Christmas Multi-Course Menu (Serves 4): Calm Timeline, Beginner-Friendly Recipes & Dinner Flow

Christmas Eve is not a night for improvisation. It’s not the moment to stand by the stove until the last minute, but a time when the kitchen and the table move in sync. This multi-course Christmas menu is designed to guide you calmly through the evening, without rushing or stress. Most of the work is done in advance, leaving only the final touches for Christmas night.

Christmas multi-course menu

•  Dinner flow (serving cues)
•  Welcome bite – Crostini
•  Starter – Creamy mushroom soup
•  Intermediate – Butter-seared white fish
•  Main – Pork tenderloin with apples
•  Side – Potato gratin
•  Side – Braised red cabbage
•  Refresh – Arugula salad
•  Dessert – Chocolate tart
•  Cooking timeline
•  Shopping list
• ❓ FAQ

Dinner flow (serving cues)

• 10–15 minutes before guests arrive: set water/wine on the table, napkins, serving boards. Assemble the crostini at the very end so they stay crisp.
• Warm plates (simple but powerful): warm soup bowls and fish plates (oven 60–80 °C, or hot tap water then dry). Warm plates keep elegant portions truly warm.
• Pause between courses: aim for 8–12 minutes. Enough to breathe, not so long that things go cold.
• Serving rhythm:
  • Crostini: 5–10 minutes (standing, casual start).
  • Soup: smaller portion, keep it light.
  • Fish: small plate, warm dish, quick cook.
  • Main: slice pork only after resting (5–8 minutes).
  • Salad: right before dessert, to “reset” the palate.
  • Dessert: take tart out 10–15 minutes before slicing.

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Welcome bite

Crostini with cream cheese, smoked salmon and capers

Time: 15 min  •  Difficulty: easy

Tip: toast the bread earlier, assemble right before serving.

Ingredients (serves 4, about 10–12 pieces)

• 1 small baguette
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 150 g cream cheese
• 120 g smoked salmon
• 1–2 tbsp capers (drained)
• freshly ground black pepper
• optional: a few drops of lemon juice or chopped chives

Method

1. Slice: cut baguette into 1–1.5 cm slices.
2. Toast: place on a tray, brush lightly with olive oil and toast 6–8 minutes at 200 °C (or pan-toast 1–2 minutes per side) until golden.
3. Cool: let the toast cool 5 minutes so it stays crisp.
4. Spread: loosen cream cheese with a fork and spread a thin layer on each slice.
5. Top: tear or slice salmon and place on top.
6. Finish: add capers and black pepper. Optional lemon/chives.

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Starter

Creamy mushroom soup with a drop of truffle oil

Time: 30 min  •  Difficulty: easy

Tip: add truffle oil in the bowl, not in the pot (heat kills the aroma).

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 400 g mushrooms (button, cremini, or a mix)
• 1 medium onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 l stock (vegetable or chicken)
• 150 ml heavy cream
• salt, black pepper
• truffle oil (a few drops)

Method

1. Prep: chop onion, mince garlic, slice mushrooms. Wipe mushrooms clean rather than rinsing if possible.
2. Start the base: heat butter + oil in a pot. Add onion and cook 4–5 minutes until soft and translucent (not browned).
3. Garlic: add garlic and stir 20–30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Mushrooms: add mushrooms. Cook 6–8 minutes, stirring, until most liquid evaporates and mushrooms start to brown slightly (this builds flavour).
5. Simmer: pour in stock, bring to a gentle boil, then simmer 10–12 minutes.
6. Blend: take off the heat and blend until smooth (or partially smooth for texture).
7. Finish: stir in cream and warm gently (don’t boil hard). Season with salt and pepper.
8. Serve: add 2–4 drops of truffle oil per bowl right before serving.

