In my Brazilian family, Christmas Eve is the heart of our holiday celebrations. For us, the holidays are a time filled with love, laughter, and lots of food. We start planning our Christmas Eve dinner recipes early and the magic of the night revolves around the dinner table.
Christmas Eve dinner can be as simple or as complex as you’d like. To be honest, my family likes to get a little fancy on Christmas Eve. My sister makes an incredible filet mignon roast, and there’s always a big fondue pot at the appetizer table. On my husband’s side, his mother always made spaghetti and meatballs for the Italian family on Christmas Eve.
So, Christmas Eve dinner recipes don’t have to be complicated, fancy or difficult. Family-friendly holiday meals should be just that, family-friendly. Don’t let holiday stress creep into your plans; keep it low-key, lighthearted, and fun. Remember the evening is about togetherness and not how fancy your table looks.
If you’re looking to try a new dish this Christmas Eve, look no further. This holiday is your time to flex your kitchen skills and try a new Christmas Eve recipe. Either way, these dishes will bring the cozy Christmas vibes to your table this year. Below, check out 35+ of our favorite Christmas Eve recipes below!
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1. Easy Vegetarian Lasagna
To me and my family, there are few dishes more comforting than lasagna. I can’t think of a better way to spend Christmas Eve than with this cozy meal and a holiday movie.
2. Steak and Lobster With Spicy Roasted Garlic Chimichurri Butter
I don’t know about you, but a delicious surf and turf meal sounds like the perfect dish to make for any holiday.
3. Easy Sesame Chicken
I love takeout Chinese food as much as anyone, but every now and then it can be fun to try your hand at making a recipe yourself. Make this sesame chicken at home and see how it compares to your favorite takeout restaurant.
4. Baked Squash Mac and Cheese
I won’t be thinking about my carb intake until January 1, so why not make each bite as flavorful and wonderful as possible?
5. One Pot Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Who’s going to turn down a warm, heaping plate full of creamy cheesy pasta as you gather together for Christmas Eve? Besides being a reliable comfort food, this fettuccine Alfredo offers a generous serving of chicken for some lean protein—and it can all be accomplished in a single pot!
6. Awesomely Easy Swiss Fondue
It doesn’t get much better than dipping things in cheese—except that this fondue recipe is so easy to make!
7. Easy Enchilada Skillet
If you want to pack a medley of fun flavors for a festive tribute as you welcome Christmas Eve, enchiladas are the answer. By seasoning this recipe’s colorful ingredients and spices together skillet style and finishing it off with a good broil, you’re rewarded with a truly sizzling holiday sensation.
8. Sheet Pan Grilled Cheese
Sometimes the simplest recipes are the tastiest, and nothing says cozy like a grilled cheese made with extra TLC does. This recipe is great for the whole family, because the sandwiches can be prepared all together on one baking sheet. The results are crispy and gooey, and make for a fantastic pairing with Rachl Mansfield’s vegan creamy tomato soup recipe.
9. Chicken Stew
Nestle up to the family dining table with this hearty chicken stew recipe, brimming with savory herbs, juicy chicken, plush potatoes, and fresh carrots. Not only will it serve you well as a nourishing Christmas Eve meal, but if you prepare a large enough batch, you can freeze it to enjoy through the winter season at a moment’s notice.
10. Spicy, Crispy, Orange Beef
Another fun Chinese recipe to master at home is this orange beef dish. If you like to add a kick to your meals, this is the recipe for you.
11. Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
We adore a comfort food that borders on healthy—that’s why we love this vegetarian option for your pre-holiday celebratory meal.
12. Hot Spinach Dip
If you wouldn’t dream of going to a restaurant without ordering their spinach and artichoke dip, definitely try making this hot spinach dip at home for a delicious treat.
13. Coconut Roasted Pumpkin Curry
Now that cold temps have started to make their appearance, warm up with a delicious dish of curry. The spices mixed with the sweetness of apple make this the ultimate cozy recipe.
