10 Must-Have Dishes for Your Christmas Feast

Christmas is a time for family, celebration, and most importantly, food. Here are 10 must-have dishes for your Christmas feast that will make your table shine and your taste buds dance.

Sochivo (Christmas Wheat Pudding)

The main dish of the Christmas table, Sochivo, also known as kutya, is a hearty porridge recipe that has been measured in centuries. Each ingredient has an important meaning. For example, grains (wheat, barley, millet, or rice) are associated with the fertility of the earth and eternal life. Nuts symbolize the continuation of the family, raisins represent prosperity, and honey signifies abundance on earth.

Ingredients for Classic Christmas Kutya:

Rice (250 g)
Raisins (100 g)
Almonds (100 g)
Honey (1-3 tbsp)
Poppy seeds (5 tbsp)
Cinnamon (to taste)

Instructions:

Rinse the rice, cover with water, and cook until tender. Then, rinse the grains with cold water using a colander.
Scald the almonds and raisins with boiling water (you can slightly chop the almonds if desired).
Dissolve sugar in a small amount of water. Add rice, almonds, cinnamon, raisins, and poppy seeds to it.
Mix well and add honey.

Roast Goose with Apples

The history of Christmas goose dates back 500 years, but few know that this roasted bird came to us from overseas. Legend has it that in 1558, while Queen Elizabeth I was dining on roast goose, her army defeated the invincible armada of Philip II of Spain. The day of triumph fell on Christmas Eve, and since then, the “goose of happiness” has become a mandatory festive attribute on the table.

Ingredients:

Goose (3.5 kg)
Apples (1 kg)
Honey (6 tsp)

For the marinade:

Mustard (180 g)
Honey (1 tsp)
Sea salt (1/2 tsp)

Instructions:

Defrost the goose in the refrigerator in advance, placing it in a deep bowl (we recommend doing this a day before marinating).
Wash the defrosted goose and pat dry. Cut off the tail and neck. If necessary, remove any remaining feathers (it is most convenient to do this with tweezers).
Prepare the marinade: mix mustard with honey, salt, and your favorite spices (try adding ground paprika and black pepper). Coat the goose with the prepared mixture inside and out.
Wrap any container with cling film and place the goose to marinate in the refrigerator for 4-12 hours (the optimal option is 6 hours).
Preheat the oven to 210 degrees. Take the bird out of the refrigerator and let it warm up to room temperature.
Wash the apples. Cut one half into quarters (after removing the cores) and stuff the goose tightly. Secure the edges of the bird with toothpicks.
Grease a deep container with a thin layer of vegetable oil and place the goose on its back. Put it in the preheated oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 180 degrees.
Once the goose starts to brown, cover the mold with foil. Cook the bird for 4 hours. Every hour, take out the dish and baste it with the released fat.
Remove the tops from the remaining apples. Pour a teaspoon of honey into each fruit and cover with a lid. In the third hour of baking the bird, place the whole apples next to it, cover with foil, and cook for the remaining hour.
Before serving, wrap the bird in foil.

Baked Mackerel

If classic baked fish options have bored you, we share a unique recipe with you. Baked mackerel in mustard-soy sauce (or, as it is often called by housewives, “miracle sauce”) will help make the meat juicy and tender. We also recommend starting to cut and chop the fish when it is not completely thawed.

Ingredients:

Mackerel (2 pcs)
Onion (1 pc)

For the sauce:

Soy sauce (3 tbsp)
Mustard (2 tbsp)
Mayonnaise (2 tbsp)

Instructions:

Defrost the mackerel, remove the head, gut, wash, and cut into portioned pieces.
Peel the onion, wash, and cut into rings.
In a separate dish, mix mustard, soy sauce, and mayonnaise.
Dip each piece of fish in the sauce and let it marinate for 20 minutes.
Grease the mold with vegetable oil. Lay the onions first, then the prepared mackerel. If you have sauce left, be sure to pour it over the fish.
Put the mold with the fish in the oven on the middle shelf and bake at 180 degrees until golden (25-30 minutes).

