Try New Christmas Dinner Menus This Year

Throw out your old playbook for Christmas dinner menus. Whatever you've done in the past, whether it was the traditional turkey, roast beef, or ham, set it aside.

If you're new to hosting Christmas dinner this year, then you don't have anything to throw out. The key, though, is that if you were to ask around, you'll discover that most people tend to make the same thing for their Christmas dinner menu year in and year out.

Sure, Christmas only comes around once a year, but so does Thanksgiving, and it just so happens that Thanksgiving falls within a month of Christmas. They also happen to be the two holidays when families actually get together and share a nice day around a wonderful meal. Yet when the menu is the same every year, the entire holiday celebration can actually become quite stale.

The three main focal points of any Christmas dinner menu happen to be the three that were already mentioned. Turkey, ham, and roast beef. Some people prefer prime rib to roasts, but it's basically the same concept, which is red meat.

If you were a fly on a wall at any Christmas dinner, you would likely see a number of different variations on the same Christmas dinner menus. Turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, some vegetables, yams, cranberries, and a great deal of items that might seem to fit better on a Thanksgiving plate than a Christmas menu. But that's okay. The idea of tradition is that people build around the same things every year.

While modern, non-traditional families will find that there are many things different today than they used to be, just a few decades ago, when the divorce rate was lower, you likely had Christmas at the same place every year. That built up a tradition through the years that becomes difficult to break. The same holds true for those Christmas dinner menus.

The first step to new Christmas dinner food menus: toss out the old

Before you start looking for a new Christmas dinner food menu to serve, you must first commit to scrapping whatever you have developed as your personal favorite over the years. You don't want to start thinking about new Christmas dinner menus too soon, because you will inevitably only carry over what you already serve to your new meal, and that won't actually be a new menu.

Get rid of your old way of thinking. Get rid of the foods that you might prefer and when you are ready, then you can start to discover something totally fresh and inviting. If you normally serve turkey for your Christmas dinner, or even duck, then how about shifting to salmon or other seafood?

If you traditionally serve roast beef or other red meat, how about trying something with pork? Or even completely shift and try something of a different cultural background, such as Mexican or Chinese for this year's Christmas dinner.

No one ever said you had to stay traditional. In this day and age, it's trendy to buck the trend. Christmas dinner menus can join that category.

Something Spicy for the menu?

If you're in the mood to make this year's Christmas menu something that your guests will remember, you could try some Indian cuisine. Considered some of the spiciest foods in the world, Indian delicacies will surely make an impact on Christmas this year.

How about a traditional grill-out?

Many people miss the summer months by the time Christmas rolls around. Your grill may be packed away for the winter, but Christmas could be the right time to bring it back out. Grill some hot dogs and hamburgers, serve French fries, and how about some good old-fashioned coleslaw to go along with it? Now that would be a Christmas dinner to talk about!

Read More: More Christmas Dinner Ideas | Christmas Recipes and Food | Holiday Recipes and Food | Party Food and Recipes | Christmas Activities, Parties and Games | Other Christmas Ideas | Home Page | Site Search

Click here for more pages and articles on Christmas Recipes and Food.

	Get a health-promoting or eco-friendly gift for someone special. Thousands of choices available. $5 or $10 discount for new customers.

Some Related Christmas Recipes and Food Pages

Our Favorite Christmas Recipes - Delicious Yet Easy to Prepare Foods

Christmas Brunch Recipes - Simple Yet Delicious Foods to Prepare

Christmas Dinner Ideas and Recipes - Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dishes and Dessert

Try New Christmas Dinner Menus This Year

Ideas for Christmas Appetizers to Serve at Your Party

Christmas Party Appetizer Recipes - Delicious Finger Foods to Serve

Simple Christmas Punch Recipes - Drinks to Serve Your Party Guests

Christmas Dessert Recipes - Delicious Treats to Enjoy

Christmas Dessert Ideas - Suggestions and Recipes for Delicious Sweet Treats

Ideas for Easy Christmas Desserts You Can Make

Delicious Christmas Cookies Recipes - Sweet Treats for Everyone

Easy Kids' Christmas Cookies Recipes - Delicious Sweet Treats to Bake

Kids' Christmas Recipes - Foods to Prepare with the Children