Christmas trees, snow, and twinkling lights are beautiful, but let's face it; the best part about the holiday season is the food. From November through January, we are blessed with several holidays that center around a gigantic holiday meal. It can be overwhelming to serve up a crowd-pleasing Christmas dinner menu that everyone will love. If you're ditching the large gatherings for a more intimate holiday dinner, we've got you covered. You can still serve up delicious Christmas comfort food in a smaller package. Since there are only two enjoying the meal, it's the perfect opportunity to experiment with some unique Christmas dinner ideas.
13 Christmas Dinner Ideas for Two
1. Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops with Spinach
This meal is a unique twist on standard ham and potatoes. The pork chops are smothered in balsamic vinegar and brown sugar to create a tangy and sweet glaze. The spinach is garlicy and pairs perfectly with the pork!
Get the recipe here from Ask Chef Dennis
2. Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Soup is the perfect appetizer for a Christmas meal. It's like being enveloped in a warm cheesy hug. The instant pot gets your onions caramelized in only 1 hour, as opposed to making this an all-day affair.
Get the recipe here from Well Plated
3. Slow Cooker Red-Wine Braised Short Ribs
If you want a stunning main course for the centerpiece of your holiday table, look no further than these short ribs. The meat becomes fall off the bone tender after stewing in a slow cooker for 8-10 hours. You can make these a day ahead of time, as it tastes better the next day.
Get the recipe here from Recipe Tin Eats
4. Beef Wellington
This is the ultimate main dish, perfect for two. Instead of cooking an entire rib roast, you'll need one beef tenderloin. The beef is cooked with mushrooms, layered with prosciutto, then wrapped in crispy, buttery, puff pastry.
Get the recipe here from Jessica Gavin
5. Lasagna
Lasagna is a hearty classic to serve for Christmas dinner. If you're only serving two, you get the added benefit of leftovers. This recipe makes a hearty bolognese sauce for the filling and is covered with parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
Get the recipe here from Plays Well with Butter
6. Prime Rib
A prime rib is a decadent over-the-top dish, perfect for Christmas. You'll want to make sure you cook it just to medium-rare to get the best texture and flavor. The next day you can use the leftover meat for roast beef sandwiches with horseradish sauce.
Get the recipe here from 101 Cooking For Two
7. Honey Glazed Ham
A ham is a holiday staple, whether you're serving one or ten people. For this recipe, ham steak is used and topped with
Get the recipe here from Chocolate Moosey
8. Fennel Rubbed Pork Tenderloin
Fennel and pork loin is a classic Italian combination. The fennel bulbs provide a unique licorice flavor that enhances the pork.
Get the recipe here from Williams Sonoma
9. Roasted Turkey Breast With Sweet Potato and Cranberry
If you didn't get enough Thanksgiving food, you can recreate it on a small scale. Using a turkey breast instead of an entire bird makes this perfect for two people. Even better is everything cooks in one skillet.
Get the recipe here from Grits and Pinecones
10. Brussels Sprouts
You can't serve a Christmas dinner without a veggie side dish. To jazz up the spouts, this Christmas dinner idea adds fresh pomegranate seeds and pecans for crunch.
Get the recipe here from Dinner at the Zoo
11. Baked Brie
This recipe combines baked apples and brie for a sweet appetizer. The apples are baked with brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Cooking everything together creates candied pecans that pair perfectly with the mild brie and sweet apples.
Get the recipe here from Cupcakes and Kale Chips
12. Green Beans with Lemon Vinaigrette
This light side dish is a great Christmas dinner idea. The dressing combines lemon juice, lemon zest, and olive oil for a refreshing reprieve from the heavy holiday meats. It would make a great addition to a roast chicken or pork roast.
Get the recipe here from Cooking For My Soul
13. Eggnog Cookies
What is Christmas dinner without Christmas dessert?! If you're tired of gingerbread, try making eggnog Christmas cookies. These have eggnog in the batter and are topped with a cream cheese frosting.
Get the recipe here from Cooking Classy
Sarah Abrams is a writer living in Austin, Texas with her husband, 1-year old daughter and cat. She's loved cooking and trying local restaurants for as long as she can remember. She only got a Twitter account to stalk the burgeoning food truck scene in Los Angeles. She has every Ina Garten cookbook and is slowly working her way through those the recipes. When she isn't cooking or eating, she loves hiking around the city and being with her family.
