Traditional Christmas Dinner Recipes

Many have chosen a chicken entree for their traditional Christmas dinner recipes instead of ham or turkey. Sometimes it is not the taste but it simply may be too much. This could be too costly or too much food for a couple or even your small family. Many people love chicken and would just as soon have chicken for the holiday also. 

Traditional Christmas Dinner RecipesTraditional Christmas Dinner Recipes

Here, I want to focus on chicken as the main course for Christmas. Just because you want to shy away from the traditional Christmas dinner recipes, does not mean that your chicken dinner can’t be just as elegant and delicious. To go along a similar menu of turkey and stuffing, I am passing along a recipe for Hungarian roasted chicken with chicken liver stuffing.


A little different from the traditional Christmas dinner recipes of roasted turkey or whole chickens, another is for baked chicken pieces. They are baked in a creamy butter sauce and also very good. You could also cut the recipe down if you need to and only prepare a few chicken pieces. This recipe is adaptable if you are only feeding one or two people.


The other entrée that I am including is for Cornish game hens. I love the flavor of these small tender birds. The recipe below has them flavored with apple and cinnamon. Doesn’t that sound good? Believe me, it is! With this recipe too, you can increase or decrease the number of hens that you wish to prepare.


For a salad I have chosen fresh greens with cranberry dressing. Topped with honey pecans make it perfect for Christmas dinner. Wait until you taste the side dishes! I could not choose between white potatoes and sweet potatoes so I am sending you two of my favorites. This is my favorite sweet potato recipe. It is rich and really more like dessert. (I pretend not to include calories for the holiday!)


You will want my baked mashed potatoes to become one of your new traditional Christmas dinner recipes once you try them. They are made creamy delicious by adding sour cream and cottage cheese. With a light flavor of green onion, topped with butter and almonds, you just can’t get any better for special occasions. Any leftovers are great warmed up.


No special dinner is complete without dinner rolls. The recipe below in among my traditional Christmas dinner recipes. They are easy to make and taste delicious. I especially like them for Christmas dinner because they can be prepare up to four days ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator and baked when needed. With all the Christmas activities and chores to do this recipe is so convenient.


I have included two other recipes which fit into anyone’s traditional Christmas dinner recipes. A delicious cranberry pudding and sauce for dessert and a great zucchini bread recipe with lemon glaze. I hope you will find these recipes as tasteful as I do for holiday dinner.

CHRISTMAS SALAD RECIPE with cranberry dressing

This cranberry flavored salad is perfect for your traditional Christmas dinner recipes.

  • ¾ cup pecan halves
  • 2/3 Cup honey
  • ¼ cup melted butter
  • ½ Cup sugar
  • 4 Heads Belgium endive (I use whatever salad greens I have on hand; about 6 cups chopped)
  • 2 Large bunches watercress
  • 8 Kumquats
  • 4 Cups finely shredded radicchio
  • 3 Seedless tangerines peeled and sectioned
  • Cranberry dressing (Recipe below)
  • 1 Cup fresh shredded mint leaves
  • Fresh mint sprigs for garnish

Preheat oven to 325F degrees.

Stir together in a shallow baking pan pecans, honey and melted butter.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes stirring often; remove pecans with slotted spoon, toss in sugar and cool.

Separate endive leaves and cut larger ones in half; discard coarse watercress stems.

Cut kumquats in half.

Toss together the endive, watercress, kumquats, radicchio, tangerines, cranberry dressing and shredded mint leaves.

To serve sprinkle with the pecans and garnish with mint sprigs; serves 8.


CRANBERRY SALAD DRESSING RECIPE

  • 2/3 Cup tangerine juice
  • ½ Cup fresh cranberries
  • 1/3 Cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 minced shallots
  • 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • ¼ Teaspoon dried tarragon
  • ½ Teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 Teaspoon salt
  • ½ Cup walnut oil

In small saucepan bring cranberries and tangerine juice to a boil and boil for 5 minutes; drain and reserve juice.

Combine in food processor reserved juice and remaining ingredients; process until blended.

Stir in drained cranberries; toss in salad.

