Our Holiday Fraîche Table is here – complete with a mini version for those more intimate dinners we will be having this year! Here is our delicious dinner guide to help you easily serve up festive holiday flavour no matter the size.
The holidays are undeniably different this year (an understatement, I know). But just because the table is set for fewer people doesn’t mean you have to compromise on your favourite holiday dishes. To help, I have put together a modified holiday menu for cooking seasonal favourites, perfect for 4 people. The recipes also have the flexibility to be scaled down or up with little effort! I’ll still be dressing up – this little sparkly number below was only $39 and feels like I’m wearing pj’s for the record.
Holiday Dinner For A Small Group
On a regular year, our home would be bustling with kids, dogs, family, and friends during the holidays. It is one of my favourite times of the year and has been really important to me for all my life. Instead of crawling under a blanket with a bucket of cookies, I’m going to take a deep breath and focus the little moments and everything we have to be grateful for, spending my time making the most of the holiday while staying safe and enjoying my home. I am embracing these quieter moments while still trying to keep things memorable for the boys.
I chose dishes for this menu that I truly love and that make for a complete meal bursting with fresh festive flavours (lol say that ten times fast….)! The beautiful part is the simplicity. I hope it lets you take advantage of a slower paced holiday enjoying yourself in your comfy pajamas (I mean you don’t even have to change for dinner this year if you don’t want haha)!
Keep reading for some festive cocktails to start your night off and a menu for you to enjoy – along with a heap of extra ideas for your Christmas dinner menu!
Holiday Drinks
Looking for something extra jolly? Try any of these scrumptious festive drinks to bring the holiday cheer this year! You deserve it and so does Santa, or so I’ve been told.
Winter Sangria 2 Ways
Chai Spice Cocktail
Vegan Irish Cream
Fraîche Holiday Menu
Appetizers
Start the evening off with one of my favourite appetizers EVER, Cranberry Brie Hand Pies! If “brie” and “cranberries” don’t have your attention how about “baked in pastry?”! You can skip the homemade dough and opt for frozen pastry sheets. This recipe makes up to 16 little hand pies, so consider keeping recipe as is for lots as leftovers (you can freeze the unbaked) or you can chop this recipe right in half! Psssst…. Make sure to DOUBLE the cranberry sauce mixture to use for the next course, and save 1 pastry sheet for dessert!
Then, this no-fuss recipe for Rosemary Roasted Nuts is ready in 15 minutes and makes the perfect addition this holiday season! It also makes a great gift or stocking in a cute jar!
Cranberry Brie Hand Pies
Rosemary Roasted Nuts
Main Course
Looking to skip the big bird this year? I totally understand. These Cranberry Rosemary Stuffed Chickens are incredible, and much more low maintenance than a big turkey. I used chicken breasts stuffed with rosemary, garlic and cream cheese and they are truly bursting with flavour. Then, use your extra delicious cranberry sauce from the appetizer round to top the chicken with at the end!
Cranberry Rosemary Stuffed Chicken
Side Dishes
Oh holiday side dishes… la pièce de résistance! Arguably the best part of Christmas dinner are the incredible sides. You can adjust the mix of recipes to your liking, but all these dishes make great leftovers for the coming days so sometimes a little extra is a good thing! Add some extra steamed vegetables if you wish. This could be your family’s preference like steamed broccoli, corn, Brussels sprouts or green beans.
Garlicky Kale Mashed Potatoes
Honey Roasted Carrots
Perfect White Buns
Dessert
We can’t forget about a special treat to finish the meal! This easy Apple Galette uses pastry dough from the appetizer hand pies. A Galette is a classic French dessert but simply put, think of it as kind of rustic pie! For this dessert, you want to make sure that your apples are very thinly sliced to allow them to cook all the way through and soften!
Top with ice cream or whipped cream or enjoy solo. This is the perfect final note to your Fraîche Table Holiday Dinner!
Apple Galette
Holiday Menu Printout & Grocery List
You can download a pdf grocery list HERE to help you on your merry way! Please note to make adjustments if you are changing any of these recipes to suit your group. Then, if you want to make your table even more special, create a true dining experience in the comfort of home with the print out menu! Download HERE and cut to size on your table or place settings. Bon appétit!
Fraîche Table Decor
I love using fresh greenery like cedar boughs to decorate the table and love the look of popping in a few roses, fresh pomegranates, seeded and silver dollar eucalyptus and little white candles. Super simple and classy.
If you feel like your home is missing a little something this season and want a last minute festive splash, spruce it up with our Fraîche Prints. The Eat Drink & Be Merry Print is my fav and comes in 4 colour options to fit your decor. Print at home or at a local printer, pop it in a frame and voilà! To make the table extra special bake up our Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies and use as place settings and decoration. But be warned they have been known to easily disappear!
Vegetarian Holiday Dinner Options
Didn’t see something you liked above? I have lot’s of other recipes that might be more up your alley.
Appetizers
Main Dishes
Desserts
The year has been stressful enough. Please enjoy the holidays, focus on what is important, and spend time doing what you love! I hope you can enjoy your smaller festive feast with this menu to get you inspired! Sending you all light and love from my family to yours.
Hi Tori
I am looking for suggestions for a Christmas lunch that I can make that is individual and take to my 92 year old mother in law, something that I can make and transport easily in the car for 20 minutes? I was thinking maybe individual quiche? Do you have any recipes on your site? Thank you
Hi Jane yes I have a great Quiche Lorraine on the blog if you just search ‘quiche’ – sorry for the delay I hope I’m not too late! I do think this dish would be perfect!
I finally made the Perfect White Buns and as promised they were perfect! I only made half the batch and then I froze half of them because there are only two of us and it was so nice to bring them out of the freezer for the next meal and have delicious buns for dinner again! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!