Most of the Americans are just finishing the last of the Thanksgiving turkey left-overs when it is time to think about a Christmas dinner meal plan. You can go with the traditional or seek something totally different this year.
Traditional Christmas Dinner:
In United States and Canada, Christmas dinner is very much like Thanksgiving dinner. Typically you will have turkey as the main course and then a number of side dishes. to making a turkey then you will want to make stuffing and gravy and include to that. Some wonderful traditional Christmas side dishes would include mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole.
There are different ways to prepare potato dishes. Sweet potatoes can be mashed and served as a sweet potato casserole with brown sugar and butter mixed in pecans on top or could chop sweet potatoes in large chunks and roast them in the pan around the turkey. Mashed potatoes can also be prepared some different ways depending upon what seasonings you add. Potatoes could also be seasoned and roasted or scalloped. Green bean casserole is a great creamy dish that goes well with turkey and all of your other side dishes.
Traditional Christmas Dinner with different side dishes could always start with the traditional turkey, stuffing and gravy but go with some very unique side dishes. Look to recipes from other countries for some wonderful ideas such as fried purple cabbage and a cold cucumber salad. Since your turkey does not have a strong flavor, it is easy to look to a range of different side dishes. Another common Christmas dinner main course would be ham instead of turkey. Although you won't have stuffing and gravy, almost any side dish that you would have chosen for your turkey will work well with ham also.
Non-traditional Christmas dinner menus if you want to break away for the traditional altogether you could go with a theme dinner such as Italian food. You could start with Tortellini soup and then serve a wonderful baked lasagne as the main course with Caesar Salad and garlic bread. If looking for non-traditional then be creative but make sure to go with something that you know your family will enjoy. If this is the first time you are trying some of these non-traditional menu items you may want to try making a half size part a couple of weeks in advance so you can do a taste test.
Whatever your menu plan for Christmas dinner just keep in mind that it is truly the time spent with your loved ones that is the special part of this meal.
Traditional Christmas Dinner:
In United States and Canada, Christmas dinner is very much like Thanksgiving dinner. Typically you will have turkey as the main course and then a number of side dishes. to making a turkey then you will want to make stuffing and gravy and include to that. Some wonderful traditional Christmas side dishes would include mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole.
There are different ways to prepare potato dishes. Sweet potatoes can be mashed and served as a sweet potato casserole with brown sugar and butter mixed in pecans on top or could chop sweet potatoes in large chunks and roast them in the pan around the turkey. Mashed potatoes can also be prepared some different ways depending upon what seasonings you add. Potatoes could also be seasoned and roasted or scalloped. Green bean casserole is a great creamy dish that goes well with turkey and all of your other side dishes.
Traditional Christmas Dinner with different side dishes could always start with the traditional turkey, stuffing and gravy but go with some very unique side dishes. Look to recipes from other countries for some wonderful ideas such as fried purple cabbage and a cold cucumber salad. Since your turkey does not have a strong flavor, it is easy to look to a range of different side dishes. Another common Christmas dinner main course would be ham instead of turkey. Although you won't have stuffing and gravy, almost any side dish that you would have chosen for your turkey will work well with ham also.
Non-traditional Christmas dinner menus if you want to break away for the traditional altogether you could go with a theme dinner such as Italian food. You could start with Tortellini soup and then serve a wonderful baked lasagne as the main course with Caesar Salad and garlic bread. If looking for non-traditional then be creative but make sure to go with something that you know your family will enjoy. If this is the first time you are trying some of these non-traditional menu items you may want to try making a half size part a couple of weeks in advance so you can do a taste test.
Whatever your menu plan for Christmas dinner just keep in mind that it is truly the time spent with your loved ones that is the special part of this meal.
