We are traditional for Christmas:

standing rib roast with horseradish sauce
green beans
mashed potatoes
roasted vegetables
apple pie

love the lasagna idea. I was also thinking 3-4 pasta dishes with several salads - caesar, greek and regular green salad. Plus bread and desserts. We may be on to something.

Prime rib. Creamed onions. Yorkshire Pudding.

Done.

Add mashed potatoes and a veggie if you'd like, though.

Spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread.

For a snack plate, baked ham slices with different cheeses. A pecan cake for dessert maybe a chocolate drizzled cheesecake.

Either something super easy to make-ahead like baked ziti or enchiladas... or just buy a Honeybaked ham and make sides.

We do homemade lasagnas. I freeze them ahead of time as I make them beforehand throughout the month, its fairly cheap, and good for our crowd who tends to come and go throughout the day. I make a veggie, a traditional, and a creamy spinach with a white sauce. I put them in the oven mid day and leave them out all day and people reheat as they come through. I add a big salad and some brownies and its basically done.

Thank you all. Love the enchilada idea. Wonder if my husband's incredibly conservative food/tradition family would think I had lost my mind?????

Honeybaked ham
Biscuits
Potato gratin
Green vegetable
salad

Buche de Noel

Prime rib and/or ham (one of each would be good for 18-20 people). Mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus or brussel sprouts, and green salad. Something special for dessert: chocolate mousse (incredibly easy), creme brulee, or cheesecake ... plus a platter of Christmas cookies and chocolate truffles, of course.

I make two huge pans of chicken echiladas. I made one with green sauce and one with red sauce, so it was "Christmas-y".

Add a big pot of beans and rice. Chips, salsa & guac for appetizers. It's very easy to make the enchiladas ahead of time, and then pop them in the oven when you have company.

Colonial peanut/chesnut soup for starters.

Things I have done:

Crab legs and steak
Lamb chops
Standing rib roast
Cornish hens
Ham

I'm toying with the idea of roasted goose this year.

I'm trying to decide too. We may do a pot roast and mashed potatoes this year but I'm not sure if that would be enough for 18-20 people. A Christmas ham would be nice!

So, I did traditional turkey on Thanksgiving for my large extended family with all of our usual side dishes.
Yesterday, I did a stuffed beef tenderloin with just our immediate family - just 5 of us. A bunch of the usual sides again because everybody wanted them.
Now, I am hosting Christmas dinner for my husband's large extended family - will probably be 18 - 20 people.
I would really like to do something different and need some ideas.
Help wanted from DCUM, please.