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Once upon a Christmas, my Aunt proposed to the family that we have “something new” for dinner. The entire family was a bit hesitant about stepping outside of the usual Christmas dinner, which is comprised of most of the same dishes eaten at Thanksgiving with a ham thrown in there to give it a bit of razzle dazzle. However, we all welcomed the idea of a dinner alternative for Christmas because why not? To our surprise, we walked into a full spread of assorted taco ingredients and a variety pack of chips. My Aunt declared with Christmas joy, “We’re having WALKING TACOS!”
I stared at my brother and looked across the room to the utter disappointment on all of my family members faces. What in the walking taco is going on? We ate them and I was pleasantly satisfied after the third or fourth bag of Doritos topped with grounded meat, lettuce, shredded cheese, tomatoes and salsa. Though I would have certainly enjoyed the usual Christmas (Thanksgiving again) dinner, something new wasn’t too bad.
Instead of having your usual dinner for the holidays this year, spice it up and introduce a new cuisine to the menu. There are many unconventional ways to celebrate the holidays from the decor we choose, the gifts we share and the meals we prepare. Try something new with these meal ideas for your holiday dinner this year.
1. Trending Oxtail Pull-Apart Garlic Buns
My, my, my… Discovered these oxtail pull-apart buns on Twitter where all things are discovered. Of course these are trending because just look at the material. Truthfully, anything with oxtails made right is a recipe for a grand dinner. This looks top tier and fortunately the chef (@devante340) shared his special recipe for free through a Google doc which you can find here.
2. Mom’s Layered Lasagna
A lasagna is a hearty meal that will feed the entire family. You can easily pair this dish with a side salad and garlic rolls to have a nice non-traditional holiday meal. This chef (@onepanpapi) shares a step-by-step visual guide to layering his mom’s yummy lasagna. Enjoy!
3. Breakfast For Dinner
This self-made chef whips up several breakfast/brunch recipes for the timeline. These chick “n” biscuits are perfect for the holidays. Follow @itsjcafe for other delicious breakfast and brunch ideas so you and the family can enjoy breakfast for dinner, because who doesn’t love that?
4. For Our Soul Food Lovin’ Vegans
This chef’s twist on her family collard greens recipe looks delightful and the perfect alternative for your holiday dinner. Stuffed collards with cajun rice, shiitake mushrooms, poached pears and sweet balsamic glaze. My mouth is watering too. Follow @shenarrigreens for more and try this innovative alternative for a soulful vegan experience.
5. A Creole Celebration
Try a crawfish stuffed salmon topped with even more crawfish from @flavoroffox. A seafood dinner for the holidays doesn’t sound bad at all. Pair this dish with a few of your favorite sides like broccolini and mashed potatoes and the family will be as stuffed as this salmon.
These are just a few of our favorite alternatives for holiday dinner to get your brain cells activated. The idea is to explore other dishes for a non-traditional holiday meal with family or you can stick to your boring dinner that is a repeat of Thanksgiving a few weeks ago. The choice is yours, but most importantly, have an intimate dinner amongst loved ones and remain safe this holiday season.