14. Potato, Caramelized Onion, and Gorgonzola Pizza
Though you could spend your Christmas Eve filling up on delivery pizza, we’d like to gift you another even tastier option with this elevated homemade pizza recipe.
15. Classic French Onion Soup
‘Tis the season for soup, finally! It doesn’t get much better than the salty cheesiness of this classic French onion soup.
16. One-Pot Orecchiette With Sausage and Broccoli
If you’re looking for something on the lighter side, don’t pass up this one-pot recipe. This is a great one to come back to again and again.
17. Aubergine Parmigiana
This eggplant parmigiana recipe is a great vegetarian option for your Christmas Eve in, and this recipe is seriously easy to follow!
18. 30-Minute Gnocchi Lasagna Bake
If you ask me, two of the world’s greatest comfort foods are gnocchi and lasagna. When you combine the two, everything gets just a little bit better. Garnish with basil for the perfect Christmas color combination.
19. Southwest Creamed Corn Casserole With Cornbread Topping
This casserole has something for everyone: sweet creamed corn, spicy jalapeños, salty bacon, and a delicious cornbread topping. We know this one will become a family tradition after the first bite.
20. Chicken Pozole Verde
Contributing editor and first-generation Mexican-American Carmen Garcia-Shushtari shared that in her family “we gather and celebrate on Christmas Eve, otherwise known as Nochebuena, to prepare for the birth of baby Jesus.” And this comforting chicken stew is one of her favorite Mexican Christmas dishes.
21. Turkey Pot Pie
If your taste for turkey hasn’t expired since Thanksgiving, this skillet-based turkey pot pie recipe can be your signature Christmas Eve dinner winner. With a wonderfully buttery and flaky exterior and a wholesome turkey and veggie filled interior, bellies will certainly leave the table happy.
22. Easy Skillet Pork Chops with Gravy
Creamy pork chops always seem to hit the spot. While many of our Christmas meals feature ham as the centerpiece, we suggest trying a pork dish that’s very different in flavor for the night before.
23. Instant Pot Wendy’s Copycat Chili
Instead of making a fast food run this Christmas Eve, tackle this (actually super easy) recipe at home in the Instant Pot! Perfect for a crowd.
24. Ukrainian Meatball Soup
Christmas Eve can be a fun time to step out of your cooking comfort zone. Challenge yourself by making this Ukrainian meatball soup—we know you won’t regret it! And don’t worry, it takes less than an hour to make.
25. Crockpot Swedish Meatballs
While we’re on the topic of meatballs, another tasty direction you can go is Swedish-style meatballs. If you ever heard anyone raving about IKEA’s Swedish meatballs, or have even tried them yourself, then here’s your chance to create a new homebred winner. This recipe can yield plenty of meatballs, making it a culinary Christmas Eve gift that can keep on giving!
26. Goat Cheese Risotto
We love a cozy meal that seems complicated but can actually be very simple. This goat cheese risotto is exactly what you need to kick the holiday off right.
27. Mashed Potato Casserole
Creamy, fluffy, and topped with bacon and cheese, this casserole can be made ahead of time to help ease the holiday stress. It can serve as a spin on a widely loved side dish, one even your picky kiddos will be obsessed with.
28. Crockpot Greenbean Casserole
While this is usually a Thanksgiving side dish, anything that can be thrown in the crockpot is a win for me, especially during the holiday season. It’s a classic comfort dish that can be left for hours while you focus on everything else in your kitchen.
29. Braised Short Ribs
These short ribs are cooked low and slow in the oven until they fall off the bone—a perfect dish to let cook all day long while you get other things done around the house. This is one of those dishes that feels extra fancy to serve, but is really super easy to make.
30. Baked Pork Tenderloin
Both flavorful and fast, this baked pork tenderloin will be widely loved by your household not just on Christmas, but all year round. Season it with a simple spice rub and add a drizzle of olive oil and it will be ready for any dinner party.
