Christmas Menu Planning

Wanting special holiday meals but without the stress? Use this easy Christmas Menu Plan to help you create simple yet fabulous meals for Christmas Eve, Christmas morning, and Christmas dinner.

You might think I am crazy but one of the things I love the most about Christmas is having family in and out of our home all day.

I feel like part of my gift to them is preparing a wonderful Christmas breakfast or dinner.

Yes, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day, but I do a lot of planning ahead. I also make some overnight dishes to help alleviate the stress.

Christmas Eve Menu

Christmas Eve is often small snack food with a large pot of soup. (Psst… Some of the snacks make great leftovers for Christmas breakfast!)

Whether it’s a soup that simmers on the stove top of in the slow cooker, having a lot of soup helps when we are not sure how many people may pop into our home.

Sample Christmas Eve Menu Plan:

• Chicken and Sausage Gumbo – The rue takes a while to get perfect but it is so worth the wait! I can also make it the day before as the flavor improves overnight in the refrigerator and it is easy to reheat.
• Broccoli Cheddar Cornbread
• Easy Sausage Balls
• Pigs in the Blanket with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce 
• Cheese Ball & Crackers
• Summer Sausage – Yes, the store-bought kind.
• Vegetable Tray with Ranch Dipping Sauce

All of these things are easy to heat up as leftovers in the middle of the day on Christmas too.

Christmas Breakfast Menu

I do a lot of prep for Christmas breakfast before I go to bed. In previous years, I’ve made everything from Slow Cooker Steel Oats to Rolled Omelets.

Sample Christmas Morning Brunch/Breakfast Menu Plan:

• Overnight Breakfast Casserole – I love that you can put this together the night before and finish it in the morning.
• Pecan Cinnamon Rolls – Decadent and a perfect companion to a steaming cup of coffee.
• Fresh Fruit

RELATED: 30 Easy Christmas Breakfast Ideas

Christmas Dinner Menu

Some years, we go all out with my Old Country Roses China for Christmas dinner. Some years, we opt for paper plates.

But our main dish is always something that cooks slowly so I can start it while I finish breakfast.

I love to do a Slow Cooker Beef Roast, but we have been known to have lasagna or a casual pasta bar.

Sample Christmas Dinner Menu Plan:

• BBQ Pulled Pork – I will put this on to cook on Christmas Eve before bed and let it cook throughout the night and through mid-morning. Then, I will pull it apart, remove any fat, and add barbecue sauce, placing it in the slow cooker on warm until dinner.
• Crock Pot Cheesy Potato Casserole – This is when having two slow cookers REALLY comes in handy.
• Green Bean Almondine
• Watergate Salad – If it is Christmas, we have to eat this salad. It is so wonderful! (We used toasted pecans instead of walnuts.)
• Dinner Rolls
• Crock Pot Caramel Pie – I make these the day before and then top them a few hours before we eat.

What is your favorite Christmas Menu Plan?

Do you have a family favorite that has to be served every year?

Any tips to share for simplifying Christmas menu planning?

Please let me know in the comments.