HUNGARIAN STUFFED CHICKEN RECIPE

Hungarian Stuffed Chicken RecipeHungarian Stuffed Chicken Recipe

A wonderful substitute to the traditional holiday entrees of turkey and ham.

  • Salt 
  • 1 Chicken about 4 pounds
  • 9 Sliced French bread
  • 1 Medium chopped onion
  • 1/3 Cup butter
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
  • ½ Teaspoon black pepper
  • Paprika
  • 4 Eggs separated
  • 2-3 Finely chopped chicken livers

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Salt inside and outside of chicken (To taste); set aside.

Soak bread in small amount of water; drain and squeeze excess out.

Place bread in a large bowl; set aside.

Melt butter in skillet and sauté onion until tender; add to the bread.

Add parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon paprika and black pepper to bread bowl.

Beat yolks and add to the bread mixture; add chicken livers to mixture and mix well.

Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into stuffing mixture.

Carefully loosen skin from breast of chicken; fill between skin and breast meat with the stuffing. NOTE: I use my finger instead of a knife to loosen skin to prevent poking the skin.

Loosing Skin on the Hungarian ChickenLoosing Skin on the Hungarian Chicken
Placing Stuffing Under Chicken SkinPlacing Stuffing Under Chicken Skin

Fill cavity of chicken with remaining stuffing; sew up cavity.

Rub chicken with additional butter; season with salt, pepper and paprika.

Cover with foil and bake for 90 minutes; remove foil and bake 30 minutes longer until chicken is thoroughly cooked basting occasionally.

Serves 4 to 6.

BAKED CHICKEN IN BUTTER AND CREAM RECIPE

If you have a smaller family this recipe is perfect for traditional Christmas dinner recipes.

  • 1 Chicken 3 to 4 pounds (Cut into pieces)
  • ½ Cup flour
  • 1 ½ Teaspoons salt
  • Dash of pepper
  • ¾ Teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ Cup butter
  • ½ Cup milk powder
  • 1 ½ Cups hot water

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Combine and mix flour, salt, pepper and paprika.

Dip chicken pieces in water; coat with seasoned flour.

Place chicken pieces in a 9X13 inch baking dish; slice butter over the chicken.

Bake for 30 minutes; mix dry milk with hot water and pour around chicken.

Bake additional 90 minutes or until chicken is tender; serves 4.

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS DINNER RECIPES of CREAMY BAKED MASHED POTATOES

Creamy Baked Mashed PotatoesCreamy Baked Mashed Potatoes

Traditional Christmas dinner recipes or any special dinner, try these delicious creamy potatoes.

  • 6 Cups hot mashed potatoes
  • 3 cups creamy cottage cheese
  • ¾ Cup sour cream
  • 2 Whole green onions chopped fine
  • 1 Teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • ¼ Teaspoon pepper
  • 1 Teaspoon seasoned salt
  • ¼ Cup (About) melted butter
  • 1/2 Cup Slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Combine and beat together mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, sour cream, green onion, salt, pepper and seasoned salt.

Spoon mixture into a lightly buttered casserole baking dish; cover top with almonds and melted butter.

Bake for 30 minutes; 6-8 servings. 

Creamy Baked Mashed PotatoesCreamy Baked Mashed Potatoes

CIDER GLAZED CORNISH HENS RECIPE

Cornish hens with apple and cinnamon make a great addition to your traditional Christmas dinner recipes.

  • 4-6 Cornish hens
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 Quart apple cider or juice
  • 1 Cinnamon stick
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 2 Tablespoons honey
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 375F degrees.

Wash hens and pat dry with paper towels; season inside and out with salt and pepper.

Tie legs together and fold wings back for glazing; place hens in a shallow roasting pan.

Put cider and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil and cook until 1 cup is remaining.

Remove the cinnamon stick; stir in the honey, butter, mustard and vinegar.

Boil until thick and syrupy; brush syrup over the hens and place in oven.

Bake about 60 minutes until golden brown brushing occasionally with remaining syrup.

MY FAVORITE SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE RECIPE

My Favorite Sweet Potato Souffle RecipeMy Favorite Sweet Potato Souffle Recipe

This recipe is wonderful as traditional Christmas dinner recipes, any time of the year or even for dessert topped with a dollop of whipped cream.

