Old Fashioned Christmas Dinner

Merry Christmas, everyone! May your holiday be a joyous one with family and friends.

What are you having for Christmas dinner? A big meal, or a simple buffet of casseroles and salads? In the 19th century, family holiday dinners were usually a formal feast of several courses that likely kept the cook busy for days beforehand, and for many hours on the morning of the holiday itself. Here’s a typical Christmas Day dinner menu from Fanny Farmer’s 1896 cookbook.

Consommé with bread sticks

Olives, celery, and salted pecans

Roast goose with potato stuffing, and applesauce

Duchesse Potatoes and Cream of Lima Beans

Lettuce salad with cheese straws

English plum pudding with brandy sauce

Frozen pudding, assorted cakes, and bonbons

Cheese and crackers

Coffee