5 Alternative Christmas Dinner Ideas

For many people around the world, Christmas is a time for celebration and joy. When people think of Christmas, they think of the joy of giving and receiving gifts, spending quality time with loved ones, and, of course, food. Many of us look forward to enjoying a delicious meal with our family and friends on Christmas night. Having a table filled with our loved ones for Christmas dinner is a joy that many of us get to relish and look forward to experiencing.

Of course, for the evening host, the day is filled with preparing many kinds of different foods for everyone in the home to enjoy. Usually, those meals consist of things like pot roast, turkey, and maybe even a special dessert. Whether you plan to spend Christmas dinner snuggled up on the couch with your loved ones, at the dinner table, or outside on the patio dining set, everyone wants their Christmas dinner to be unique and tasty. But, what are some alternative Christmas dinner ideas you can make to really wow your guests?

We have got five alternative Christmas dinner ideas to help make the night go out without a bang and are likely to have everyone impressed.

1) Festive Tacos

If your household enjoys Mexican cuisine, then this is just the idea for giving your guests precisely what they want. Say goodbye to regular tacos and say hello to the new tacos out on the market. You may make these and love them so much that you make them more than once a year!

For Festive or Christmas Tacos, you can choose whichever meat seems to be the favorite in the household. Some examples of meat can be carne asada or short rib. Then, marinate the meat with orange juice, limes, green onions, salt, garlic, and bone broth. After marinating for twenty-five to thirty minutes, you can cook your meat in a pressure cooker for about ten minutes. The fundamental festive part of these tacos is cranberry salsa. You will need cranberry, jalapeno, cilantro, onion, salt, sugar, and limes. Then, put all the ingredients in the blender and pulse until at the desired consistency. Christmas Tacos is a simple yet delicious recipe you can cook in under thirty minutes. The recipe is quick and easy, and everyone is bound to love it!

2) Grilled Sweet Potato Christmas Nachos

Grilled sweet potato Christmas nachos are bound to be a hit with all your guests! You can make this an appetizer or for the kids (and adults) to snack on during the day while everyone is spending quality time together. A great idea to use this meal is if you plan to watch Christmas movies during the day. This recipe is an easy meal that everyone will enjoy eating. This meal is also an excellent alternative for all your vegetarian friends who will be joining you!

First, you will want to microwave the sweet potatoes for four minutes. Then, cut the sweet potatoes into wedges and toss them in olive oil, salt, chili powder, and cumin. Now, you are ready to grill those bad boys! While the sweet potatoes are grilling, you can heat the refried beans and roast the corn. Now, you can top the tortilla chips with beans and corn. Of course, you cannot forget about the cheese! You will want to melt the butter in the pan, add garlic, and add milk and flour until thick. Lastly, you can add the cheese to the chips, and you and your guests are ready to eat! Again, a simple and easy meal, only taking thirty minutes to make. 

3) Shrimp and Crawfish Christmas Jambalaya

This dish is a sure-fire way to give your guest a little taste of New Orleans this Christmas. Although, you will want to make sure that you put enough time set aside to be able to pull it off. This Christmas Jambalaya takes about eighty minutes to make but is sure to get no complaints from your guests!

First, you will want to lightly brown your sausage in oil over medium heat. Then, add onion, celery, garlic, green pepper, thyme, basil, and pepper to your meat. You will want to cook this for about ten minutes. Next, stir in one can of diced tomatoes and one can of tomatoes with green chiles, water, chicken stock, sweet paprika, and Spanish smoked paprika. If you cannot find Spanish paprika, you can add more sweet paprika instead. Bring this deliciousness to a simmer and cook for ten minutes.

Now, go ahead and preheat your oven to 350 degrees and cook your rice. Once the rice is cooked, you will want to add the rice to the pot and all the pot contents to a large roasting pan and cook for thirty minutes. While the food is cooking in the oven, you can cook the shrimp in butter and add the crawfish. Once the food in the oven is cooked, add the crawfish and shrimp to the pan and cook for another seven to ten minutes. Now, you and your guests are ready to have a good New Orleans Christmas dinner!

4) Christmas Apricot Pie

Of course, for Christmas (and even Thanksgiving), we are used to the same kind of pies. Usually, people will serve apple pie, cherry pie, or even sweet potato pie. But, this apricot pie is going to leave your guests wanting more for dessert. Better yet, it only takes thirty-five minutes to make.

First, you will heat the oven to 425 degrees and line your pie dish with your pastry. Next, mix a ½ cup of granulated sugar, regular sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. We know that is a lot of sugar, but it is worth it! Plus, nothing says Christmas like nutmeg and cinnamon. Then, mix the apricot halves with lemon juice and mix all the ingredients you just blended into the apricot bowl. Now, pour the mix into the pie dish and evenly distribute butter cubes on top of the mixture. Lastly, crimp the edges of the pie to seal the pie crust and make slits for heat ventilation—Bake for thirty-five to forty minutes. Don’t forget to sprinkle a little more sugar on top when it comes out of the oven, and enjoy your tasty dessert!

5) Christmas Toffee Eggnog

Do you ever wish that you had dessert in a drink? Well, we have got your back this year for Christmas! Toffee eggnog is a way to have all the sweetness packed into one cup. Plus, your guest will probably ask how you came up with the idea and nag you until you give them the recipe.

First, you will want to combine brown sugar with water in a pan. Make sure to heat the sugar until it is completely melted. Then, add heavy cream and whisk to combine. Now, remove it from the heat and save half a cup to garnish with later.

Now, take your separated eggs and whisk the egg whites in a mixer until they come to the consistency of shaving cream. While the mixer is running, add your toffee mixture. Then, transfer the egg whites to a separate bowl and do not wash the mixing bowl.

Now, take your egg yolks and the rest of the toffee mixture and whisk until pale and ribbony. Then, turn off the machine and scrape the sides with a rubber spatula. Lastly, add milk, vanilla extract, and your choice of alcohol.

Lastly, fold the egg whites into the mixture and serve. You can drizzle more of the toffee mix on top to add a unique and tasty touch!

This recipe is great for any adult gatherings you may be having during Christmas time and is a unique drink to have your guest sip on throughout the night. The toffee eggnog is more Christmasy and less bland than the regular beer, wine, and cocktails served at every Christmas party. Although those are the usual fan favorites, your guests are bound to want to ditch those regular options for this delicious option instead! Which you are going to need because it will go fast! This recipe also only takes ten minutes and can create twelve to sixteen servings.

We know these five alternative Christmas dinner ideas are going to make you the hit of the party. Plus, if you love cooking and entertaining guests, you will love all the attention you get from these tasty treats! Do not be surprised if you have several people asking you how you pulled these dishes off or if every bite of your dishes seems to be gone by the end of the night.

Thankfully, you will not have to go through another boring Christmas dinner again that consists of pot roast and sweet potato pie. Now, you have another thing to look forward to this Christmas besides spending time with family, opening gifts, and listening to the joys of Christmas music.