What are you making for Christmas Eve/ Christmas

Aross83
Aross83 Posts: 936 Member
in Recipes
Hi Everyone,
just wanted to get an idea of what people are making for christmas.
I am not sure what to make for xmas eve. I was thinking of just doing some appetizers to try and keep it light.

give me some ideas people

thanks!
«134

Replies

  • MysteriousMerlin
    MysteriousMerlin Posts: 2,270 Member
    Bacon-wrapped baby portobello (or white button) mushrooms. Made them with low sodium turkey bacon for Thanksgiving.

    Get the thin bacon, cut it in thirds, and use a toothpick to secure. If you're using regular bacon, put them on a rack so they're not sitting in the grease. They'll crisp up better that way. Keep them warm in a crock pot on the low or warm setting.

    Ah sorry. Bake at 350F for 20, close but not directly under the broiler.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    Chritmas Eve - hubby makes lasagna, Christmas Day we are switching it up this year and I'm making prime rib. Nothing light in anything we are having, its a holiday. Cheese, wine jelly, spinach dip, fresh breads. Might have to try those Bacon wrapped portabellas they sound delicious
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    Deer steaks. Not sure about sides yet.
  • SapiensPisces
    SapiensPisces Posts: 992 Member
    I had plans on making a Christmas brisket in the smoker like last year, but I think I'm going to a more traditional spread this year.

    I'll probably have a turkey, gravy, homemade mashed potatoes, couple loaves of homemade bread, homemade blackberry-cranberry sauce, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and maybe a desert item like cupcakes or something along those lines.

    You can make a lot of holiday classic dishes with fewer calories by trimming fat and excess sugar out of ingredients. Depending on the item you're making, you can cut a lot and still maintain flavor and texture if you're careful about it. Last year, I made my mashed potatoes with about 1/2 the calories than the year before per serving, and no one even noticed.
  • 20Grit
    20Grit Posts: 752 Member
    Christmas Eve I make Christmas cookies, fudge, brittle and all sorts of candies....sandwich trays, veggie trays, dips, etc
    ..
    Christmas Day it has been tradition for me to make eggs benedict, and later in the day I make Chicken and andouille sausage paella....
  • lisaanne1369
    lisaanne1369 Posts: 377 Member
    Christmas eve lasagna,bread, beer-wine and salad/ Christmas day full blown turky dinner and rotten inlaws
  • gobonas99
    gobonas99 Posts: 1,049 Member
    Christmas Eve at my Aunt's for my dad's side of the family with 50 people (NOT kidding...we actually might be up to 60 now) is more "appetizer-y" - everyone brings a dish. "main" food items are Italian sausage and meatballs for sandwiches (in fresh Italian bread), and salad and/or antipasto.

    Christmas Day dinner with my mom's side of the family (12 people) is actual dinner. We make gnocchi from scratch (which we're doing on Sunday because they have to dry for a couple of days), sausage, meatballs, chunk beef.....salad, lemon sponge, raspberry salad, rolls, sometimes a small ham but I don't think we're doing that this year...PIE, cookies...there was something else, but I can't remember what. I just know that I have to be at my mom's on Sunday to help make the gnocchi, and that I'm in charge of making the lemon sponge. :drinker:

    Can you tell my whole family is VERY Italian?? LOL! :laugh:
  • Hikr56
    Hikr56 Posts: 128 Member
    The traditional: Lasagne, salad & rolls with a side of homemade cheese ball & crackers and a chaser of Chevy Chase & "Christmas Vacation".

    Christmas Day: Ham, some kind of potato and green peas probably.

    I don't plan on changing up the recipes - I just plan on eating responsibly at dinner and throughout the day. :)

    Since this is a lifestyle change for me and NOT a diet, my plan is to continue losing weight during the holidays. That's a FIRST for me in my long, illustrious career as a professional dieter. :D

    Have a wonderful Christmas holiday!
  • Rachelito
    Rachelito Posts: 119 Member
    Christmas Eve: Ham, Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Stuffing, Macaroni and Cheese and Brownies

    Christmas: Leftovers probably. It will just be the hubs and kids, so nothing fancy.
  • MellieCc
    MellieCc Posts: 26 Member
    I have a really hard time with this....
    I have worked soooo hard for the passed 6 months I'm just not ready to throw in the towel and give it all up.
    I know... It's CHRISTMAS.. But.... I will defintely be careful and being minful of what I am putting into my mouth.
    Including drinking....
    This is a lifestyle change for me and it includes switching up recipes and eating lighter during the holidays.
    It also does not mean that I will not exercise! Not necessarily traditional (gym or classes), but it will include going outside and playing in the snow, snowshoeing...
  • skyekeeper
    skyekeeper Posts: 286 Member
    I had plans on making a Christmas brisket in the smoker like last year, but I think I'm going to a more traditional spread this year.

