Christmas morning is such a whirlwind. Between opening presents from Santa, attending church services, and preparing for the big Christmas dinner, it’s easy to overlook one thing: lunch.
Your family still needs to eat lunch on Christmas Day, especially if all they’ve had is candy from their stockings. We know: You want to save room for the gorgeous Christmas feast you’re going to eat that night.
But the last thing Mama needs is a bunch of hangry family members showing up for dinner. To hold the family over and keep you sane, we pulled together some of our favourite ideas for Christmas lunch.
These festive recipes are either super quick or make-ahead to help you out after a hectic morning and before the day’s main culinary event at dinner. With these Christmas lunch recipes, you won’t miss a second of the holiday with your family. If you’re planning to have a Christmas lunch with your family or friends, dig this.
Cuban Sliders
These wonderful little rolls are baked until lightly toasted and the cheese melts. The leftover King’s Hawaiian ham sliders keep really well in the fridge, and they make a lovely cold snack.
Nutty Broccoli Slaw
My daughter gave me the recipe for this delightful salad. The sweet dressing nicely coats a crisp blend of broccoli slaw mix, onions, almonds and sunflower kernels. Crushed ramen noodles provide even more crunch. It’s a smash hit wherever I take it.
Merry Berry Salad
Dried cranberries, crunchy apple chunks and toasted almonds dress up this crisp green salad. It’s drizzled with a sweet-tart dressing that’s a snap to blend.
Guacamole Tossed Salad
The fresh blend of avocados, tomatoes, red onion and greens in my salad gets additional pizazz from crumbled bacon and a slightly spicy vinaigrette.
Fresh Fruit Bowl
The glorious colours of the fruit make this a festive salad. Slightly sweet and chilled, it makes a nice accompaniment to a grilled entree.
Tasty-Italian Vegetable Soup
Here’s a dish that will warm you up fast. It takes just 25 minutes until you can sit down and start sipping on this soup.
Mint-Cucumber Tomato Sandwiches
I jazzed up the quintessential tea time cucumber sandwich to suit my family’s tastes. This was my absolute go-to sandwich last summer when I was pregnant. It hit all the right spots!
White Cheddar Mac & Cheese
My mac and cheese is simple and has lots of flavour from the cheeses and ground chipotle chile. I use conchiglie pasta because its shape allows more melted cheese to pool inside. Yum!
Broccoli-Pasta Side Dish
I love to fix new recipes for my husband, Robert, and our children. With garlic and cheese, this broccoli pasta is a tasty way to get kids to eat their veggies.
Spicy Sausage Soup with Tortellini
This soup is such a family treasure, both my daughters asked for the recipe when they moved out on their own. I cook the tortellini separately, but you can let it plump up in the soup broth, too.
Mushroom & Onion Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
We took grilled cheese up a notch with baby portobello mushrooms, bacon and cheddar. For weeknight comfort food, it’s good to the last crumb.
Quick Crab Melts
Two types of cheese on top of a savoury crab mixture make these open-faced sandwiches ooey-gooey good! I usually serve them for dinner, but they also make a great app when cut in half.
Stuffed Pepper Soup
Some of the cooks at the restaurant where I work were talking about stuffed pepper soup. We decided to stir up similar ingredients for a stuffed pepper soup recipe. Customer response was overwhelming!
Chili Mac Casserole
This cheesy casserole uses several of my family’s favourite ingredients, including macaroni, kidney beans, tomatoes and cheese. Just add a leafy salad for a complete meal.
Linguine with Fresh Tomatoes
This garlic and basil linguine is a perfect way to use up your late-summer tomato harvest. It makes a great light supper when paired with a salad, or you can make it heartier with some chopped chicken.
Chicken Sausage & Gnocchi Skillet
I had a bunch of fresh veggies and combined them with sausage, gnocchi and goat cheese when I needed a quick dinner. Mix and match your own ingredients for unique results.
White Turkey Chili
Here’s proof that chilli doesn’t have to be red. I combined several recipes and changed flavours until the recipe was just right. Trust me, this one is a keeper.