We can certainly say that 2020 has been quite a year. The year has brought on many different challenges and changes to our typical daily lifestyle and routines. Yet, through all the unknown that 2020 may bring, we shouldn’t let change be seen as something disruptive! Maybe these changes can be seen as something that pushes us to try new things and venture out of our comfort zone. With the holiday season approaching in this unique year, it feels like a Christmas in 2020 has to be non-traditional in some way! It fits the theme perfectly. So here you have it! Some Christmas dinner ideas that are non-traditional and are wonderful complements to this unique time period!
Seafood Anyone?
One way to create the most unique Christmas experience could be through incorporating seafood on the dining table! Seafood is certainly not the most traditional entree when you think about some of the Christmas favorites like pork, turkey, or pot roast, but it is certainly always an entree that wows dinner guests and feels incredibly special! So why not? Seafood options are endless. You can do something simple like a jumbo shrimp inspired cocktail or crab cakes. You can also kick it up a notch and have your own delicious lobster feast with melted butter on the side for the most delicious entree for your Christmas dinner! Some seafood dinner ideas that you could try out include…
- Lobster risotto
- Lobster thermidor
- Seared Ahi Tuna
- Crab Cakes
- Sushi bar? (Totally not traditional but super yummy!)
Good Old-Fashioned American BBQ
Steak is often a very common dinner idea for many American households, yet when you think about the presence of steak at Christmas dinners, you begin to realize that it typically is overlooked in favor of pork, roast chicken or turkey, and even pot roasts. That makes it a great non-traditional alternative to serve at the Christmas dinner table. If you want to get fancy, you can even think about doing an entire barbecue feast with barbecue ribs or lamb chops as well! Check out some of these dinner ideas below…
- Lamb Chops
- Steak
- Pork Chops
- Short Ribs (braised, slow cooked, traditional)
Christmas Sides that are Pleasing to the Eye
In addition to worrying about the entrees, you can’t forget about the sides! The sides are so complementary and complete the dinner as a whole. No Christmas dinner will bode well if there are no delicious sides on the table as well. Here are some sides that you could consider either in conjunction with your traditional Christmas sides (or if you are feeling extra adventurous), in place of your traditional Christmas sides!
- Cast iron hasselback potatoes in place of mashed potatoes
- Cheesy lasagna or spaghetti bolognese in place of mac and cheese
- Mini carrot pot pies
- Piri Piri meatballs
- Sweet potato nachos (basically all your nachos fixing on sweet potatoes!)
- Cheesy Brussel sprouts
- Focaccia bread in place of dinner rolls
Well, there you have it! Not an exhaustive list, but an incredibly helpful guide when it comes to guiding your thought process about non-traditional Christmas dinner ideas. They are completely out there and are definitely not considered the most traditional items on the table, but I can assure you that this does not stop them from being incredibly delicious and making your Christmas just as unique as the year itself has been!