31. Tuscan Chicken and Orzo
In my household, anytime we can incorporate Italian food is a win. This Tuscan chicken recipe can be made in one pot and is bursting with Italian flavor from garlic and sun-dried tomatoes.
32. Apple Brie Stuffed Chicken
Elegant enough for a holiday dinner but simple enough to prevent a kitchen-induced headache, these chicken breasts are stuffed with apple slices and creamy brie cheese, then topped with a maple glaze. It’s a comfort food that will feel familiar to all your kiddos, with a subtle gourmet twist.
33. Broccoli Pesto Baked Pasta
Smothered in homemade sauce and packed with veggies, this dish will be a hit for those who prefer a meatless option at their holiday dinners. It can be served as the main dish or as a side!
34. Roasted Veggie Tortellini
Another excellent vegetarian option, this cheese-packed tortellini is roasted with a colorful assortment of veggies that can be customized to your family’s preferences. It will be a hit with guests of all ages.
35. Brown Sugar Glazed Meatloaf
With a side of mashed potatoes or green beans, this meatloaf is the perfect center dish for your holiday dinner. The brown sugar glaze adds the perfect amount of winter sweetness to a familiar recipe.
36. Turkey Chili
Mixed with crushed tomatoes, spices, black beans, and kidney beans, this turkey chili is loaded with protein and fiber and rich in flavor. It is also easy to customize with your family’s favorite toppings.
More Kid-Friendly Christmas Eve Dinner Ideas
While I love all the above recipes, I don’t think you could convince my kid to try French onion soup. Even if Santa was watching. Christmas Eve is a magical time for kids, and the food should match the excitement!
Here are some more kid-friendly holiday meal and Christmas treat ideas. These are not only delicious but fun to make together as a family.
1. Festive Finger Foods
- Christmas Tree Mini Pizzas: Use cookie cutters to shape pizza dough into festive trees, decorate with toppings like bell peppers for “ornaments,” and bake. Kids will love creating their personalized pizzas.
- Santa Hat Fruit Skewers: Combine strawberries, bananas, and marshmallows on skewers to create adorable edible Santa hats.
2. Fun Main Dishes
- Snowman Sliders: Mini burgers topped with mozzarella slices and olives for eyes and a carrot sliver for the nose make for a whimsical dinner centerpiece.
- Christmas Pasta Bake: A simple mac-and-cheese baked with festive red (cherry tomatoes) and green (spinach or broccoli) toppings.
3. Hands-On Activities
- DIY Taco Bar: Let kids assemble their tacos with holiday-themed toppings like green guacamole “trees” or red salsa “ornaments.”
- Decorate Your Dinner: Serve dishes like mashed potatoes or individual pizzas with edible decorations like bacon “bows” or cheese “stars.”
4. Holiday Desserts Kids Love
- Reindeer Cupcakes: Chocolate cupcakes decorated with pretzels for antlers, red candy for noses, and icing eyes make a sweet and interactive dessert. Try these from Half-Baked Harvest!
- Christmas Cookie Decorating Station: Pre-bake sugar cookies in holiday shapes (stars, trees, snowflakes) and let kids go wild with sprinkles and icing.
5. Nutritious But Festive
- Holiday Veggie Platter: Arrange cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and carrots into a Christmas tree shape with ranch or hummus as “snow.”
- Elf-Themed Snack Wraps: Roll up colorful tortillas filled with turkey, cheese, and spinach, cut into pinwheels, and arrange like elf hats.
Roberta Correia, Editor-in-Chief
Roberta is an editor with 10+ years experience in content strategy and brand building. Before joining The Everymom she was Editorial Director at Brides and previously served as Digital Editor at Women’s Wear Daily. She grew up in Brazil and currently calls Brooklyn home with her son, Lucas.
Rebecca Smith, Editorial Intern
As editorial intern, Rebecca works with The Everymom team on updating existing content, photo sourcing, pitching original articles, and more. She’s passionate about creating authentic and diverse online content, and is thrilled to help women of all ages feel represented by contributing to The Everymom.
