25 Christmas Dinner Ideas: Appetizers, Mains, Sides and Desserts

Snails sautéed in butter with shallots, garlic and shiitakes, buried under a mozzarella and Gruyère crust. A few minutes under the broiler and it’s golden. The Christmas starter that gets the whole table talking!

Scallops patted very dry and seared for a golden crust, topped with a browned butter sauce with lemon and capers. Elegant, quick, and the sauce waits warm while you sear the scallops, so Christmas Eve stays stress free.

Flambéed scallops and shrimp in a creamy Gruyère sauce, topped with piped potato and parsnip purée and crispy prosciutto. Divide it into small ramekins and you have a festive starter.

The lobsters hit the grill first, and their shells give the bisque a deep seafood flavor. Caramelized vegetables, cream, and lobster meat in the middle of the bowl. A Christmas soup worthy of a restaurant!

Only half the onions get caramelized, the rest go in raw later, and that’s what gives it depth. Beer, port and red wine, then a golden melted cheese crust. Perfect before the big meal.

A night in a white beer brine, a confit duck stuffing and maple bacon laid on top. You get a golden, truly juicy turkey, and the brine is what makes all the difference, every single time.

A crust of whole grain mustard and fresh herbs on a big bone-in rib roast, cooked on a bed of onions. Use a thermometer and it stays tender. The big showpiece when you’re hosting a crowd!

A smoked ham braised in blonde beer, maple syrup and brown sugar, basted often until the crust shines. Apples and fennel roast right around it in the same pan. A real showstopper on the table!

Beef, pork and veal simmered with white beer, holiday spices and grated potato to hold the filling together. The tourtière the way we like it, and it freezes beautifully so you can get ahead.

A salmon fillet stuffed with spinach, mushrooms and garlic herb cheese, wrapped in puff pastry. Cook the water out of the vegetables so the pastry stays crisp. It gets sliced right at the table!

A beef tenderloin roast marinated in maple balsamic, seared in a pan and finished in the oven. A separate glaze set aside for basting, and internal temperatures so you can’t miss. The holiday centerpiece!

A creamy lobster, mushroom and thyme filling built on a broth simmered from the lobster shells, served in flaky vol-au-vent. Refined, comforting, and not as complicated as it looks.

A pork shoulder braised in cider and clementine, slow roasted until it falls apart with a fork. The sweet and savory sauce does the rest. Perfect for a big crowd without the stress.

Roasted until still crisp, then tossed in a pan with honey and chopped peanuts. Sweet, salty and a little crunchy. Even people who swear they hate Brussels sprouts go back for more!

Boiled first, smashed on the pan with the bottom of a glass, then roasted long with Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Crispy outside, tender inside. They’re always the first thing to disappear!

The real one, with no cheese: potato slices parboiled in milk and cream with thyme, bay leaf and nutmeg. They come out golden on top and creamy inside. The classic side for any roast.

A silky Yukon Gold mashed potato with garlic and herb cheese stirred in. Taste before you salt, it’s already seasoned. Quick to make, and it steals the show right next to the turkey.

Halved carrots glazed in butter, maple syrup and brown sugar, roasted in the oven with no pan-frying. Salt generously or it gets too sweet. A colorful side that couldn’t be easier, and it looks great next to the roast.

The base of many Christmas sauces, made from scratch: beef bones, chicken wings and well browned vegetables, white wine and veal stock. It reduces slowly. Strain it several times so it turns silky.

A tender cake that bakes in a hot, creamy maple syrup sauce. Use the darkest maple syrup you can find, that’s the real maple flavor. The Quebec dessert that ends a Christmas dinner just right.

Brown sugar, butter, cream and pecans. It boils hard without stirring, you beat in the powdered sugar, and it sets in the fridge. Melt-in-your-mouth squares to nibble with coffee, saved for visitors.

Brown sugar, cream and vanilla in a pie crust, with a caramelized top that crackles a little. Wait until it’s golden all the way to the center before pulling it out. Easy, creamy and totally old fashioned.

A chocolate sponge rolled in cocoa, filled with Irish cream whipped cream and covered in smooth ganache. Cocoa on the parchment keeps it from sticking. A yule log that looks great on the table!

A silky dark chocolate mousse with no raw eggs: the base is cooked to temperature with a thermometer, then folded into whipped cream. It rests in the fridge before serving. Light in the mouth, rich in chocolate.

Ladyfingers dipped quickly in coffee, a mascarpone cream flavored with Irish cream liqueur, cocoa on top. Two layers that rest in the fridge before you dig in. A classic in holiday dress.