  • 3 Cups mashed sweet potatoes
  • ½ cup canned evaporated milk
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 Cup sugar
  • ½ cup melted butter
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 Teaspoon cinnamon
  • Topping:
  • ½ Cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/3 Cup melted butter
  • 1 Cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Combine in a large bowl and beat with a mixer the sweet potatoes, canned milk, egg, sugar, ½ cup melted butter, vanilla and cinnamon.

Dump mixture into a lightly buttered casserole baking dish.

Combine and mix brown sugar, flour, 1/3 cup melted butter and pecans; spread over top of sweet potato mixture.

Bake for 25 minutes; serves 6.

My Favorite Sweet Potato Souffle RecipeMy Favorite Sweet Potato Souffle Recipe

EASY DINNER ROLLS

Easy Dinner RollsEasy Dinner Rolls

All traditional Christmas dinner recipes should include hot rolls. These are great!

  • 1 cup warm water
  • 2 Packages dry yeast (Not quick rise)
  • ½ Cup melted butter
  • ½ Cup sugar
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1 Teaspoon salt
  • 4 to 4 ½ cups flour

Combine warm water and yeast in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes.

Stir in melted butter, sugar, eggs and salt.

Beat in 1 cup of the flour at a time until dough is too stiff to mix; cover and refrigerate 2 hours to up to 4 days.

Turned chilled dough out onto a lightly floured surface; divide dough into 24 equal pieces.

Rolls pieces of dough into balls and place in a greased 9X13 inch baking pan or pan equivalent in size.

Cover pan and let rise until double in size about 1 hour.

PREHEAT OVEN to 350F degrees.

Bake until lightly browned about 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 24 rolls.

Easy Dinner RollsEasy Dinner Rolls

CRANBERRY PUDDING with sauce

Cranberry Pudding with a Vanilla Cream SauceCranberry Pudding with a Vanilla Cream Sauce

Perfect ending for your traditional Christmas dinner recipes.

  • 1 ½ Tablespoons softened butter
  • ½ Cup sugar
  • ½ Cup canned evaporated milk
  • 1 Cup flour
  • 1 ½ Teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ Teaspoon salt
  • 2 Cups whole washed cranberries

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Cream together butter and sugar; add milk, flour, baking powder, salt and cranberries and mix together.

Spoon into lightly greased muffin tins (1/2 cup of batter to each one); bake 30 minutes.

Makes 6 jumbo muffins

Serve with sauce below.

Sauce recipe:

  • ½ Cup butter
  • 1 Cup sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ Cup heavy cream

COMBINE butter, sugar and cream in heavy saucepan.

Bring just to a boil; reduce heat and cook about 4 minutes until thickened stirring occasionally.

Cook over medium heat until thickened stirring occasionally.

Cool mixture and add vanilla.

NOTE: Sauce can be reheated but cakes cannot.

Cranberry Pudding with a Vanilla Cream SauceCranberry Pudding with a Vanilla Cream Sauce

ZUCCHINI BREAD RECIPE with lemon buttermilk glaze

Zucchini Bread Recipe with a Lemon Buttermilk GlazeZucchini Bread Recipe with a Lemon Buttermilk Glaze
  • 2 Cups flour
  • ¾ Cup sugar
  • ½ Cup toasted chopped pecans
  • 2 Teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ Teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ Teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ Teaspoon salt
  • 1 Cup shredded zucchini
  • 2/3 Cup milk
  • 1/3 Cup melted butter
  • 2 Teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1 Egg
  • ½ Cup sifted powdered sugar
  • 2 Teaspoons buttermilk
  • 1 Teaspoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350F degrees; grease and lightly flour 8X5 inch loaf pan.

Combine and mix flour, sugar, pecans, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt; stir in zucchini.

In small bowl stir together milk, melted butter, lemon zest and egg.

Pour milk mixture over flour mixture stirring just to moisten; spoon batter into prepared pan.

Bake about 50 minutes until pick comes out clean; cool in pan 10 minutes and remove from pan.

Cool bread completely on wire rack.

In small bowl combine and mix powdered sugar, buttermilk and lemon juice until smooth; drizzle over bread.

Zucchini Mini MuffinsZucchini Mini Muffins