    I'll probably have a turkey, gravy, homemade mashed potatoes, couple loaves of homemade bread, homemade blackberry-cranberry sauce, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and maybe a desert item like cupcakes or something along those lines.

    You can make a lot of holiday classic dishes with fewer calories by trimming fat and excess sugar out of ingredients. Depending on the item you're making, you can cut a lot and still maintain flavor and texture if you're careful about it. Last year, I made my mashed potatoes with about 1/2 the calories than the year before per serving, and no one even noticed.

    Ummm, homemade blackberry-cranberry sauce?? Please share recipe.
  • laceyfowler
    laceyfowler Posts: 127 Member
    I have a really hard time with this....
    I have worked soooo hard for the passed 6 months I'm just not ready to throw in the towel and give it all up.
    I know... It's CHRISTMAS.. But.... I will defintely be careful and being minful of what I am putting into my mouth.
    Including drinking....
    This is a lifestyle change for me and it includes switching up recipes and eating lighter during the holidays.
    It also does not mean that I will not exercise! Not necessarily traditional (gym or classes), but it will include going outside and playing in the snow, snowshoeing...

    I like this, good for you! If people want to feast on the holidays, that is certainly their right, bu I agree with your sentiment about working awfully hard lately and not planning on giving it up on the holidays. I mean... having a huge meal or two in and of itself isn't really giving it all up, but knowing myself a few huge days like that could lead to a pretty big downward spiral.

    I have successfully eaten healthfully through the holidays several different years for the most part, and I plan to (for the most part) this time as well. I generally eat small tastes of several normally "no-no" items during the holidays, but I don't have an entire plate full, or meal full, of them. Today I did have a chocolate truffle, a small cookie, and a cheesecake bite. They were all Delicious! And they were tiny. Even being tiny, they had several hundred calories I'm sure... but several hundred extra is better than several thousand! I had a smaller dinner and will work out a little harder tomorrow to balance it out.

    I applaud your efforts to make your recipes healthier for the holidays and to be mindful of what you put in your mouth, as well as your dedication to doing some sort of healthy activity. Don't beat yourself up if you eat a few bites of "no-nos"... but stay strong with your generally healthy style! It feels better to stay fairly healthy on your eating anyhow, once you've been eating healthfully for a good amount of time :-)

    Happy Holidays!
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    Christmas Eve we go over to my parents' house so I don't make anything.

    Christmas Day I am making turkey with stuffing, gravy, perogies, rice, potatoes, spring rolls, meatballs, salad, Portuguese sausage and cranberry sauce. Will also have buns, olives and pickles to go with the dinner. For dessert we are picking up a pumpkin pie and a pumpkin cheesecake from Costco, but I will making butter tarts, sugar cookies and lemon bars and my mom always brings her homemade fruit cake.

    Needless to say I am not tracking Christmas Day and I am going all out......food coma :smokin:
  • lilbearzmom
    lilbearzmom Posts: 600 Member
    Christmas eve I'm roasting a beef brisket- I will be having sweet potatoes and peas with it- hubby and child will probably have rice pilaf and green beans.

    Christmas Day hubby is roasting a turkey- all the trimmings. I will probably eat like I did on TG- turkey, gravy, veggies, and some banana bread- a little slice of dutch apple pie for dessert with a dollop of cool whip.

