Christmas Food Ideas for the Holidays

Christmas food can vary greatly from country to country.

We all have family traditions for our Christmas celebration when we sit down to dinner with our families. Sometimes, it’s fun to start new traditions and enjoy a special addition to the holiday festivities. Here are some great ideas to serve during the season to ramp up your appetite.

Christmas Food Menu – Side Dishes

1. Coquilles Saint-Jacques are simply scallops baked with herbs and cheese. Normally, this dish is served in France as an appetizer.
2. Porkkanalaatiko is an alternative to the sweet potato casserole. It’s a spiced carrot dish which originated in Finland.
3. Chicken Soup Avgolemono is often served as the first course at the Christmas feast in Greece. Think chicken and rice soup with a hint of lemon to entice your palate.
4. Chicken Soup Avgolemono is often served as the first course at the Christmas feast in Greece. Think chicken and rice soup with a hint of lemon to entice your palate.

Main Courses

1. In Italy, the Christmas eve dinner is called Feast of the Seven Fishes. Serve calamari, clams, shrimp and other fish dishes to await the birth of Christ or the arrival of Saint Nick.
2. Tamales and hallacas are common dishes in South and Central America. Hallacas are similar to tamales, but might be filled with capers, raisins and meat and wrapped in plantain leaves instead of corn husks.
3. Mince pies can be found on tables in North America and in England during the holiday season. The traditional filling is made with beef and fruit, but many cooks have adapted the recipe to include only fruits. Originally, mince pies were thought to preserve meats and use up leftovers that wouldn’t keep.
4. Turkey is a traditional dish in many homes. Spaniards take it to another level by stuffing their turkey with truffles. The dish is called Pavo Trufado de Navidad, and it tastes divine.

Deserts

1. The Austrian dessert is known as sachertorte, which is a chocolate sponge and apricot jam cake. Served with a side of whipped cream and a cup of hot cider, it makes a great way to end the meal.
2. In Germany, families make a fruit cake with rum and spices, called stollen. Sometimes, there’s a strip of marzipan in the middle of the bread, which adds a layer of almond flavor and richness.
3. Make cherry-rice pudding called Risalamande for a traditional Danish dish for your table. Add a whole almond to the mix. Whoever finds it when they’re eating gets a special reward.
4. Although India is not known for its Christian population, the season is still celebrated with all the pomp and circumstance it deserves. Make kulkuls, a spiced coconut cookie, to have on your table.
5. Beigli is a Hungarian poppy seed cake. It’s a sweet bread dough made like cinnamon rolls, only with a poppy seed filling. Bake it in a loaf pan instead of cutting it into individual rolls before baking.
6. White Christmas is an Australian confection made of mixed fruit, sugar and copha. It looks similar to white fudge, but can be a little lighter because it doesn’t have the rich chocolate flavor.
7. Bûche de Noël is served on tables in France and North America. It’s a rolled chocolate cake with a filling such as raspberry jam or whipped cream, decorated to represent the Yule log. If you’ve never had one, make a stab at it this year. It’s actually quite easy, and you don’t need to include all the fancy and fussy decorations.

Festive Drinks

1. Families in Malta make a cocoa-chestnut drink known as Imbuljuta tal-Qastan. It can be served after midnight mass on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve to enjoy it more than once throughout the season.
2. Crema De Vie is the Cuban version of egg nog. It’s jazzed up with rum and lemon peel for a rich and creamy drink that will help all the adults get a good night’s sleep on Christmas Eve.

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