Christmas appetizers to dessert, we’ve got you covered.
There’s a lot that goes into planning the ultimate Christmas. From decorating a Christmas tree, to wrapping presents, and serving your guests their favorite Christmas appetizers, mains, side dishes, and of course desserts! It can be daunting to prepare a festive meal when you have so many other tasks to complete by the 25th. But with these straightforward (and tasty!) ideas, you’ll have all the information and inspiration you need to put together the best easy Christmas dinner menu.
Non-Veg Starter: Honey Glazed Prawn Skewers
Ingredients
300 g fresh uncooked king prawns
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp honey
1 clove garlic
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 red chili, finely chopped
1 tbsp mirin or white wine
20 g parsley, chopped
200g asparagus, cut in half lengthwise
2 courgettes, cut into ribbons lengthwise without the seeds.
Freshly ground pepper
Method:
Prepare the vegetables:
1. Place vegetables in a griddle pan on high heat. Drizzle 2 tbsp of the olive oil and toss well to coat. Place them side by side and press with a spatula so that they get the griddle marks and a slight char. Flip after a few minutes to get the same result on the other side. Remove, put on a kitchen towel to absorb any moisture. Note: This step can be done in advance, and you can store these veggies in an airtight container in the fridge.
2. Transfer veggies onto a baking tray and place in a hot oven till they sizzle.
Prepare the prawns:
1. Place 3-4 prawns on each skewer.
2. Mix the remaining olive oil with honey, garlic, chili, mirin, or wine and parsley. Note: Both the sauce and skewered prawns can be refrigerated until you are ready to cook and serve.
3. Heat the same griddle pan, put in the prawn skewers, pour over the sauce, and cook on each side until the prawns are bright pink and the sauce has become thick and sticky.
4. Spread the hot vegetables on a large platter. Arrange the prawn skewers on top and finish off with a drizzle of extra olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.
Soup: Soupe a l’oignon (French Onion Soup)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
5 large onions halved and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
6 cups vegetable/mushroom broth
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. sherry vinegar
6 1/2-inch slices baguette bread, toasted
grated or sliced cheese (such as Gruyere, Asiago, Swiss, Gouda or Mozzarella)
Preparation
1. Heat butter and oil in a heavy, large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and salt, and cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to very low, and cook, stirring occasionally, 50 to 60 minutes, until onions are very tender and brown.
2. Stir in flour, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Blend in broth, sherry, and mustard. Cover, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in sherry vinegar.
3. Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into six heatproof bowls. Top each with a slice of toast and grated cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Serve hot.
Salad: Rosolli, Finnish Christmas Salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
4 beetroots
2 potatoes
2 carrots
1 onion
1 apple
1 – 2 pickled cucumbers
Salt
Pepper
For the dressing:
6 tbsp + 2 tsp of heavy cream
½ tsp of white vinegar
¼ tsp of sugar
¼ tsp of salt
A couple of cubes of the chopped beetroot (for coloring)
Method:
1. Boil the beetroots, potatoes, and carrots without peeling the skin, in separate pots. Take them off the heat once they are tender, being mindful not to overcook them.
2. Once they’re cool, peel the vegetables and cut them into very small cubes.
3. Finely chop the onion
4. Peel and slice the apple into small cubes
5. Cut the pickled cucumbers into small cubes
6. Mix all of the above into a bowl and lightly season with salt and white pepper.
7. In another bowl, start whipping the cream, then add the vinegar, sugar, salt, and a couple of cubes of the beetroot (for the beautiful pink color) and keep whipping.
8. You can either serve the sauce on the side or mix it in with the salad.
Non-Veg Main : Maple Glazed Lamb Chops with Pomegranates
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons maple syrup
8 garlic cloves
1 tsp dry mustard
12 lamb chops
1 large juicy pomegranate, peeled and seeded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
Method:
1. Heat the grill or grill pan over high heat.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, molasses and maple syrup. Grate the garlic into the mixture and add the dry mustard and whisk again to combine.
3. Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper. Generously brush both sides of each lamb chop with the glaze, reserving any extra glaze. Working in batches, grill the lamb chops until well charred, flipping once and brushing with the reserved glaze, about 4 minutes per side. Tent with foil and let rest for 7 minutes. Serve it on a platter, drizzling with remaining glaze, sprinkling with pomegranate seeds and chopped mint.
4. Serve with a fresh salad.
Non-Veg Main: Easy Chicken and Mushroom Wellington
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts
250 grams chestnut mushrooms
250 grams course cut pate
1x 375 grams of ready rolled shortcrust pastry
knob butter
half lemon (juice only)
Seasoning
egg yolk
Method:
1. Heat Oven to 200c (180c for fan oven) Wash and slice chestnut mushrooms
2. Melt butter in a pan and add mushrooms, lemon juice, and seasoning. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Allow cooling
3. Wash and pat dry chicken breasts
4. Cut pastry to size, allowing enough to Completely wrap chicken breast, to form a parcel
5. Spread pastry with a layer of course cut pate, (do not spread completely up to edge) repeat with cooled mushrooms
place chicken breast in the center, wet edges of the pastry with water and warp forming a parcel. Glaze with egg yolk, prick parcel with fork and place in oven on the middle shelf for 30 minutes
6. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Christmas Dessert: Cinnamon Apple Pie
Ingredients
Pie Filling
500 g apples
70 g caster sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1 1/2 tbsp flour
Pastry
110 g butter
25 g caster sugar
2 whole eggs
175 g plain flour
Whipped cream (Optional)
Method:
1. Slice peeled apples and place them on the baking sheet. Put paper towels at the bottom and on top and set them aside while you make and chill the pastry.
2. To make the pastry, whip the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Break in a whole egg and a yolk. Reserve egg whites for later. Beat it for a minute. Now add flour, a third at a time, and use your hands to knead the dough. Cover with cling film, and chill for 45 mins.
3. In a bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, and flour for the filling.
4. After the pastry has chilled, heat the oven to 180 C. Lightly beat the egg white. Cut off a third of the pastry and keep it wrapped while you roll out the rest, and use this to the line the pie tin. Roll the remaining third to a circle. Pat the apples dry with kitchen paper and add them into the bowl with the cinnamon-sugar mix. Give a quick mix with your hands and immediately pile them into the pastry-lined tin.
5. Brush a little water around the pastry rim and lay the pastry lid over the apples pressing the edges together to seal. Trim the edge with a knife and make little slashes on top of the lid for the steam to escape. Brush it all with the egg white and sprinkle with caster sugar. Bake for 40-45 mins, until golden. Remove and let it sit for 5-10 mins.
6. Sprinkle with more sugar and cinnamon powder and serve while still warm with or without whipped cream.
Don’t Miss: Christine Sharma’s Vegetarian Christmas Recipes
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A homeschooled chef even before she joined Catering College in Bombay, Christine’s gastronomic journey started with mother and grandmother. Polished with a degree and 10 years of experience in the Hospitality industry, Christine’s love of food, drink and everything gastronomic has been sharpened and honed with travel across the world. Today, she shares the wealth of her foodie experience and adventures across the world with Travel and Food Network, so look forward to much more from Chrsitine!
