30 Easy Christmas Lunch Ideas to Tide Everyone Over Until Dinner
Fuel your crew for a fun-filled holiday afternoon!
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Christmas Day brings so much excitement! You'll probably spend the highly anticipated holiday opening gifts, attending a church service, and possibly getting a head start on your Christmas dinner preparations. With all the festive fun that the big day offers, it's so easy to forget about lunch—especially if your family tends to kick off the celebrations with a Christmas breakfast. But lunch doesn't have to be out of the question! And, in fact, it shouldn't. An easy, nourishing afternoon meal is the perfect way to fuel up for a day of baking Christmas cookies, watching holiday movies, and partaking in all your other favorite
holiday traditions.
Whether it's hearty sandwiches, winter soups, seasonal salads, or comforting casseroles, this compilation of Christmas lunch ideas has every type of holiday-inspired cuisine that'll keep your family feeling festive and satisfied throughout the afternoon. Most of these easy lunch recipes are quick to whip up, so you'll have ample time to finish prepping your holiday pies. Think: ham sliders, slow-cooker potato soup, and spinach quiche that you can pop into the microwave or oven to reheat. To go the extra mile, you can always prepare a sit-down meal, served family-style, featuring pretty platters with all your favorite dishes. If a full course isn't your thing, though, opt for bite-sized Christmas snacks or Christmas appetizers that your crew can graze on all day. No matter which path you choose, these easy Christmas lunch ideas will set everyone up for a celebratory afternoon while tiding the whole gang over until dinner.
More festive Christmas recipes:
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
If you want all the cozy comfort of chicken pot pie without the effort, try this soup variation for your Christmas lunch. This recipe takes just 35 minutes to throw together, and you can prepare it up to three days in advance! Serve it with flaky biscuits for a heavenly holiday meal.
Get Ree's Chicken Pot Pie Soup recipe.
Crustless Quiche
If Christmas pie is on the menu later, save the doughy, buttery crust for your holiday dessert spread and give your afternoon quiche a crustless spin. Although this Christmas lunch idea is made without a crust, it's filled with sausage, hash browns, veggies, and cheese that make it taste utterly divine.
Get the Crustless Quiche recipe.
Christmas Breakfast Casserole
Ham, cheese, and croissants—this casserole dish truly has it all! There's also a reason why this breakfast dish is a Christmas staple: The red and green bell peppers give it a festive pop of color! To make the day-of assembly a breeze, you can also check off most of these steps ahead of the holiday.
Get Ree's Christmas Breakfast Casserole recipe.
Harvest Bowl
Just like any bowl at your favorite fast-casual spot, these salads are completely customizable. To go the official harvest route, start with leafy greens and wild rice. Then, add toasted almonds, diced apples, creamy goat cheese, any roasted veggies you have lying around, and other preferred mix-ins.
Get the Harvest Bowl recipe.
Chicken Schnitzel
Fried chicken is always a good idea, but making this crispy entrée can be time-consuming and cumbersome. If you're hoping for a more efficient option that tastes just as finger-licking good, try chicken schnitzel for your Christmas lunch. Thin cutlets cook in no time and pair well with any side dish you see fit.
Get Ree's Chicken Schnitzel recipe.
Chicken BLT with Pimento Cheese
Anyone who's a fan of pimento cheese will appreciate this fun and tasty sandwich. Even the grilled chicken is marinated in a mixture of the pimiento liquid and adobo sauce.
Get Ree's Chicken BLT with Pimento Cheese recipe.
Waldorf Salad
This classic apple-based salad is always a hit. It's crunchy, creamy, refreshing, and incredibly easy to make. You can even serve it up in lettuce cups to give it an elegant presentation for the holidays.
Get the Waldorf Salad recipe.
Olive Cheese Bread
This bread is simple yet scrumptious! And it's the perfect thing to serve up with a bowl of soup, a crisp salad, or even a bigger holiday lunch.
Get Ree's Olive Cheese Bread recipe.
Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
Save time in the kitchen with this easy casserole that uses canned refrigerated biscuits! Don't worry, there's still plenty of that creamy homemade sausage gravy on top.
Get the Biscuits and Gravy Casserole recipe.
Croque Monsieur
Think of this French sandwich like an amped-up grilled cheese. It's layered with slices of ham and topped with a creamy béchamel sauce that's oh so cozy.
Get the Croque Monsieur recipe.
Chicken Tortellini Soup
Whether or not it's a white Christmas, you'll want to keep warm on the chilly December day with this hearty chicken soup. It swaps out your typical noodles for cheese-stuffed tortellini instead.
Get the Chicken Tortellini Soup recipe.
Spinach Quiche
This show-stopping quiche is packed with green spinach and red bell peppers for a festive addition to your holiday table. But you can always use store-bought pie dough if you want to keep it easy.
Get the Spinach Quiche recipe.
Ham Casserole
This hearty rice-based casserole is loaded with holiday flavors like diced ham and fresh thyme. But it also has that incredibly addicting crunch from the crumbled Ritz crackers.
Get the Ham Casserole recipe.
Split Pea Soup with Ham
This soup is both comforting and satisfying for a chilly December day. You can serve it up with a hunk of crusty bread for dipping or pair it with a salad for something lighter and fresher.
Get the Split Pea Soup with Ham recipe.
Stromboli
Think of this recipe like a rolled up pizza that's easy to share! It has the sauce, cheese, and sliced meats that everyone will love.
Get the Stromboli recipe.
Perfect Potato Soup
Ree has worked long and hard to perfect this recipe for potato soup. She admits that she's a bit picky about getting it just right, so you know this version is going to be good.
Get Ree's Perfect Potato Soup recipe.
Chicken Noodle Soup Casserole
We don't know what's better: the creamy noodles or the buttery cracker topping. Either way, this dish is a family favorite for a reason.
Get the Chicken Noodle Soup Casserole recipe.
Reuben Sandwich
A classic Reuben combines corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing on rye bread. It’s cooked on a griddle so the cheese gets nice and melty.
Get Ree's Reuben Sandwich recipe.
Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
Refreshing, light, and crunchy—this salad will change any notions you may have had previously about Brussels sprouts! When shaved into a slaw-like salad and tossed with sweet cranberries and toasted almonds, it's a seasonal delight.
Get the Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad recipe.
Ham Sandwiches with Arugula and Pesto
If a glazed ham was on your Christmas Eve dinner menu, you might want to consider using any leftovers to make these quick ham sandwiches! Of course, you can also use honey ham from the deli, too.
Get Ree's Ham Sandwiches with Arugula and Pesto recipe.
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