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Intermediate course

Butter-seared white fish with carrot purée

Time: 30 min  •  Difficulty: easy-medium

Tip: pat the fish dry before cooking. Dry fish browns, wet fish steams.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 white fish fillets (120–150 g each)
• 40 g butter (for cooking)
• salt, pepper
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Carrot purée

• 500 g carrots
• 150 g potato
• 30 g butter
• 50–80 ml milk or cream (as needed)
• salt

Method

1. Boil the veg: peel and chop carrots + potato into similar-sized chunks. Boil in lightly salted water 12–15 minutes until very soft.
2. Drain well: drain, then let the pot sit 1 minute so steam escapes (this prevents watery purée).
3. Blend: add butter and blend. Add milk/cream gradually until smooth and creamy. Season with salt.
4. Prep fish: pat fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
5. Sear: melt butter in a pan over medium heat. When it foams, add fish. Cook 2–3 minutes.
6. Flip: turn carefully, cook 1.5–2.5 minutes (depending on thickness).
7. Baste: spoon the foaming butter over the fish a few times to keep it juicy.
8. Finish: turn off heat, add lemon juice, let fish rest 30 seconds in the warm pan.
9. Serve: spoon purée onto warm plates, add fish, drizzle with pan butter.

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Main course

Roasted pork tenderloin with apples and pan sauce

Time: 40 min  •  Difficulty: medium

Tip: resting is non-negotiable. Slice immediately and you lose the juices.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 pork tenderloins (700–800 g total)
• salt, pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 30 g butter
• 2 large apples
• 1 small red onion or 2 shallots
• 100 ml white wine or stock
• thyme or rosemary
• optional: 1 tsp mustard

Method

1. Preheat: heat oven to 190 °C. Prepare a baking dish.
2. Season: pat pork dry. Trim any “silver skin” if you see it. Season generously with salt and pepper.
3. Sear: heat oil + butter in a pan. Brown pork on all sides (5–7 minutes total). You’re building flavour, not cooking it through.
4. Prep apples/onion: cut apples into wedges, slice onion/shallots.
5. Assemble: place pork in baking dish, scatter apples + onion around, add herbs.
6. Deglaze: pour wine/stock into the hot pan and scrape up browned bits. Pour into the baking dish. Stir in mustard if using.
7. Roast: bake 18–22 minutes (shorter for thinner tenderloin, longer for thicker).
8. Rest: remove pork, cover loosely with foil and rest 5–8 minutes.
9. Slice & serve: slice into thick pieces, spoon apples and pan sauce over the top.

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Side dish

Potato gratin with cream and thyme

Time: 15 min prep + 45–50 min bake  •  Difficulty: easy

Tip: thin slices are everything. Thick slices = undercooked gratin.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 800 g potatoes
• 250 ml heavy cream
• 1 garlic clove
• 30 g butter
• salt, pepper
• 1 tsp thyme
• optional: 30 g Parmesan

Method

1. Preheat: oven to 180 °C.
2. Slice: peel and slice potatoes 2–3 mm thick.
3. Dish: butter the baking dish well and rub the base with cut garlic.
4. Layer: layer potatoes, seasoning each layer lightly with salt, pepper and thyme.
5. Pour: add cream until potatoes are almost covered. Add a few butter pieces on top and Parmesan if using.
6. Bake: cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15–20 minutes until golden.
7. Rest: let stand 10 minutes before slicing so it sets.

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Side dish

Braised red cabbage with apples

Time: 40 min  •  Difficulty: easy

Tip: if it starts sticking, add a splash of water. Don’t let it burn.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 700 g red cabbage (about 1/2 head)
• 1 small onion
• 1 apple
• 1 tbsp oil (or fat)
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar or honey
• 100 ml water or apple juice
• salt, pepper

Method

1. Prep: slice cabbage thinly. Chop onion. Grate or thinly slice apple.
2. Soften onion: heat oil in a pot, cook onion 3–4 minutes until soft.
3. Add cabbage: add cabbage + a pinch of salt. Cook 5–6 minutes, stirring, until it starts to soften.
4. Add apple: stir in apple.
5. Balance: add sugar/honey, then vinegar and water/apple juice.
6. Braise: cover and simmer on low heat 25–30 minutes, stirring every 5–7 minutes. Add a splash of water if it dries out.
7. Finish: season with salt and pepper. Adjust balance: if too sharp, add a pinch of sugar; if too sweet, add 1 tsp vinegar.

