<p>For years, we cooked prime rib. As we age, we are getting less interested in eating meat. We don’t mind eating turkey for Thanksgiving so far. For xmas, we would like to give up prime rib if we can find a replacement. It doesn’t have to be vegetarian, just not so meaty.</p>
<p>Good question! My husband just turned vegan and I have no idea how to cook for that.
Complicated by the fact that I’m not interested in giving up cheese (ever) and really want meat to remain at least a small part of my diet. Our “tradition” is Christmas Crab. Kids are coming home this year too. I’m thinking we do the same as always and add extra sides! Any vegans out there have a good suggestion?</p>
<p>I’m sticking with the standards – turkey, stuffing, gravy, roasted asparagus, pecan pie.</p>
<p>We usually have rack of lamb because it’s my younger son’s favorite. Servings tend to be smaller. Sides will be whatever strikes my fancy and varies depending on who is there. The latest issue of Cooks Illustrated has a very good ovenroast butternut squash which I may make again. (roast in butter in hot oven top with toasted hazelnuts and a little lemon juice)</p>
<p>Cornish hens are pretty fancy and less meat. I stuff it with wild rice and mushrooms. </p>
<p>Or Beef Wellington. Still beef but a little fancier and you tend to eat less of it.</p>
<p>What about seafood like crab legs, shrimp, lobster tails?</p>
<p>Curiouser - As a vegetarian, I always appreciate extra sides. What about adding some soup to the menu?</p>
<p>We have a big crowd over for Brunch and then usually have ham at my BIL’s later on. After brunch, no one is usually very hungry so dinner is not a big deal.</p>
<p>We have a small group this year so H wants to do salmon (cedar planked) on the grill. I usually do asparagus with my salmon, but I fear I will be side tracked and will overcook so I have decided to make a spinach casserole instead. (frozen chopped spinach, artichokes, parm cheese, butter, onions and sour cream - yummy). I am also thinking about a wild rice soup with a splash of cognac!</p>
<p>Cornish hen with wild rice stuffing sounds great. I’ll have to research Beef Wellington.</p>
<p>We start out with oysters. Adding more sides sounds good, too. We do parsnips, brussel sprouts, spinach, salad with beets. Our pie for xmas is lemon meringue. we could add a pecan pie.</p>
<p>Is the spinach pie like souffl</p>
<p>Curiouser, it really depends on your husband’s taste. I know some vegetarians/vegans actually don’t like or don’t want to eat things that taste like meat and prefer sides. Personally, I am a vegetarian because I love animals, so it has nothing to do with taste. I actually really miss the taste of meat (I used to be a HUGE meat lover before I became vegetarian). So, for me, extra sides wouldn’t really do it. I love good-quality imitation meats (and tofu as well). My absolutely favorite are Gardein products (can be found in Whole Foods): [Gardein</a> | Delicious Meatless, Vegan & Vegetarian Food & Recipes](<a href=“http://gardein.com/]Gardein”>http://gardein.com/) I believe they have some vegan stuff, not just vegetarian.</p>
<p>We always have a glazed/spiral sliced ham with a few sides–green beans, carrots, cranberry applesauce, biscuits, etc.
More often than not, we have our Christmas dinner on a day other than Christmas.
We’re too busy eating junk–cookies, cake, chocolate, etc. on Christmas day.</p>
<p>For us, ham is for New Years eve. Biscuits sound good. Do you cook green beans diiferently for xmas?</p>
<p>Several years ago I convinced my immediate and extended family (only about 15-20ish of us who get together on Christmas Day) to agree to not do a repeat of the Thanksgiving dinner. Our Christmas is not a formal day (most go to church Christmas Eve and some are actually Jewish!) so we are all dressed comfy and ready for the three G’s - grazing, gifts, games! </p>
<p>So…we moved to a menu of a spread of appetizers - some hearty, some dippy. Some basic (pigs in a blanket!), some more involved - lettuce wraps with homemade Asian dipping sauces. Some are more on the healthy side, some are definitely not! Each family also shares a plate of their Christmas baked goods for dessert. It’s a big hit and great that we all just contribute a couple of things that work with the time we have available. We are a foodie family so this is not your typical chips and dip spread! </p>
<p>However, at my house we do have what has become the traditional Christmas Eve dinner of shrimp scampi. Got to be a habit and everyone likes it - just a little fru-fru but not too over the top when there is still lots of busyness going on!</p>
<p>My Italian wife and her family celebrate the feast of seven fishes. W don’t always make it to seven but we always do multiple seafood offerings. I will make lobster bisque. We will due stuffed flounder, a shrimp dish, linguini and clam sauce. A festive way to start off the celebration.</p>
<p>^I love seafood. That’d be my dream xmas dinner. Unfortunately, no one else in my family:(</p>
<p>We have always done the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. Best dinner of the year, but a lot of work. Then I’d turn around and do a big dinner (usually prime rib) on Christmas Day. I have decided this year that for Christmas Day, I’m going to do a brunch type meal. We always have a pretty casual day, so I think that fits better anyway. And the Christmas Eve dinner stays…that one is non-negotiable. 
I also like the idea of appetizers/grazing. Hmmm…need to think about that.</p>
<p>Christmas dinner - :eek: We will be landing at 8, so I have to think about packing something into the checked luggage!</p>
<p>We always have NY strip and baked potato for christmas day. My dad stands in the backyard and grills the steaks, in Michigan. But it’s just my parents, my younger sister and I, and my fiance. We used to have a big to-do on Christmas Eve and Christmas day but my mom got tired of it, so Christmas day is for immediate family and fleece grinchie pants only. </p>
<p>Normally for Christmas Eve we do a big giant thing with the whole family and we have chicken, ham, city chicken, mostaccioli, mashed potatoes, cheesey potatoes, golumpki, kielbasa and sauerkraut, chocolate chip cookies, buckeyes, frosted sugar cookies, chips & dip, etc on and on forever. I am not celebrating with my family this year and we are hosting FMIL instead, fiance is making some sort of sirloin roast and I think I’ll just do mashed potatoes and a simple salad. We were going to do turkey but I decided I wanted to keep it simple and not have any leftovers to binge on like I did after thanksgiving. :)</p>
<p>We are going to my FBIL’s house this Saturday for a Christmas celebration and having pizza and cupcakes. That’s a lot less meat! ;)</p>
<p>I “do” fish on Christmas Eve - lutefisk for the seniors and “regular” white fish for the rest who blanche at the thought of lutefisk and white potatoes and white gravy. For Christmas this year I’m doing a complete “do ahead” and far less complicated Christmas so brisket in ale and a root vegetable terrine/casserole, rolls etc. and a cheescake that I’m making this weekend and then popping into the fridge.</p>
<p>Filet Mignon roast.</p>