Vegetable Stew

Stew is always associated with a bright firework. The captivating aroma and excellent taste of the vegetable dish, as a rule, often saves the hostess, as the stew is made from products that are always in the kitchen. We share with you a recipe for a vegetable dish with potatoes, mushrooms, and tomato-sour cream sauce. Hearty and incredibly delicious, be sure to try it!

Ingredients:

Potatoes (800-900 g)
Champignons (300 g)
Onion (1 pc)
Carrot (1 pc)
Butter (30-40 g)
Tomato paste (1 tbsp)
Sour cream (2 tbsp)
Flour (1 tbsp)
Garlic (2 cloves)
Fresh dill (3-4 sprigs)
Vegetable oil (2 tbsp)
Ground black pepper (1 pinch)
Ground red pepper (1 pinch)
Ground paprika (1 pinch)
Bay leaf (2 pcs)
Salt (to taste)

Instructions:

Peel the onion, cut into cubes, and fry in vegetable oil until soft in a cauldron.
Wash the champignons and cut into small pieces.
Send the mushrooms to the onion and simmer until the liquid evaporates.
Peel the carrot, cut into semicircles, and add to the mushrooms and onion. Fry for 3 minutes.
Peel the potatoes, cut them coarsely, add to the cauldron, and heat for 1-2 minutes.
Add 150 ml of water, butter, black and red pepper, paprika, and bay leaf. Mix, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover the cauldron with a lid. Continue to simmer the potatoes with mushrooms for 10 minutes.
In a bowl, mix sour cream, tomato paste, a little flour, and salt. Stir thoroughly (there should be no lumps in the sauce).
Add the resulting sauce to the cauldron with vegetables, salt, and simmer for 7-10 minutes.
Peel and finely chop the garlic. Chop the dill. Add to the potatoes and mushrooms. After a minute, turn off the heat and let the stewed potatoes infuse under the lid for 10-15 minutes.
Serve the potatoes with mushrooms and tomato-sour cream sauce exclusively hot.

Baked Potatoes

Aromatic baked potatoes are a great addition to the festive table. This side dish is as tasty as boiled potatoes in their skins. Be sure to try the version with rosemary and garlic. Crumbly flesh, ruddy crispy crust, impregnated with a mixture of olive and butter with the appetizing aroma of baked garlic and rosemary.

Ingredients:

Potatoes (1 kg)
Garlic (1 head)
Olive oil (3 tbsp)
Butter (40 g)
Fresh rosemary (3-4 sprigs)
Salt (1 tsp)
Ground black pepper (to taste)

Instructions:

Wash the potatoes thoroughly and peel them.
Put the potatoes in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, and cook for 5-7 minutes.
Using a colander, drain the water in which the potatoes were boiled and let them cool slightly.
Pour 2 tbsp of olive oil into the baking dish and transfer the potatoes to it (in one layer!). Add salt and pepper to taste.
Put the potatoes in the preheated oven and let them bake at 190 degrees for 30 minutes.
While the potatoes are baking, separate the garlic into cloves and wash the rosemary, dry it, and remove the leaves from the sprigs.
In a bowl, combine garlic, rosemary, and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Mix thoroughly.
Melt the butter in a deep bowl (it is convenient to do this in a water bath).
Take the potatoes out of the oven, pour melted butter over them, and lightly press them to the bottom of the baking dish to form a ruddy crust.
Add the mixture of rosemary, garlic, and olive oil to the potatoes and return them to the hot oven. Let them bake at the same 190 degrees for another 25-30 minutes.
Take the potatoes out of the oven as soon as you notice a ruddy crust. Transfer the potatoes to a dish along with the greens and garlic.

Stuffed Eggs

Stuffed eggs have long been a great alternative to canapés. Today, there are many ideas for stuffing with a variety of ingredients. We suggest you try a gourmet version with a delicate filling.

For more inspiration, check out this recipe collection.

10 Must-Have Dishes for Your Christmas Feast