Top Food Bloggers Easy Christmas Dinners
We asked 41+ INSPIRED and top cooks the same question: “If you wanna surprise your family with an easy (and non-traditional) Christmas dinner idea, what will it be?”
The recipes we received were absolutely AWESOME. We’ve listed them here:
11 – Homemade Quiche:
Nick Evans from MACHEESMO

A meal that I like to serve sometimes for a complete change-up in traditional flavors (I also do this before Thanksgiving most years) is to make breakfast for dinner!
I’ll make a beautiful homemade quiche, which can be made in advance, and serve it alongside some buttermilk pancakes, crispy baked bacon, and fruit salad.
Are there mimosas? Why, yes, of course.
12 – Nigerian Fried Rice:
Chichi Uguru from My Diaspora Kitchen
Nigerian fried rice is one of my go to recipes when I think of a nice Christmas dinner.
Though not the traditional Asian fried rice, it’s super easy to make and is packed full of flavor. It’s always the first to go in any family gathering.
13 – Festive Appetizers and Snacks:
Gina Kleinworth from Taste of the Frontier
We tend to keep things non-traditional every Christmas. The season is already so hectic, so we like to keep Christmas day simple and easy.
We like to serve appetizers and snacks that everyone can graze on throughout the day instead of spending most of the day cooking a large meal.
While we always add a few new recipes to the menu, we almost always serve deviled eggs, stuffed mushrooms, pepper jelly on a charcuterie board, and some pepper jelly meatballs.
14 – Paneer-vegetable Lasagna:
Pavani from Cooks Hide Out
Being a vegetarian family, our Christmas meal is always non-traditional and plant-based.
I try to incorporate Indian flavors into traditional holiday recipes. So our menu is usually an eclectic fusion of familiar spices in western dishes.
Here’s a surprise dinner idea that my family would love: Samosa pinwheels, Paneer-vegetable lasagna, homemade garlic naan, eggless fruit cake and mini cheesecakes.
15 – Herb-roasted Pork with Horseradish Mashed Potatoes:
Michelle from Flipped out Food
If I’m surprising my family with a slightly non-traditional Christmas Dinner, the first thing that comes to mind is Herb-Roasted Rack of Pork for the entree.
It’s super easy and practically foolproof. You slice it into gigantic chops that are unfailingly juicy and delicious, not to mention impressive to serve at the table.
We’re wild about Skin-On Mashed Potatoes with Horseradish, which would be a perfect starchy side. The mild horseradish flavor is a perfect complement to the meat.
And finally, a great green vegetable to enjoy with roast pork is Green Beans with Bacon and Onions.
That’s it! That’s the menu!
16 – Bagels and Lox:
Alyssa Brantley from Everyday Maven
Our favorite non-traditional Christmas dinner is Bagels and Lox. No cooking involved if you don’t count toasting the bagels.
We like to make a nice spread with different smoked fishes and smoked salmon, sliced cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, dill, chives, olives, and a variety of bagels and cream cheese.
Everyone can build their own bagels and clean up is minimal.
17 – Festive Japanese-themed Dinner:
Marc Matsumoto from No recipes
A non-traditional Christmas dinner can be festive and fun without taking all day to prepare.
To prepare a Japanese-themed Christmas dinner, let’s start with Teriyaki Chicken Wingsand Spicy Edamame as appetizers that could be left out for guests to munch on.
If your guests are of the plant-based persuasion, Crispy Fried Tofu Bites make for great canapes.
A small salad dressed with Sesame Dressing is an excellent place to go from there, and Chicken Katsu is an easy-to-prepare main that looks super festive served on a bed of shredded cabbage with tomatoes.
For vegans, these vibrant Japanese Tofu Steakstopped with mushrooms and crispy garlic chips are insanely flavorful and look the part with the red sauce and green onion garnish.
Both dishes would go great with Takikomi Gohan, a savory Japanese-style pilaf made with vegetables and mushrooms.
The Matcha Basque Cheesecake is the perfect way to end your Christmas feast.
It’s rich, custardy, and has a beautiful green hue. You can have it ready in about 30 minutes, and top it with a raspberry coulis for an extra pop of color.
18 – Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Sandwiches:
Jill Faulder from Food Tastic Mom

I’d surprise my family with my Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Sandwiches.
Just a few simple ingredients, plus frozen garlic bread, makes this a cinch to prepare.
Everyone loves these sandwiches! They even look festive.
The preparation is mostly hands off, meaning that while dinner is slow cooking, I can actually enjoy the day spending time with my family.
19 – Delicious Casserole:
Roz from La Bella Vita Cucina

I would serve a delicious casserole that could be made ahead of time so that there is more time to spend with the grandchildren and guests.
A simple green salad with fresh ingredients would be served.
I would present a dessert charcuterie board from which guests could graze on the rest of the day.
The board would include a colorful variety of fresh fruits, cheeses, cookies, chocolates, nuts, and some caramel and chocolate dips.
20 – Pulled Pork and Taco Feast:
Lilian from Chinese Grandma
Christmas for us is a traditional gathering of my husband’s Irish-American family in Ohio.
For years my mother-in-law and I cooked a traditional roast, potatoes, etc.
But as all the kids have grown, our big Christmas brunch gets later and later in the day, and dinner has become more casual.
Now for Christmas dinner we have tacos. Yes, tacos! It is so easy and everyone loves it.
Sometimes I’ll make a big pot of pulled pork in the slow cooker, other times, we’ll have ground taco meat (ground turkey is my favorite, less greasy than beef).
Often we cook the meat ahead, so all that’s left is to make a giant salad.
The rest is self-serve: guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese, salsa. Tortillas, tortilla chips.
Then everyone curates their plate: some people make tacos, others have a loaded taco salad and maybe we’ll fry up a plain quesadilla for a picky kid.
It’s a fun and relaxed fiesta to finish the big holiday.
Stop Back Again Tomorrow for the 3rd set of 10.