    Hey, I lost weight the day after TG eating like this! LOL

    Happy Holidays all!!!!
  • stefaniemazz
    stefaniemazz Posts: 179 Member
    Christmas Eve- 12 dishes of different kind of Fish with pasta and shrimp (It's an Italian tradition for my family), I'm not allowed to eat meat on Christmas Eve

    Christmas Dinner-It changes every year, my dad is having it at his house. Last year we had Homemade Pizza.
  • MissMollyMN
    MissMollyMN Posts: 74
    spicy sausage dip, pickle ham rollups, smoked turkey, Green Bean Casserole (YUM), cheesy potatoes, oreo balls, cookies, veggie tray, oh I can't wait
  • blgerig
    blgerig Posts: 174 Member
    This is my first Christmas not going to my parents/grandparents. Made nice dinner reservations for Christmas Eve ;)

    Christmas Day I am making cheddar/bacon/chive scones for breakfast, getting some cheese/meat to nibble on through the day and making duck breast, creamed spinach and risotto for dinner. Chocolate chip nutella stuffed cookies and lots of wine/spiked hot chocolate through the day!

    For New Years Eve we are having a small wine party, serving shrimp cocktail, a cheese tray, filet on toasts with horseradish, and chocolate covered strawberries and cookies as snacks.
  • 1longroad
    1longroad Posts: 642 Member
    Someone special if gifting us a Honey Baked Ham, so we are having that on Christmas eve, with baked sweet potatoes, candied for my grandkids, and various other sides. Christmas day will be leftovers following a brunch at home.
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
    I have a really hard time with this....
    I have worked soooo hard for the passed 6 months I'm just not ready to throw in the towel and give it all up.
    I know... It's CHRISTMAS.. But.... I will defintely be careful and being minful of what I am putting into my mouth.
    Including drinking....
    This is a lifestyle change for me and it includes switching up recipes and eating lighter during the holidays.
    It also does not mean that I will not exercise! Not necessarily traditional (gym or classes), but it will include going outside and playing in the snow, snowshoeing...

    I like this, good for you! If people want to feast on the holidays, that is certainly their right, bu I agree with your sentiment about working awfully hard lately and not planning on giving it up on the holidays. I mean... having a huge meal or two in and of itself isn't really giving it all up, but knowing myself a few huge days like that could lead to a pretty big downward spiral.

    I have successfully eaten healthfully through the holidays several different years for the most part, and I plan to (for the most part) this time as well. I generally eat small tastes of several normally "no-no" items during the holidays, but I don't have an entire plate full, or meal full, of them. Today I did have a chocolate truffle, a small cookie, and a cheesecake bite. They were all Delicious! And they were tiny. Even being tiny, they had several hundred calories I'm sure... but several hundred extra is better than several thousand! I had a smaller dinner and will work out a little harder tomorrow to balance it out.

    I applaud your efforts to make your recipes healthier for the holidays and to be mindful of what you put in your mouth, as well as your dedication to doing some sort of healthy activity. Don't beat yourself up if you eat a few bites of "no-nos"... but stay strong with your generally healthy style! It feels better to stay fairly healthy on your eating anyhow, once you've been eating healthfully for a good amount of time :-)

    Happy Holidays!

    I do understand if you want to stay on track for christmas but, you are not giving it up and throwing in the towel, if you indulge for just a single day. Do what works best for you, but for myself a lifestyle change means still enjoying the occasional feast. On that note lol, we will be having chicken casserole. It has pasta, tons of cheese, cream of chicken soup and fried onions. Yum yum.
  • mrsamanda86
    mrsamanda86 Posts: 869 Member
    Just picked up a caramel apple glazed ham(can't wait to try it!!!!) and will be making that with pineapple slices on it and using the pineapple juice to make a sweet gravy. Potatoes of some sort, croissants, green beans, and cranberry sauce. I won't be going nuts with a huge meal because it's just my hubby, myself, and my two kids who are only 3 and 6. The kids both eat like birds most of the time and hubby's appetite is hit or miss so we will probably be eating ham for a WHILE seeing how the smallest I could find ended up being like ten pounds.
  • BikerGirlElaine
    BikerGirlElaine Posts: 1,631 Member
    Christmas Eve- 12 dishes of different kind of Fish with pasta and shrimp (It's an Italian tradition for my family), I'm not allowed to eat meat on Christmas Eve

    Sounds delicious!

    My tradition is Swedish meatballs on Christmas Eve. I'll skip the rest of the Swedish food because I don't find it all that tasty. I'll probably have egg noodles and a vegetable to go with them 'cause eggnoodles in gravy = win.

    I scored a leg of lamb on sale last week so that will probably be for Christmas day. Or we might go over to our friends' house. Or maybe I'll make a pasta dish since that sounds lovely -- and save the leg of lamb for New Year's.

