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Make Ahead Christmas Dinner Menu – An easy menu of make ahead Christmas recipes so you can serve a stress-free Christmas Dinner!
While our Christmas dinner menu may change slightly from year to year, it is always a meal that I love hosting for my family.
Gathering all of the family together at the table to celebrate is one tradition that I look forward to all year long.
Since it is a meal that much of it can be prepared ahead of time and is simple to cook and serve, it allows me to enjoy the day with my family without stressing over meal preparations.
I’ve included our full Christmas Dinner Menu along with my schedule for getting it all ready for a stress-free holiday! I hope you find it as useful as I have throughout the years!
Make without baking up to a week in advance. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator. Bake and serve warm.
Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe
5 from 7 votes
This hot Spinach Artichoke Dip recipe is easy, cheesy, and delicious! Bake in the oven or make crockpot spinach artichoke dip in your slow cooker! Make ahead and freezer-friendly. It's a crowd-favorite dip and perfect for entertaining!
Follow the schedule in the post. Prepare horseradish sauce up to a week in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Allow to reach room temperature for serving.
Perfect Prime Rib Recipe
5 from 25 votes
Our delicious Prime Rib recipe is simple to make with step-by-step instructions to roast it to perfection! Use simple ingredients and tips for the best prime rib you'll love to serve for special events and holidays!
Horseradish Sauce Recipe – This simple horseradish sauce is a great condiment for steak, roast, tenderloin, or in your beef sandwiches. Made with just 4 ingredients!
Cook and slice the turkey according to the directions. Arrange on an oven-safe serving platter or on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover and leave at room temperature for up to 1 hour before reheating in the oven. Be sure to reheat until the temperature reaches 165º F.
Best Baked Ham Recipe
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The BEST Ham Recipe with variations for copycat Honey Baked Ham recipe or an easy cola glazed ham! Easy and delicious!
Toast the pecans up to a few days in advance, but assemble the salad right before serving.
Apple Pear Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette
5 from 3 votes
Apple Pear Salad Recipe – This Apple Pear Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette makes a delicious salad anytime of year, but especially throughout the holidays.
Peppermint Chocolate Cake Recipe – This decadent Peppermint Chocolate Cake combines all-time favorite Best Chocolate Cake Ever, peppermint buttercream and peppermint bark for a festive cake that’s perfect for the holidays!
Follow the make-ahead directions for the cinnamon rolls. These are delicious, made ahead and baked fresh on Christmas morning for breakfast and then for Christmas dessert as well!
Cinnamon Roll Recipe
5 from 133 votes
The Best Cinnamon Rolls Recipe – These easy homemade cinnamon rolls are the best I've ever tasted! They are soft and delicious with a classic cinnamon swirl and topped with cream cheese frosting. This cinnamon roll recipe includes options for making ahead and baking fresh the next morning and freezing them for later.
Decadent Coconut Cream Pie with rich, creamy coconut custard topped with pillowy whipped cream and toasted coconut in a flaky homemade pie crust. Delicious dessert perfect for entertaining!
This is the best Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe I've ever tasted – Crisp outside, yet chewy and soft inside and full of chocolate! Simple ingredients – but something special that elevates them to the most amazing chocolate chip cookies every time!
The BEST Chewy Sugar Cookies Recipe – Absolutely the BEST sugar cookie recipe I've ever tasted! These sugar cookies are soft, chewy and produce a flavorful bakery style soft sugar cookie! Quick and easy to make, this sugar cookie recipe makes cookies that turn out perfectly every single time!
This sugar cookie recipe makes the BEST Cut Out Sugar Cookies and isgreat for decorating! Delicious rolled sugar cookie dough is perfect for using your favorite cookie cutters!
Snickerdoodles Cookie Recipe – Simply the easiest and best Snickerdoodles recipe I've ever made, these cinnamon sugar cookies are so soft, buttery, and filled with cinnamon!
Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.
Looks so delicious! I am making Prime Rib as well. I will make those potatoes for the New Year, as I love Boursin cheese! Merry Christmas and all the best in 2015.
Robyn, too late for my Christmas dinner, but I plan to make the Chocolate Peppermint Cake for my January Bunko group. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, you have provided me with some wonderfuly recipes for 2014, looking forward to 2015. Merry Christmas
ROBYN,
I LOVE TO COOK AND BAKE AT THE HOLIDAY. I AM GREEK AND ITALIAN AND HAVE SOME WONDERFUL RECIPES AND MADE SOME OF MY OWN. I HAVE A QUESTION I ALWAYS MAKE MY PUMPKIN ROLL AT THANKSGIVING THOUGH NEW YEAR THEN AT EASTER. I FOUND BEST THING TO ROLL IN FLOUR SAK CLOTHS I GET AT SMAS CLUB 12 CLOTHS FOR 8.00 ABOUT. THEY COME COMPLETELY CLEAN AND CAKE DOES NOT STICK TO THEM THIS IS ALSO FOR MY RED VELVET ROLL AS WELL THE QUESTION IS NO MATTER HOW MUCH POWDERED SUGAR I DUST WITH OR HOW LONG I LET SIT AFTER I UNROLL AND ADD FILLING AND GO TO RE ROLL THEY CRACK. DO YOU HAVE A TRICK OR HINT THAT WILL MAKE THEM NOT CRACK?
