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  1. Home
  2. Holidays and Occasions
  3. Your Ultimate Christmas Recipe Guide
  4. 10+ Cozy Christmas Eve Dinner Ideas

10+ Cozy Christmas Eve Dinner Ideas

Updated September 14, 2022
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Rosemary Chicken Thighs and Vegetables
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house all the family creatures are stirring—and they're hungry. Feeding your family a holiday feast on Christmas Eve doesn't have to be hard. Our favorite Christmas Eve dinner recipes are as easy as they are show-stopping.  From holiday hams (try this Slow-Cooker Spiral Ham) to low-key casseroles (like this Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole), your Christmas Eve dinner just got a lot easier. 

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Slow-Cooker Spiral Ham

mr-Slow-Cooker Spiral Ham Image
Credit: Liz Mervosh

Slow-Cooker Spiral Ham Recipe

This feast-worthy spiral-cut ham couldn't be easier to make. And if you're sick of overly sweet sauces, you're in luck—this one incorporates your ham drippings to create a flavor that's savory, sweet, and salty. If your ham doesn't fit in the slow cooker, you can trim off the top edge until it does. Then just toss those trimmings down in the slow cooker. You'll need a turkey baster to evenly distribute those juices, so don't settle for a spoon.

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Crock Pot Easy Pot Roast

MR_051019_PotRoast191.jpg
Credit: Jen Causey; Food Styling: Tori Cox and Gordon Sawyer; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Crock Pot Easy Pot Roast Recipe

Crock Pots are the perfect solution to (controlled) holiday chaos.  Just throw the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning, and by dinnertime you'll have a meal that the whole family will love. Bonus?  If you've got afternoon or evening Christmas Eve plans, you won't even have to be home to cook.  

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Instant Pot Eye of Round Roast Beef

Instant Pot Eye-of-Round Roast Beef image
Credit: Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners

Instant Pot Eye of Round Roast Beef Recipe

Serve homemade roast beef on toasted baguettes for an elegantly simple Christmas Eve dinner.  Be sure to serve with the luscious jus for dipping. Salting the beef and allowing it to sit, uncovered, in the refrigerator (for at least one hour, but longer if you can) is key to achieving supreme flavor.  Prep your Instant Pot eye of round the day before, refrigerate overnight (this will help lock in those savory juices and make thinly slicing so much easier), slice it up, and then put it out with your warmed jus and all your favorite fixings for a build-your-own roast beef sandwich bar. 

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Classic Meat Loaf

mr-classic-meatloaf
Credit: Greg DuPreeFood Styling: Rishon HannersProp Styling: Thom Driver

Classic Meat Loaf Recipe

This is the iconic, classic meat loaf like your mom used to make (or that you wished your mom would make). Mix the ingredients gently, just until combined, and don't compact the meat when shaping the loaf for best results.  This recipe is wonderfully homey and comforting, making it the perfect option for a low-key Christmas Even.  Serve with steamed green beans and mashed potatoes.  

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Venison Chili

Venison Chili
Credit: Randy Mayor; Cindy Barr

Venison Chili Recipe

Once Christmas rolls around, many hunters have freezers stocked with venison from autumn hunting expeditions, making chili an excellent choice for a casual Christmas Eve. If venison is not available, substitute ground sirloin. Garnish with reduced-fat sour cream and/or reduced-fat shredded cheddar, if desired. You can make the chili a day ahead and refrigerate; reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

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Grilled Balsamic Skirt Steak

balsamic-skirt-steak-ck-x.jpg
Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

Grilled Balsamic Skirt Steak Recipe

This budget-friendly grilled skirt steak is quick and easy to make; plus, it can be grilled outdoors for a socially distanced Christmas Eve celebration, or indoors on a grill pan if it's just too cold to be outside. . Use balsamic vinegar to create a base for a fast and easy marinade made up of kitchen staples. For bolder flavor, marinate the steak for 24 hours.