    Oh yeah, and I always have cardamom buns and eggs for Christmas morning, another tradition from my childhood.
  • mrsamanda86
    mrsamanda86 Posts: 869 Member
    Deer steaks. Not sure about sides yet.

    YUM!!! My father in law just gave us some deer steak that I still need to cook up soon, can't wait for that!
  • philanthropichelmick
    philanthropichelmick Posts: 24
    Carrot muffins (Betty Crocker) with eggs and i'm substituting veggie oil for applesauce. Ham and garlic northern beans.
  • philanthropichelmick
    philanthropichelmick Posts: 24
    Could u offer ure oreo balls recipe???
  • sweetpea129
    sweetpea129 Posts: 755 Member
    Christmas eve we order pizza and wings. So i wont be making anything. Christmas dinner i'm bringing oreo truffles and cornbread.
  • DymonNdaRgh40
    DymonNdaRgh40 Posts: 661 Member
    My sausage and apple stuffed pork roast, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole or greens because Minxy won't eat the green bean casserole but she'll eat the greens. I just haven't decided which yet.

    And I gotta make her cherry crunch because she didn't have any for Thanksgiving.

    Yeah, she's running the menu:wink:
  • flumi_f
    flumi_f Posts: 1,888 Member
    Christmas Eve - Fondue Chinoise with chicken breast and beef, lots of different veggies and light sauces

    Christmas Day - An organic free range turkey with all the trimmings cooked by my sister, my mom and myself for the 'bigger' family.

    Not logging on those two days. I will be over but not over the moon as we don't cook heavy sauces and there are always lots of steamed veggies.
  • SapiensPisces
    SapiensPisces Posts: 992 Member
    I had plans on making a Christmas brisket in the smoker like last year, but I think I'm going to a more traditional spread this year.

    I'll probably have a turkey, gravy, homemade mashed potatoes, couple loaves of homemade bread, homemade blackberry-cranberry sauce, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and maybe a desert item like cupcakes or something along those lines.

    You can make a lot of holiday classic dishes with fewer calories by trimming fat and excess sugar out of ingredients. Depending on the item you're making, you can cut a lot and still maintain flavor and texture if you're careful about it. Last year, I made my mashed potatoes with about 1/2 the calories than the year before per serving, and no one even noticed.

    Ummm, homemade blackberry-cranberry sauce?? Please share recipe.

    Sure!

    You need:

    1 cup orange juice
    1/4 cup brown sugar
    1 cup fresh blackberries
    3 cups whole cranberries

    Add cranberries, orange juice, and brown sugar to sauce pan, give it a little stir to mix everything together, and heat over medium heat until cranberries pop. Once the cranberries pop, stir frequently. Add blackberries, cover and keep on medium-low heat until gel forms and all sugar is caramelized and there's no runny liquid in the bottom of the pan. You should stir often during this process or the bottom will burn. Remove from stovetop and cool overnight in refrigerator. The consistency should be a loose chunky gel. It's delicious over white meat turkey, and you don't need much since it's very tart and sweet.

    ETA: you may need to play around with the amount of sugar you use to get a nice glaze. You might need to use a bit more, but I usually start with 1/4 cup and add 1 tbsp increments until it's the right consistency.
  • sherrirb
    sherrirb Posts: 1,649 Member
    Lasagna and Sloppy joes! So many of us have multiple get-togethers, with family, in-laws, friends, etc. So I decided to be a bit un-traditional.

    I am making a smaller lasagna with sliced zucchini instead of noodles for myself and anyone else that wants to eat a little lighter. Also, weather permitting, will be walking/running a 5k before eating.
  • cuinboston2014
    cuinboston2014 Posts: 848 Member
    personally I'm making a sugar cookie roll and brownies with strawberries on top that look like santa (by using frosting etc)

    my side is zucchini bites - it's zucchini cut into like 1" pieces with the inside scooped out. Place blue cheese to fill it up, top with parm chease, dried basil, and black pepper and top with tomatoes baked at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes

    i used to always make at least one healthy dessert but did not do that this year. there are soooo many substitutions but when it comes to christmas this year i want to eat what I want without substitutes - though there is a great fat free brownie recipe i would make had i not been using frosting on the brownies anyways

    we do a family bake off so i have no idea what everyone else will bring :)

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