Make Ahead Christmas Dinner Menu

Robyn Stone

on Dec 18, 2017, Updated Dec 20, 2023

17 Comments

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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!

Christmas Dinner Menu graphic.

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 Ahead Christmas Dinner Menu

Make Ahead Christmas Appetizers

Spinach Artichoke Dip being dipped onto a chip.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Make without baking up to a week in advance. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.
Bake and serve warm.

Photo of spinach artichoke dip on a slice of toasted baguette.

Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe

5 from 8 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!
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Chicken cheese ball on a silver platter with crackers.

Chicken Cheese Ball

Assemble up to four days in advance. Wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator.
Allow to reach room temperature for serving.

Chicken Cheese Ball Recipe

5 from 12 votes
Chicken Cheese Ball makes an easy, elegant dish when entertaining. This family favorite chicken cheese ball recipe can be made up to three days ahead.
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 Make Ahead Christmas Dinner

I have included a few options for the main dish for Christmas Dinner so you can select the one that fits your plans the best.

Prime rib with salad and potatoes on a white plate.

 Perfect Prime Rib

(served with Horseradish Sauce)

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 27 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!
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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! // addapinch.com

Horseradish Sauce Recipe

4.67 from 3 votes
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! 
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Photograph of golden brown roasted turkey served on a white platter with fresh herbs.

Easy Roast Turkey Recipe

5 from 5 votes
This Easy Roast Turkey recipe makes a juicy, delicious, and beautiful roast turkey! With a step-by-step plan for a no-stress, perfect turkey!
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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.

Cola Glazed Ham Recipe - This classic cola glazed ham recipe with brown sugar makes an easy baked ham perfect for any occasion!  // addapinch.com

Best Baked Ham Recipe

5 from 1 vote
The BEST Ham Recipe with variations for copycat Honey Baked Ham recipe or an easy cola glazed ham! Easy and delicious!
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Cook the ham up to 3 days in advance. Wrap tightly and store in the fridge. Reheat or serve cold.

Twice baked potatoes topped with herbs and bacon.

Twice Baked Potatoes

Assemble your twice-baked potatoes without baking the second time the day before you plan to serve.

Twice baked potatoes on a white plate.

Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe

5 from 3 votes
The BEST Twice Baked Potato recipe! This recipe is loaded with creamy, cheesy, buttery flavor and makes the perfect side dish for any meal.
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Apple Pear Salad Recipe in a large wooden salad bowl.

Apple Pear Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Toast the pecans up to a few days in advance, but assemble the salad right before serving.

Apple Pear Salad Recipe - This Apple Pear Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette makes a delicious salad anytime of year, but especially throughout the holidays. // addapinch.com

Apple Pear Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

5 from 3 votes
This Apple Pear Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette makes a delicious salad anytime of year, but especially throughout the holidays.
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Make Ahead Christmas Desserts

Slice of Peppermint Chocolate Cake on a white dessert plate.

Peppermint Chocolate Cake

Make up to two days in advance.

Peppermint Chocolate Cake Recipe

4.91 from 10 votes
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!
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Cinnamon rolls topped with homemade cream cheese frosting.

Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

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!

Photograph of cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting on a white plate with the inside with gooey cinnamon roll filling showing.

Cinnamon Roll Recipe

4.92 from 132 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.
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Coconut cream pie with toasted coconut flake.

Coconut Cream Pie

Make up to a day or two in advance.

Coconut Cream Pie Recipe

4.99 from 186 votes
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!
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Gingerbread cookie on a white surface.

Make your cookie dough well in advance and store it in the refrigerator or freezer.
Bake the day before or the day of serving.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

photograph of chocolate chip cookie on a white plate on a dark background.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

5 from 20 votes
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!
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Chewy Sugar Cookie Recipe

Photo of a stack of three sugar cookies on a dark background.

The BEST Chewy Sugar Cookies Recipe!

4.90 from 371 votes
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!
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Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe

Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe - This sugar cookie recipe is an heirloom family recipe used for generations. A simple sugar cookie recipe that makes perfect roll out sugar cookies that are perfect for decorating. // addapinch.com

Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe

5 from 9 votes
This sugar cookie recipe makes the BEST Cut Out Sugar Cookies and is great for decorating! Delicious rolled sugar cookie dough is perfect for using your favorite cookie cutters!
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Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

Image of decorated gingerbread cookies with assorted decorations.

Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

5 from 10 votes
Gingerbread Cookies are a favorite Christmas cookie and this makes the best gingerbread cookie recipe! Fun to make and delicious to eat!
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Snickerdoodle Recipe

Closeup photo of snickerdoodle with a bite out to show the soft texture.

Snickerdoodles Recipe

5 from 4 votes
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! 
View Recipe

How to Save Your Own Favorite Recipes

We have created a Recipe Collections Tutorial as a guide. It is so easy to save your favorites, but this guide makes it even easier.

Create an Account and Save Recipes

Simply create an account and Save your favorite recipes!

Save and Customize Weekly Meal Plan

Once you have created your free account, you can save this meal plan to your personal recipe collection. If there is something else you’d rather have one night, swap out the recipes with your favorites!

Shopping Lists

Once you have your meal plan how you like it, you can create your Shopping List by clicking on the shopping cart in the top right corner. Make sure each recipe you plan to make for the week has a check beside it, and then click the shopping cart in the top right corner a second time to generate the Shopping List. Now, you can edit, save, share, print, and regenerate your Shopping List. How neat is that?

If you have any questions, please let us know so we can help you!

Wishing your family the merriest of Christmases!
Robyn xo

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About Robyn

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.

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17 Comments

  1. Martha Mendenhall says:

    These all look so delicious! Will you come cook my Christmas Dinner in NC😂😂I love all of your recipes and looking forward to trying many more of them. Thank you so much for sharing your talent and Merry Christmas!!

    Reply
    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Merry Christmas to you, Martha! I hope you enjoy these recipes.

  2. Maria says:

    Everything looks so lovely, spoilt for choice

    Reply
    1. Robyn Stone says:

      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.

  3. Stephanie says:

    Where do I find the recipes?
    Looks delicious!

    Reply
    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Stephanie, click on the blue underlined title for each recipe and it will take you to that particular recipe. Hope you enjoy these recipes.

  4. Linda Hicks says:

    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

    Reply
  5. Jan Hanlon says:

    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

    Reply
    1. Robyn Stone says:

      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

  6. Diana says:

    Thank you very much. I did find it and will make it for Christmas. Thanks again

    Reply
  7. Diana says:

    Would love to have your recipe for prime rib and potatoes.

    Reply
    1. Robyn Stone says:

      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

  8. FRANK says:

    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

    Reply
    1. Robyn Stone says:

      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!

  9. Heather C says:

    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

    Reply
  10. Winnie says:

    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.

    Reply
    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Merry Christmas to you, Winnie!