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This Make-Ahead Christmas Dinner Menu is a much-loved collection of easy, delicious holiday recipe favorites, including appetizers, main and side dishes, desserts, and more. With included make-ahead, storage, and serving tips, you can easily prepare these tasty recipes ahead of time for a stress-free Christmas dinner everyone will love!
I love hosting Christmas dinner for my family. Preparing much of it ahead of time with this Make Ahead Christmas Dinner Menu makes it much easier for me to enjoy spending the most time with all of my family and friends. It’s such a stress-free way to make our Christmas dinner!
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 Appetizer Recipes
Spinach Artichoke Dip
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!
Easy Apple Dip Recipe – Sweet, creamy Apple Dip is easy and delicious for parties and snacks! Ready in minutes from just a few ingredients, it's an addictive dip for apples, pretzels, and more!
I have included a few main-dish options for Christmas Dinner so you can choose the one your family likes best.
Perfect Prime Rib served with Horseradish Sauce
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!
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!
The ultimate RoastTurkey recipe—easy, juicy, no brine or basting! Slather with butter and roast to crispy golden perfection. With a step-by-step guide for no-stress prep, perfect oven timing, and beginner tips, it's easy to make ahead and perfect for holidays or family dinners. Make your juiciest turkey yet!
This decadent Peppermint Chocolate Cake combines all-time favorite Best Chocolate Cake Ever, peppermint buttercream, and peppermint bark for a festive cake perfect for the holidays!
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 Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe delivers crisp edges, chewy, soft centers, and rich chocolate flavor in every bite. Made with simple ingredients, these extraordinary cookies are so delicious that you'll make them often for so many occasions.
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!
This Gingerbread Cookies recipe is a delicious Christmas favorite! They are fun to decorate and have a soft, chewy bite with a crisp edge and perfectly spiced flavor!
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!
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 the way 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 has a check mark beside it, 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!
Wishing your family a very Merry Christmas! Robyn xo
Robyn Stone is a passionate home cook, baker, food photographer, and cookbook author. As the creator of Add a Pinch, she has been sharing cherished family recipes and practical cooking tips since 2010, inspiring home cooks to create delicious meals with ease. A devoted wife and mom, Robyn’s warm, approachable style has cultivated a loyal community of food enthusiasts. Her culinary expertise has been showcased on Food Network, Southern Living, Southern Lady, People Magazine, Hallmark Channel, and more.
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!!
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.
Stephanie, click on the blue underlined title for each recipe and it will take you to that particular recipe. Hope you enjoy these recipes.
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
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
Thank you very much. I did find it and will make it for Christmas. Thanks again
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
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!
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
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.
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!!
Merry Christmas to you, Martha! I 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.
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.
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
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
Thank you very much. I did find it and will make it for Christmas. Thanks again
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
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!
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
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!