FRANKIE
Hi Frank,
There are a couple of tricks that I use to prevent a pumpkin roll or any other type of roll cake from cracking. First, make sure that you are getting the cake batter spread very evenly on the pan to make sure that it bakes evenly. Also, make sure that you do not overbake the cake as a moist cake does better rolling without cracking. Then, as soon as you remove the cake from the oven, go ahead and transfer to the towel for rolling.
I hope those tips that have helped me help you, too!
Would love to have your recipe for prime rib and potatoes.
Robyn,
I want you to know how much I appreciate your weekly menus. After 50+ years of cooking, I find the most difficult part of cooking is coming up with a menu each week. Your menus contain a variety of easy to find ingredients, and foods that are family favorites for nearly every taste-bud. You make menu planning so easy. Keep up the great work. Additionally, your recipes are wonderful too!!
Sincerely,
Jan
Oh thank you so much Jan! I am so happy you are enjoying the meal plans! It helps me so to have them planned ahead too, and I’m glad they are helpful to you as well!
I’m glad you enjoy the recipes – thanks so much!!! xo
HI,
Merry Christmas, I am coming to your house for dinner,
looks so good. Wish you a wonderful time with your
family. Enjoy them, specially your mom.
Linda
Maria, I hope these recipes will help you during the holidays. I love to make ahead as much as possible so I’m not so rushed and can enjoy all the activities with my family.
Looks so delicious! I am making Prime Rib as well. I will make those potatoes for the New Year, as I love Boursin cheese! Merry Christmas and all the best in 2015.
Merry Christmas to you, Winnie!
Robyn, too late for my Christmas dinner, but I plan to make the Chocolate Peppermint Cake for my January Bunko group. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, you have provided me with some wonderfuly recipes for 2014, looking forward to 2015. Merry Christmas
ROBYN,
I LOVE TO COOK AND BAKE AT THE HOLIDAY. I AM GREEK AND ITALIAN AND HAVE SOME WONDERFUL RECIPES AND MADE SOME OF MY OWN. I HAVE A QUESTION I ALWAYS MAKE MY PUMPKIN ROLL AT THANKSGIVING THOUGH NEW YEAR THEN AT EASTER. I FOUND BEST THING TO ROLL IN FLOUR SAK CLOTHS I GET AT SMAS CLUB 12 CLOTHS FOR 8.00 ABOUT. THEY COME COMPLETELY CLEAN AND CAKE DOES NOT STICK TO THEM THIS IS ALSO FOR MY RED VELVET ROLL AS WELL THE QUESTION IS NO MATTER HOW MUCH POWDERED SUGAR I DUST WITH OR HOW LONG I LET SIT AFTER I UNROLL AND ADD FILLING AND GO TO RE ROLL THEY CRACK. DO YOU HAVE A TRICK OR HINT THAT WILL MAKE THEM NOT CRACK?
FRANKIE
Hi Frank,
There are a couple of tricks that I use to prevent a pumpkin roll or any other type of roll cake from cracking. First, make sure that you are getting the cake batter spread very evenly on the pan to make sure that it bakes evenly. Also, make sure that you do not overbake the cake as a moist cake does better rolling without cracking. Then, as soon as you remove the cake from the oven, go ahead and transfer to the towel for rolling.
I hope those tips that have helped me help you, too!
Would love to have your recipe for prime rib and potatoes.
Hi Diana,
The link to the recipes for the prime rib and the potatoes are right under each of their photos. Let me know if you need anything else. xo
Thank you very much. I did find it and will make it for Christmas. Thanks again
Robyn,
I want you to know how much I appreciate your weekly menus. After 50+ years of cooking, I find the most difficult part of cooking is coming up with a menu each week. Your menus contain a variety of easy to find ingredients, and foods that are family favorites for nearly every taste-bud. You make menu planning so easy. Keep up the great work. Additionally, your recipes are wonderful too!!
Sincerely,
Jan
Oh thank you so much Jan! I am so happy you are enjoying the meal plans! It helps me so to have them planned ahead too, and I’m glad they are helpful to you as well!
I’m glad you enjoy the recipes – thanks so much!!! xo
HI,
Merry Christmas, I am coming to your house for dinner,
looks so good. Wish you a wonderful time with your
family. Enjoy them, specially your mom.
Linda
Where do I find the recipes?
Looks delicious!
Stephanie, click on the blue underlined title for each recipe and it will take you to that particular recipe. Hope you enjoy these recipes.
Everything looks so lovely, spoilt for choice
Maria, I hope these recipes will help you during the holidays. I love to make ahead as much as possible so I’m not so rushed and can enjoy all the activities with my family.