December Dinner Menu Ideas

Use the seasonal December Dinner Menu Ideas here as inspiration and a starting point for your own family menus.

Not sure why to menu plan? Check out all the great reasons here, plus get a free seasonal menu planning eBook with shopping lists and more here.

December meals are all about balancing holiday treats and traditional dinners with easy, hearty and good-for-you meals – at least that’s how it is for our family.

The ham and cheesy scalloped potatoes holiday meal with curried turkey soup and make-your-own tacos on other nights. When there are cookies and treats around, it’s nice to make a chicken and vegetable soup to balance it all out, don’t you think?

And whether you have snow or not, it’s still a time of baking and simmering yummy things to eat around our tables, enjoying our warm homes and families.

Cooking From the Garden in Winter

Our garden is gone except for a few stray leaves of kale that made it through the cold, but the freezer and canning shelf keeps giving us garden goodness from the produce put up through the summer and fall.

And pulling bags of peppers, corn, and green beans from the freezer to use in a soup with nourishing bone broth for my family on a dark winter’s night? That’s why I grow and preserve what I can, right there.

What about you – do you try to balance the meals in December, too? I hope you find inspiration from these dinner menu ideas for your families!

Fast & Easy Curried Red Lentil Soup, green salad with homemade vinaigrette, Easy Artisan Bread

Thai Inspired Turkey Curry (using leftover turkey from Thanksgiving)

Turkey-Spinach Frittata with Feta & Tomatoes (more leftover turkey), cut veggies and Best Ranch Dip

Stir Fry with Pork & Vegetables on rice noodles

Mediterranean Fish Bake, green salad with ranch dressing

Easy Slow Cooker Garlic Scallop Potatoes

Roasted ham, Slow Cooker Cheesy-Garlic Scalloped Potatoes, Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower, green salad with Homemade Vinaigrette

Ham & Bean Soup (using leftover ham and ham bone), Quick & Tender Breadsticks (save half for Thursday’s dinner)

Rotisserie or Slow Cooker Spiced Whole Chicken, Simple Corn, Pepper & Onion Saute (using frozen corn & peppers), Baked Tasty Rice

Curried Chicken & Rice Soup (use leftover chicken), green salad, leftover breadsticks

Sausage, Bean & Greens Gratin, Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese salad

Slow Cooker Sausage-Bean Soup with Spinach & Tomatoes, Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread

Greek Style Shrimp & Orzo, green salad

Soft tacos or taco salad

Cajun Beef on Spiced Potatoes, Orange-Almond Spinach Salad

Sauteed pork chops & onions, Baked Grated Garlic Carrots, oven roasted potatoes

Christmas Morning Monkey Bread - An Oregon Cottage

Maple Mustard Overnight Bacon - An Oregon Cottage

Christmas Morning Brunch: Make-Ahead Monkey Bread (using real ingredients), Make-Ahead Peppered Maple-Mustard Bacon, Delicious Overnight Scrambled Eggs with Spinach, fruit (NOTE: Grab a printable menu here for your holiday morning!)

Roast Turkey, Sausage-Cranberry Stuffing, Garlic-Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, Garlic Green Beans

Individual Chicken-Tomato Shepherd’s Pies (use leftover turkey & mashed potatoes), salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Traditional Turkey Noodle Soup, Easy Artisan Bread

Pasta with Roasted Tomato Sauce, green salad with homemade vinaigrette

What about weekends?

Make your weekends easy by repeating family favorites!

Our family’s weekend menus always have these standards:

Saturdays alternate between burgers on homemade buns (or pigs-in-blankets) & fries and homemade pizza.
Sundays are mostly on-your-own/leftovers (“OYO” on the menu board) – if nothing is available, a quick pasta is made using our frozen roasted tomato sauce or pesto.