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Everything Bagel Roasted Salmon

Everything Bagel Roasted Salmon image
Credit: Time Inc. Video Stuidos

Everything Bagel Roasted Salmon Recipe

Quick-cooking salmon is an excellent go-to for a wow-worthy Christmas Eve supper.  Everything bagel seasoning is an easy but unexpected way to add punch to salmon; the onion flavor is subtle, and the added crunch provides a nice textural contrast to the tender fish. Brushing on honey and mustard adds the perfect sweet and tangy kick.

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Seared Hanger Steak with Braised Greens and Grapes

Seared Hanger Steak with Braised Greens and Grapes
Credit: Cedric Angeles; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Seared Hanger Steak with Braised Greens and Grapes Recipe

This recipe calls for Swamp Pop Noble Cane Cola, but Dr Pepper has a similar spicy and moderately sweet flavor and will work fine. Collard greens have been an important part of the Southern cuisine for generations, and they are an integral part of this recipe. A cast iron skillet is ideal for grilling steaks, so be sure to keep yours in tip-top shape.

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Basic Grilled Flank Steak

mr- flank steak
Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Victoria Cox and Elise Mayfield; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen

Basic Grilled Flank Steak Recipe

An easy marinade gives this flank steak a robust flavor--yet the seasonings are subtle enough that leftovers work in a variety of applications. Embellish with a cilantro sprig garnish.

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Oven Baked Chicken Thighs with Vegetables

Rosemary Chicken Thighs and Vegetables
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs with Vegetables Recipe

This pretty skillet supper tastes (and smells) as good as it looks. Choose small chicken thighs, which tend to be juicier and more flavorful than large ones. Serve with plenty of crusty bread on the side for mopping up the pan sauce.

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Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

mr- Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole image
Credit: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Adam Hickman

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole Recipe

This creamy, crowd-pleasing casserole delivers generously on cheesy, savory flavor—but requires a fraction of the fuss of classic chicken cordon bleu. The key to this chicken cordon bleu casserole's incredible, bubbly richness is the stovetop cheese sauce made with Swiss and Gruyère.  (If you have trouble finding Gruyère, simply substitute the same amount of Swiss.) We call for shredded rotisserie chicken here, but rest assured—this is a great casserole recipe for using leftover cooked chicken.

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Rosemary-Orange Roast Turkey

rosemary-orange-roast-turkey-ck.jpg

Rosemary-Orange Roast Turkey Recipe

Give this bird a pretty finishing sheen by brushing on a savory-sweet marmalade glaze.If you don't like the slightly bitter flavor of marmalade, you can substitute currant jelly for tart, bright flavor.

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Classic Lasagna with Meat Sauce

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Classic Lasagna with Meat Sauce Recipe

This simple lasagna is perfect for when you're short on time, but craving a comforting meal. Ready in just over an hour, it requires only 50 minutes of cooking in the oven. Extra-lean ground beef (which sometimes cooks up dry) works well here because it's combined with marinara to keep it moist. For a quick and easy variation, feel free to use 9 whole lasagna noodles instead of 6 broken noodles, using 3 noodles per layer. You also can sub fresh basil leaves for the parsley sprinkled on at the end.   

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    1 of 13 Slow-Cooker Spiral Ham
    2 of 13 Crock Pot Easy Pot Roast
    3 of 13 Instant Pot Eye of Round Roast Beef
    4 of 13 Classic Meat Loaf
    5 of 13 Venison Chili
    6 of 13 Grilled Balsamic Skirt Steak
    7 of 13 Everything Bagel Roasted Salmon
    8 of 13 Seared Hanger Steak with Braised Greens and Grapes
    9 of 13 Basic Grilled Flank Steak
    10 of 13 Oven Baked Chicken Thighs with Vegetables
    11 of 13 Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
    12 of 13 Rosemary-Orange Roast Turkey
    13 of 13 Classic Lasagna with Meat Sauce

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