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Refreshing course

Arugula salad with pear and Parmesan

Time: 10 min  •  Difficulty: easy

Tip: dry the arugula well. Wet salad collapses and tastes flat.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 80 g arugula
• 1 large ripe pear
• 40 g Parmesan shavings
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice or mild vinegar
• salt, pepper

Method

1. Wash & dry: wash arugula and dry it thoroughly (salad spinner or paper towels).
2. Slice pear: slice thinly. Toss with a little lemon if you want to prevent browning.
3. Toss: place arugula + pear in a bowl, add a pinch of salt.
4. Dress: drizzle with olive oil + lemon/vinegar and toss gently (don’t crush the leaves).
5. Finish: add Parmesan and black pepper right before serving.

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Dessert

Chocolate tart with smooth ganache

Time: 30 min + chilling  •  Difficulty: medium

Tip: ganache hates whisking. Stir calmly from the center outward.

Ingredients (24 cm tart, serves 4 generously)

• 200 g cookies
• 100 g butter, melted
• 200 g dark chocolate (70%)
• 200 ml heavy cream
• optional: 1 tbsp butter (for shine)

Method

1. Crust: crush cookies into fine crumbs. Mix with melted butter until it looks like wet sand.
2. Press: press firmly into the tart tin (base and slightly up the sides). Press hard so it doesn’t crumble later.
3. Chill: refrigerate 20–30 minutes.
4. Ganache: chop chocolate into a bowl. Heat cream until steaming (small bubbles at the edge, not a rolling boil).
5. Combine: pour hot cream over chocolate. Wait 1 minute, then stir slowly from the center until smooth.
6. Finish: stir in butter if using. Pour ganache onto the crust and level gently.
7. Set: chill at least 2 hours (4 is better). Rest at room temperature 10–15 minutes before slicing.

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Cooking timeline

Day before (highly recommended)

• Soup: cook completely (without truffle oil).
• Red cabbage: braise completely (it tastes even better the next day).
• Tart: make and chill until fully set.

Christmas Day (realistic plan)

• Morning/early afternoon: bake gratin to about 80–90% (finish the last 10–15 minutes before serving).
• 1–1.5 hours before dinner: gently reheat soup and cabbage.
• Right before the first course: assemble crostini.
• Intermediate course: cook fish right before serving (it’s fast).
• Main: roast pork, rest 5–8 minutes, then slice. Crisp up gratin.
• Salad: toss right before serving.
• Dessert: take tart out 10–15 minutes before slicing.

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Shopping list (serves 4)

Meat & fish

• 2 pork tenderloins (700–800 g total)
• 4 white fish fillets (120–150 g each)
• 120 g smoked salmon

Dairy

• cream cheese (150 g)
• heavy cream (at least 600 ml total)
• butter (at least 200 g total)
• Parmesan (40 g)

Produce

• mushrooms (400 g)
• potatoes (about 1 kg)
• carrots (500 g)
• red cabbage (about 700 g)
• apples (3–4, depending on size)
• pear (1 large)
• arugula (80 g)
• onion, garlic

Other

• baguette
• dark chocolate (200 g)
• cookies (200 g)
• capers
• olive oil
• apple cider vinegar
• truffle oil
• salt, pepper, thyme

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❓ FAQ

Can I shorten the menu?

Yes. The easiest way is to skip the fish course or the salad and you’ll still have a festive, complete dinner.

What can I prep ahead?

Soup (without truffle oil), braised red cabbage, and the chocolate tart. Those three remove most of the stress.

No truffle oil?

No problem. Finish the soup with good olive oil and extra black pepper.

How long does the dinner take?

About 2.5 to 3 hours in a comfortable rhythm.

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A Christmas menu is not a competition. It’s about rhythm, warmth and giving each dish its moment. When most of the work is done in advance, the evening feels calm and connected. This is a menu that leaves room for people, not stress.