I’ve done Mexican for Christmas Eve (the meal I host) for the past two years. Empanadas; tamales; guac, pico and mango salsa with chips, grilled queso fresco and chicaronnes; rice; Mexican green bean salad.

My family loves to do a big brunch and then we just kind of snack and graze for the rest of the day

I always do beef carbonnade with potato gratin and red cabbage for Christmas dinner. I make the carbonnade a few days in advance so that the flavor improves, and the cabbage and potato dish can be made the day before. It's usually tiramisu for dessert. And mince pies for Christmas Eve.

Anonymous wrote:We always had shrimp cocktail and all sorts of app type things on Christmas. I so looked forward to it, even though I refused to eat 95% of the stuff. But it was fun, and there was always pimento cheese n crackers which I loved so I was fed. But I loved helping to arrange the cured meats, cheeses, tiny pickles, olives, etc on the platters.

I think you're my sister. Did you also get to eat on a picnic blanket by the tree with a fire going in the fireplace?

This is a perennial DCUM Christmas thread topic, and one of my favorite suggestions ever was from a poster who went to TJ's and bought a bunch of different frozen appetizers. She said they just kept slingin' cookie sheet after cookie sheet of apps in the oven until everyone was full. Sounded great to me!

chicken adobo it's like the easiest recipe to follow , and tastes delish!

Growing up we had lasagna for Christmas every year. Last year, I saw 3 separate friends of mine in different parts of the country post online that they were having Paella for Christmas. Hope you find something that fits your family dietary needs.

I ordered this from Goldbelly:

https://www.goldbelly.com/topsail-steamer/christmas-steamer-pot-pie-and-cornbread?ref=merchant

We ordered once before from Topsail Steamers and it was delicious and fun!

We always had shrimp cocktail and all sorts of app type things on Christmas. I so looked forward to it, even though I refused to eat 95% of the stuff. But it was fun, and there was always pimento cheese n crackers which I loved so I was fed. But I loved helping to arrange the cured meats, cheeses, tiny pickles, olives, etc on the platters.