Tamales
These traditional Mexican treats feature tender shredded chicken encased in a corn masa dough, wrapped in corn husks, and steamed to perfection. The result is a savory and aromatic dish with a delightful contrast between the tender filling and the slightly sweet corn masa.
Get The Recipe Here – Chicken Tamales
21. Christmas Eve Confetti Pasta
Delight in these cheap Christmas Eve dinner ideas that include a colorful Christmas Eve confetti pasta to brighten your table. The medley of colors and flavors creates a celebratory dish that’s as visually appealing as it is delicious.
Get The Recipe Here – Christmas Eve Confetti Pasta
Pro Tip: For hassle-free grocery shopping, try Instacart! You can order everything you need for your Christmas Eve dinner online and have it delivered to your door, making your planning easier and more efficient.
Side Dishes
22. Creamy-Dreamy Mac and Cheese
Make your holiday special with these Christmas Eve dinner ideas that include creamy-dreamy mac and cheese. This classic dish features satisfying cheese pulls and flavors that the whole family will love.
Get The Recipe Here – Mac and Cheese
23. Butternut Squash Soup
These easy Christmas Eve dinner ideas feature a delightful butternut squash soup that’s both comforting and delicious. This butternut squash soup is just perfection in a bowl! It’s warm, creamy, delicious, and absolutely beautiful. When you’re looking for appetizers and sides that have some substance to them, this veggie-filled soup is right at home.
Get The Recipe Here – Butternut Squash Soup
24. Candied Sweet Potatoes
If you’re on a budget, try these cheap Christmas Eve dinner ideas featuring delicious candied sweet potatoes. Sweet potato medallions glazed with a sweet and buttery coating, creating a perfect harmony between the natural sweetness of the potatoes and the caramelized flavors of the glaze.
Get The Recipe Here – Candied Sweet Potatoes
25. Pull-Apart Garlic Bread
Explore these cheap Christmas Eve dinner ideas with satisfying pulled-apart garlic bread to complement your main dish. Soft, freshly baked rolls infused with garlic and butter, then pulled apart for a shareable and irresistible appetizer. The aroma of garlic and warm bread is simply irresistible.
Get The Recipe Here – Pull-Apart Garlic Bread
26. Go Vegan With Quinoa Pilaf
These Christmas Eve dinner on a budget options include vegan quinoa pilaf, perfect for a healthier twist. Tangy, salty, sweet, and savory, this vegan-friendly dish is perfect for a Christmas feast.
Get The Recipe Here – Quinoa Pilaf
Desserts
27. Crunchiest Apple Turnover
Who says apple is only a Fall flavor? This apple turnover is right at home on a Christmas table, and makes a refreshing change of pace next to all the cookies and gingerbread!
Get The Recipe Here – Apple Turnover
28. Holiday Ham
Bring joy to your table with these Christmas Eve dinner on a budget ideas that include a mouthwatering holiday ham.
A timeless centerpiece of holiday feasts, the Holiday Ham is a spiral-sliced, bone-in ham that boasts old-fashioned flavors reminiscent of cherished family gatherings. The ham is adorned with slices of pineapple and maraschino cherries, secured with toothpicks, and generously coated with a sweet and savory blend of brown sugar and seasoned salt.
Get the Recipe Here – Holiday Ham
Drinks
29. Pomegranate Margarita
Discover easy Christmas Eve dinner ideas that incorporate a festive pomegranate margarita for a refreshing drink. A festive cocktail with a seasonal twist, combining the tangy and sweet flavors of pomegranate juice with the classic refreshing qualities of a margarita, creating a delightful and visually appealing drink.
Get The Recipe Here – Pomegranate Margarita
30. Homemade Eggnog
For an elegant touch, consider these Christmas Eve dinner ideas featuring homemade eggnog to warm your spirits. This delightful recipe for homemade eggnog will keep you warm inside and out during your celebrations.
Get The Recipe Here – Eggnog
Conclusion
Christmas dinner can have a lot of pressure attached to it, so easy recipes are a real lifesaver – especially when they’re so delicious! Whether you’re serving turkey, prime rib, or PB&J, remember that the most important part of Christmas Eve dinner is sharing a meal with the people you love.
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FAQs
What is the traditional dinner for Christmas Eve?
Traditional dinners often include dishes like roast beef, turkey, ham, and various sides like mashed potatoes and green bean casserole.
What do you eat for Christmas dinner on Eve?
Many families enjoy a mix of appetizers, a main course, and festive desserts, with options tailored to their cultural traditions.
What is the best dinner for Christmas Eve?
The best dinner is one that brings your loved ones together, featuring your family’s favorite dishes. Consider prime rib, roast chicken, or a hearty vegetarian option.
What to serve on Christmas Eve for a crowd?
Consider buffet-style dining with a variety of dishes, including starters, main courses, and desserts to cater to all tastes.
